Based on both AGB and Kantar research, Eat Bulaga clobbered Showtime in the ratings game. There’s no truth to rumors though that Sky Cable has apologized to ABS-CBN for not doing well enough.

When sought for comfort, President Aquino allegedly told his good friend Vice Ganda, “Buhay ka pa naman ‘di ba?”

On Twitter, the hashtag #AlDubEBforLove generated 25.6 million tweets while #ShowtimeKapamilyaDay got 6.33 million. The good news for Showtime is “it’s not fatal.”

On Facebook, Showtime host Vice Ganda thanked Showtime fans for their “REAL and ORGANIC tweets” – subtly insinuating that #ADubEBforLove tweets were not. In other news, a new character will replace Miss Pastillas on Showtime. It’s Mr. Ampalaya.

In the battle of hashtags: #AlDubEBforLove generated 25.6 million tweets while #ShowtimeKapamilyaDay got 6.33 million. The next day Vice Ganda thanked Showtime fanatics for their “REAL and ORGANIC tweets” – reminding the public that it’s election season once again. Nobody loses, just cheated.

After Showtime’s anniversary special, ABS-CBN released a video and photos of Vice Ganda kissing co-host, Karylle on stage. The struggle is real.

IN OTHER NEWS…
According to the latest Pulse Asia survey, the top concern of 47 percent of Filipinos were economic-related issues. Those Filipinos were probably lying because it’s really AlDub.

Poe On Top
The results of the latest Pulse Asia pre-election survey are out. Grace Poe leads the pack with 26 percent. Trailing her are Mar Roxas, 20 percent; Vice President Binay, 19 percent, and Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, 16 percent. By region, Poe takes Luzon; Roxas takes Visayas, and Duterte takes Mindanao. Binay takes offense.

Yes to Pork
On Monday, Mar Roxas and Jojo Binay addressed a group of politicians allied with former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Mar Roxas vowed to continue the reforms started by President Aquino. The politicians applauded. Vice President Binay said he wanted a new form of pork barrel for congressmen. The politicians gave him a standing ovation.

Isko Resigns
Vice Mayor Isko Moreno has reportedly resigned as Manila’s traffic czar. The news came as a shock to Manila residents who asked, “May traffic czar ang Manila?!?”
———————————————————————————————————————————————
“Never be bitter, become better.”
~Johnnie Dent Jr.

Sound Bites
“Okay lang sa akin ang kababawan, pero hanggang doon na lamang ba tayo? #NagtatanongLangPo.”
~Lea Salonga, 9.26.2015/Twitter

Chill!

I am on Twitter: @HecklerForever.

[Photos: Ratings, Vice Ganda and Karylle: PEP; Poe, Roxas, Binay: Inquirer.net]

Binay Biopic
Vice President Binay was quoted to have said that he wanted popular teenage heartthrob Alden Richards to portray him in a biopic. Binay has made the perfect choice because Alden does the best and the most shriek-worthy ‘nakaw na tingin’ and ‘nakaw na sandali’ acting.

Vice President Binay wants Alden Richards to portray him in a biopic. The project will be a big challenge for Alden, and an even bigger challenge for his make-up artist.

A Binay biopic will have a very simple plot: from rags to suspicious riches.

Binay Ad
The latest political ad of Vice President Binay has started airing on TV. In the video, Binay played the victim card and was very emotional. His acting was so good, the TV ad almost edged out ‘Heneral Luna’ for the right to represent the country in the 2016 Oscars.

Vice President Binay’s latest TV ad received mixed reviews from netizens. Some hated it while others really really hated it.

Heneral Luna
Reports say some people who watched the historical biopic ‘Heneral Luna’ wondered why the Apolinario Mabini character was never seen standing. They asked, “Why was he always seated?” The answer to that is, “Why are you such idiots?”

Jaworski’s Son
For the nth time, former senator Robert Jaworski’s son, Ryan had a brush with the law. Ryan, who is suspected of being involved in gunrunning, sustained a gunshot wound when he and a friend reportedly exchanged fire with police operatives in Makati City last weekend. The latest: Ryan insists he is just a victim, and is innocent of the charges. This guy can be the next vice president.

