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If I hadn't gone last month to Kim Ode's Edesia Cookbook Review group I would never have found out about Nina Wong's upcoming Hot Pot dinner at the ChinDian Cafe.
Kim, a former colleague of mine at the Star Tribune (she's still there) hosts a cookbook club - named Edesia after the Roman goddess of cooking - on the fourth Monday of every month at Barnes and Noble in the Galleria in Edina. Last month she invited me and Nina, chef-owner of the ChinDian Café, to talk about our favorite Chinese cookbooks. I haven't actually opened a Chinese cookbook in years, but that didn't stop me - I recommended the work of Fuchsia Dunlop. Nina brought along a couple of books by Ken Hom, some curry rice noodles, and a big urn of hot ginger tea, made with her homemade ginger syrup. (Available for sale at the ChinDian Café.) If you are a foodie, it's a fun way to spend an hour - the conversation was lively and relaxed, and there was time at the end for questions. The next Edesia gathering will be Monday, March 23 from 7-8 p.m., and will feature Mary Ellen Evans, author of: "Bistro Chicken" and "The One Dish Chicken Cookbook", along with General Mills food scientist Kevin Ryan.
At any rate, Kim and Nina have organized a special hotpot dinner, to be held 6 p.m. Saturday, March 14 at the ChinDian Café, 1500 E. Hennepin. It's a do-it-yourself dining experience, served family style. Each table gets a Chinese hot pot, and each diner gets to choose which ingredients to dip into the boiling broth -shrimp, squid, fish fillets, fish balls, beef, and a variety of Chinese veggies. You cook them to the desired degree of doneness, and then scoop out and eat. Cost is $20 per person - contact Kim Ode at
[email protected]., or call Nina at .612-676-1818. Seating is limited, so make your reservations soon. You can also watch a video of Nina's Chinese New Years Hot Pot dinner on YouTube, here .
I did stop in yesterday for lunch at the Chindian, and discovered a favorite Malaysian dish on the menu - Nasi Lemak, a traditional dish of coconut rice, fried chicken, fried egg sunny-side up, anchovy sambal, peanuts and cucumber ($7.95). Nina, who was born in Vietnam, is ethnically Chinese, while her husband Thomas is ethnically Indian but grew up in Malaysia, so the ChinDian Café is a melting pot of flavors, ranging from Chinese Chicken and Chive dumplings, steamed or fried ($5.95), Vietnamese spring rolls, and Singapore chow mai fun to Malaysian Kwa Tieu Goreng (rice noodles with shrimp, tofu, bean sprouts and garlic chili sauce.
Chindian is one of the best kept secrets in the city! I haven't had one bad thing off their menu, The location is totally off the beaten path, but definitely worth seeking out. One of my top five faves, definitely.
this place is awesome
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Sarah
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