Accomplishments
President Aquino says Vice President Binay has yet to show proof of his “accomplishments” in the housing sector. Challenged, Binay showed the President photos of Mayor Junjun’s private room in Makati City Hall.

Reyes Brothers
Former Palawan governor Joel Reyes and his brother, former Coron town mayor Mario Reyes who are primary suspects in the murder of broadcaster/environmentalist Gerry Ortega in 2011 were arrested in Phuket, Thailand the other day. They were deported back to Manila on Friday, September 25. Local authorities were so ready for them. They prepared warrants of arrest, detention cells, and wheelchairs.

The brothers’ lawyer says Joel and Mario Reyes who have been in hiding since 2012 were “not arrested” but “surrendered” in Thailand. Which begs the question, “Who the hell are you kidding?”

Latest Survey
According to the latest Pulse Asia survey, Sen. Grace Poe is the most preferred candidate for president. Poe got 27 percent; Binay, 21 percent, and Roxas, 18 percent. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who has officially dropped out of the race got 15 percent. We need more people like Duterte. People who know why they should drop out of the race for president.

Sheryl and Grace
Actress Sheryl Cruz believes her first cousin Sen. Grace Poe is not ready to become president yet saying “popularity cannot be translated into capability.” In case you’re not familiar with Sheryl, she was a member of ‘Triplets,’ That’s Entertainment’s Wednesday group, and just recently, the Liberal Party.

Sheryl Cruz insists that Sen. Grace Poe is not prepared to lead the country. With a cousin like that, who needs Toby Tiangco or Egay Erice?

Facebook
Mark Zuckerberg confirms Facebook is working on a ‘Dislike’ button. As early as now, Facebook users are expressing dislike for it.

Top 10 Buttons Facebook (Philippines) Should Consider Adding to the Site

10: Thank You

9: Seriously?!?

8: Inggit much.

7: Shut up!

6: Epal Alert

5: And this should be news because…

4: Echosera!

3: Mag-Tagalog ka na lang.

2: Who cares?

And the No. 1 button Facebook should seriously consider adding to the site…

Buhay ka pa naman ‘di ba?
——————————————————————————————————————————————————
“But wishes are only granted in fairy tales.”
~Simone Elkeles, Perfect Chemistry

Sound Bites
“I thank Sheryl for her opinion and concern for us. As a family, we will continue to give her the love and respect she deserves.”
~Sen. Grace Poe

Have a great weekend!

I am on Twitter: @HecklerForever.

[Photos: Binay: Article.Wn.Com; Binay Ad Screencap; Inquirer.net; Reyes Brothers: @JLDeJesusINQ]

In 2009, President Aquino was the most popular candidate. Today, at least according to the most recent surveys, it’s Grace Poe. Apparently, survey respondents wanted someone who is new, fresh, and with a popular dead parent.

In making her decision to run for president of the Republic of the Philippines, Grace Poe said, “I wanted to continue what my father, FPJ had started.” Specifically, these are:
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Sen. Grace Poe is running for president. She thus joined a long list of women who had said “no” to President Aquino.

A day after Grace Poe announced her bid for the presidency at the UP Bahay ng Alumni, Sen. Francis Escudero “accepted” Poe’s challenge to be her running mate. Chiz made the declaration at Club Filipino. Originally, Grace Poe wanted to make her announcement also at Club Filipino but club members said, “This is Club Filipino. We repeat, ‘Filipino.’”

Grace Poe has officially declared her bid for the presidency. In her speech though, she didn’t identify her party. Rumors say she is still torn between two: Republican and Democratic.

Sen. Grace Poe has officially declared her intention to run for president. Going super full blast soon: TV ads, on-ground campaign, and Edgar Erice’s attacks on her.

Enumerating her goals, the first-term senator acknowledged that “traffic situation takes away not just our precious time, it tests our patience.” Which begs the question, why did you support the INC protests on EDSA?

Sen. Grace Poe also vowed to “hold the corrupt accountable, whether they be friend or foe.” In totally unrelated news, Jinggoy and Bong are now reportedly campaigning hard for Jejomar Binay.

Former Zamboanga del Norte Representative Romeo Jalosjos, a convicted child rapist, was present at the UP Bahay ng Alumni last Wednesday to support Grace Poe. Nothing much has changed. Jalosjos like ’em young and fresh.
——————————————————————————————————————————————–
“People with ambition don’t give a damn what other people think of them.”
~Diane Setterfield

Sound Bites
Binay: Ituro mo sa akin. Nasaan?
Student: Hanapin na lang po ninyo, sir. Di ninyo yata nakikita.
Binay: Mga 3% or 5% lang ang informal settlers sa amin sa Makati.
Student: Eh ‘di mayroon pa rin, sir. Sabi ninyo wala.
~Exchange between Vice President Binay and UP Los Baños student and Mandaluyong City resident Lucky Patrick Lopez during a forum in UPLB

“Three percent lang ang informal settlers sa Makati, sabihin na nga nating halos wala. Lumabas ang kabastusan ng bata.”
~Vice President Binay

Have a great weekend!

I am on Twitter: @HecklerForever.

[Photo: Journal.com.ph]

Good morning EDSA. Diretso na tayo sa unang tanong kasi alam kong nagmamadali ka; rush hour ngayon. Ano ang naging unang reaksyon mo sa napakatinding traffic jam noong Martes ng gabi?

Siyempre, natigilan ako. Hindi ako makagalaw. Feeling ko ang sikip-sikip ng mundo ko.

Inexpect mo ba ang ganung kagrabeng traffic?

Actually, pati ako nagulat. Six hours?!? Wow! Tinalo pa ang traffic noong may rally ang Iglesia. Natawa nga ako sa isang pasahero ng bus. Nagbanta ba naman ang pucha. Sabi niya: kakasuhan daw ako ng illegal detention. Hellllo!

Ano ang sabi mo sa kanya?

Itiniwalag ko! Ayun, naglakad mula Ortigas hanggang Guadalupe! Illegal detention pala huh! Hala! Lakad!

Tiwalag? So INC ka pala?

Tanga! Katoliko ako siyempre! Kaya nga may Our Lady of EDSA ‘di ba!?

Teka, balik tayo sa traffic noong Martes. Pati pala si Sen. Chiz Escudero naipit sa traffic. Ang sabi niya sa media, three hours daw siyang stuck sa ‘yo!

So nagrereklamo siya? ‘Buti nga siya at komportableng nakaupo sa kanyang SUV. Hiyang-hiya naman sa kanya ‘yong mga pinaglakad ko.

Teka lang po. Galit agad? Wala naman akong sinabing nagreklamo siya. Ang init ng ulo ah.

Eh kasi nga Biyernes na naman. Bugbog na naman ako n’yan sa uwian!

Umuulan naman tuwing hapon ah. ‘Di ba mas maluwag ka kapag basa?

On the contrary, mas nagiging masikip ako kapag wet. Wala kasing galawan. Gitgitan nang gitgitan. Kanya-kanyang pasok at labas. Ang ending, heavy traffic.

So kaninong fault ‘yong monstrous traffic jam last September 8? Sa baha? Sa dami ng sasakyan? Sa MMDA? Sa Highway Patrol Group? Sa government? Kanino?

Gusto ko sanang sabihing fault ni GMA pero ang hirap ikunek eh. So, sa kalikasan na lang. Ewan ko nga ba kay Mother Nature, nagpapadala pa ng destructive forces eh nand’yan naman ang mga pulitiko at ang gobyerno. Ang labo!

Maiba ako. Totoo bang may tampo sa ‘yo ang mga tao ng MMDA?

Narinig ko na rin ang isyung ‘yan. As much as possible, ayaw kong paniwalaan dahil matagal na rin ang pinagsamahan namin. Pero lately, aaminin ko ‘to, for the first time, and exclusive sa ‘yo… sobrang lamig ng pakikitungo sa akin ng mga taga-MMDA. Hindi na masyadong nagpaparamdam. No text, no call. ‘Di na rin masyadong tumatambay. Nami-miss ko nga ang aming kwentuhan eh.

Baka nagseselos sa PNP-Highway Patrol Group. Hindi kaya?

Ayoko nang magsalita. Basta, friends ko sila pareho.

Pinag-aagawan ka ng dalawa! Ang haba ng hair huh! I mean, ng lane! Ano bang meron ka?

Ganda lang! Jooooooke!!! Siyempre, motorists na willing magbigay. ‘Tsaka abusadong drivers na kapag nahuli ng enforcer, ang laging linya ay “Sir, baka pwedeng pag-usapan na lang natin ‘to!” OR “Boss, kumpare ko nga pala si Mayor X” or “Chief, otso ang plaka ko, di mo napansin?” Like that.

Until now?

Naman! May bago?!

Na-mention ko na rin lang ang MMDA, close naman kayo ni Chairman Francis Tolentino. Anong masasabi mo sa statement niya the other day na ‘di pa siya sure kung tatakbo sa Senado.

Palabiro talaga ‘yang si Chairman. Hindi raw siya tatakbo????? Eh para saan ‘yong araw-araw na political ad niya sa radyo? Wala lang? Trip lang niyang gumastos?

‘To naman. Hayaan mo na. Baka naman donation. Speaking of donation, balita ko nag-donate ng 20 million-peso worth of traffic lights sa Legazpi City ang MMDA ah.

Ganun?!? BumiBinay? Investment for future elections?

Nagbibintang???

Paanong naging bintang ‘yon! May question mark ‘di ba? In short, nagtatanong!

Eh pa’no yan? Sabi ng palasyo, bahagi raw ng official function ‘yon ni Chairman?

MMDA?! Umabot sa Legazpi City? Bakit? Ano ba ang A sa MMDA? Albay? Para-paraan huh!

Well, it worked for Binay. Let’s see if it would work for Tolentino.

Matagal pa ba ang interview na ‘to?

Grabe naman. Nagmamadali??? May naghihintay bang taxi sa labas?

Tanga! ‘Di lang taxi! Pati bus, kotse, truck, van, motorsiklo, ambulansya, atbp!

Konti na lang. ‘Di ba marami nang pulitiko ang dumaan sa ‘yo? Kapag natatrapik sila, ano bang naririnig mo mula sa mga ‘yon?

So tsismoso ako? Ganun?

I didn’t say that. Baka lang kasi naririnig mo sila kapag naiipit sa grabeng traffic. Like si Mar Roxas, ano ba usually ang sinasabi kapag napakatagal na stuck sa ‘yo?

“‘Tang-inaaaaaa! Traffic!”

“‘Tang-inaaaaaa” talaga??? Anim ang ‘a?’

Hindi naman. Minsan 10. Depende sa tindi ng traffic.

Si Manny Pacquiao?

Naku! Wala nang ginawa ‘yon kundi mag-quote ng Bible verses kapag natatrapik!

Eh si Grace Poe?

Sabi ni Madam, igalang daw natin ang karapatang magpahayag ng mga motorista. Kung mag-quote man daw ng Bible verses, hayaan na lang daw natin sila kasi may religious freedom naman.

How about President Aquino?

Actually, ang mareklamo sa traffic, ‘yong driver niya. Kaya si Presidente, ang laging banat: Buhay ka pa naman ‘di ba?

Kumusta naman si Binay?

Ahh iba naman ‘yun. Hindi nagmumura si VP to be fair to him. Kapag stuck ‘yan sa trapik, nagnanakaw ng tulog ‘yan. At least, consistent.

Consistent? Meaning?

Punta naman tayo kay Duterte…

Wait, what do you mean by consistent?

Aabutan na ako ng rush hour. Ayoko na.

Last na lang. Kung boboto ka sa 2016: Tuwid na Daan pa rin o iba naman?

Maluwag na Daan! Bye!

-End of Interview-
———————————————————————————————————————————————-
“Life is too short for traffic.”
~Dan Bellack

Sound Bites
“Severe traffic congestion that was triggered by heavy rains and flash floods clearly showed the inadequacy of existing road and flood-control infrastructure that will take time to be scaled up.”
~Palace spokesman Sonny Coloma

Have a good weekend and an even better week ahead! UP FIGHT!

I am on Twitter: @HecklerForever.

[Photo: Philippine Star]

The Police
Starting this week, burly officers of the PNP-Highway Patrol Group will be deployed to manage traffic in the metro. Expect to see those cops on EDSA especially during rush hour. Or as they would probably call it, “happy hour.”

The Police II
The PNP-Highway Patrol Group has been designated as lead traffic law enforcement agency on EDSA. Some motorists describe it as “unsettling” while some MMDA traffic enforcers call it, “loss of extra income.”

Scenarios
Cop: Alam mo ba kung bakit ka namin pinara?

Motorist: Dahil Biyernes ngayon at kailangan n’yo ng pang-inom mamayang gabi?

Cop:

Motorist: Joke lang boss. Ganito lang talaga ako. Mapagbiro.

* * * * *

Cop: Prrrt! Lisensya!

Motorist: Lisensya agad? ‘Di ba pwedeng mag-hi muna?

Cop:

Motorist: Hi! Hehe Grabe ka namang makasimangot sir. Heto na nga, hinahanap na.

* * * * *

Cop: Prrrrrt! Alam mo ba kung bakit kita pinahinto?!

Motorist: Ano ‘to? Quiz? Magmumulta kapag ‘di nakasagot???!

Cop:

Motorist: Ay! May No U-Turn sign pala. Sensya na sir. Malabo lang ang mata.

Cop: Prrrt! Alam mo ba kung bakit kita pinara?!?

Motorist: Oo naman! Magkano ba?

Cop:

Motorist: Sorry! ‘Yong kahapon kasi nagsabi agad ng presyo. Akala ko ikaw ‘yon.

* * * * *

Cop: Prrrt! Alam mo ba kung bakit kita pinara?!?

Motorist: Alam mo bang less ang abala kung sasabihin mo na agad kung bakit?

Cop:

Motorist: Beating the red light sir. Sorry, naka-green pa kanina eh. Ang bagal kasi ng nasa unahan.

* * * * *

Cop: Alam mo ba kung bakit kita pinahinto?!?

Motorist: Dahil a-kinse ngayon at kakasuweldo ko lang?

Cop:

Motorist: Pero opinyon ko lang ‘yan sir. Ewan ko sa opinyon mo. Kanya-kanya lang ‘yan.

* * * * *

Cop: Prrrt! Alam mo ba kung bakit kita pinara?!?

Motorist: Dahil ‘di mo alam na uncle ko ang mayor dito?

Cop:

Motorist: Well actually, uncle talaga s’ya ng best friend ko. So, heto ang lisensya ko.

Cop: Prrrt! Alam mo ba kung bakit kita pinahinto?!?

Motorist: Ikaw ‘tong nanghuli, ba’t ako ang tatanungin mo?!

Cop:

Motorist: Grabe ka namang makatingin sir! Nagi-explain lang. Chill.

* * * * *

Cop: Prrrt! Alam mo ba kung bakit kita pinara?!?

Motorist: Trick question! Hindi mo naman ako pinara eh. Hinuli mo ako!

Cop:

Motorist: Lisensya ko sir. Ready na. Hehe

* * * * *

Cop: Alam mo ba kung bakit kita pinara?!

Motorist: May iba pa bang rason? Eh ‘di mangongotong!

Cop:

Motorist: Preemptive measure lang sir. Kung hindi ka mangongotong, eh ‘di mabuti.

* * *

Cop: Prrrt! Alam mo ba kung bakit kita pinara?!

Motorist: Yup! Dahil nag-swerve ako. But in my defense, may pulubing tumawid. Iniwasan ko ito kaya napilitan akong mag-swerve. Otherwise, mababangga ko ‘yong pulubi, mamamatay siya, makakasuhan ako ng reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, at masisira ang buhay ko. Nakapatay na nga ako, masisira pa ang buhay ko, nasaan ang fairness do’n? Kaya kung ako sa ‘yo sir, palalampasin ko na lang ang ginawa ko para hindi ka makunsensya in the future.

Cop:

Motorist: Fine! *hands over license* Basta ‘pag nasira ang buhay ko, ikaw ang sisisihin ko sir!

* * * * *

Cop: Prrrt! Lisensya!

Motorist: *hands over license*

Cop: *checks license*

Motorist:

Cop: Mayor!!! Sorry, ‘di kita agad nakilala. Ingat kayo sir, madulas ang daan.

Cop: Prrrt! Alam mo ba kung bakit kita pinara?

Motorist: Dahil wala akong choice! Pulis ka, nakauniporme, malaki ang katawan, may motorsiklong panghabol, may baril. Tell me, may choice ba ako?!?!

Cop:

Motorist: *hands over license* May point naman ako sir ‘di ba?
————————————————————————————————————————————————
“Leave sooner, drive slower, live longer.”
~Author Unknown

Sound Bites
“That is the clear direction, implementing an effective traffic law enforcement. The primary consideration here is to clear the choke points.”
~Palace spokesman Sonny Coloma

“I don’t think that is possible. No one has talked to me and I am definitely not interested. Definitely out of my psyche. What I am only focused now is the senatorial. Anything beyond that will not happen. Anything beyond that I am not ready.”
~Justice Sec. Leila De Lima on reports she’s being considered for the VP post

Have a great weekend! #WorthTheWait

I am on Twitter: @HecklerForever.

[Photos: Philstar.com, Iconshut.com, Qinteristing.com, 123RF.com; Dreamstime.com]

via OC Register

In “Chop Suey’s Next Wave,” we learn a great deal about the storied history of urban “food towns” like those in Los Angeles, Westminster, San Francisco, Houston, and New York. While strolling through Los Angeles, Yong talks about everything from the past century of Asian food in America, including the current wave of Chinese cuisine. It’s a must watch if you want to learn about #10 Boba, stinky tofu (coming soon), and all of those colorful Taiwanese cafés out there!

It’s also very encouraging to see more Asian representation in the media– with John Cho’s #Selfie and ABC’s hit series “Fresh off the Boat” leading the way. For example, Louis Huang (played by Randall Park) runs a texas-style restaurant called Cattleman’s Ranch. In search of the “American Dream,” FOTB’s satirical and sometimes gut-wrenchingly true(ish) accounts got us thinking about why for over 150 years, Asians have been opening and managing their own restaurants. We asked Professor Chen for his views about the almost 40,000 Chinese restaurants in America– outnumbering McDonald’s, KFC, and Burger King combined! Without further adieu:

1. When did the first Chinese restaurants open in the United States?
At the end of the 1840s.  In 1849 there were three of them in San Francisco.

2. Who ran these restaurants? Where were they located? How were they funded?
Chinese owners ran these establishments.  They were in San Francisco, and were clearly funded by the Chinese owners themselves.

via http://www.sanfranciscodays.com/

4. What are some trials and tribulations they have today?
How to climb up in the gastronomical hierarchy of America. For the most part, Chinese food has remained at the lower end of that hierarchy for more than a century.  Many restaurants have relied on the hard work of family members, relatives and friends.

5. Are restaurants a lucrative endeavor? What are immigrant populations’ motivations for opening restaurants?
Some owners made money.  But that was often the result of a lot of sacrifice and hard work.  For Chinese restaurants to become a lucrative business, they must turn Chinese food into a fine dining cuisine.  Many immigrants, Chinese and non-Chinese, have chosen to open a small restaurant as a way to make a living because the threshold to do so is generally not very high in terms of money, skills, and education.

6. Is Chinese food in America authentic?
This depends on who you ask and where you are.  People from China, especially visitors or newcomers, would say that the food they found in restaurants located in non-Chinese neighborhoods is not authentic. Longstanding non-Chinese diners in old-style Chinese restaurants located in non-Chinese communities, however, would find the food in China not matching their idea of authentic Chinese food. Increasingly in recent years, restaurants in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China have opened branches in the United States, offering fabulous Chinese food.

What are some examples of real authentic Chinese food you would like to see in a restaurant?
Local foods from different regions of China; a growing number of them are not found in Chinese communities across the country, from Flushing, New York to Monterey Park in California. I would love to see more local foods from gastronomically less famous regions become available in America’s Chinese restaurants such as reganmian or hot-dry-noodles and doupi, namely, a pan cake made with a variety of stuffings wrapped in pan-fried tofu skins.

via http://chinaexpat.com/ (reganmian)

7. What are your favorite Chinese Dishes? What are your favorite non-Chinese dishes?
There are many of them in both categories. Among the the countless Chinese dishes that I love are as follows:
1. a famous dish from Fujian Province called “buddha jumps over the wall”, which is made with fowl and over ten best kinds of seafood such as abalone in a broth contained in earthen jar.

2. American diners are familiar with Cantonese and Sichuan (Szechuan) cuisine.  Although it is relatively less known in America, Huaiyang is one of the oldest and finest regional cuisines of China , known for the exquisite craftsmanship in preparation and delicate and artful combination of ingredients.  Even simple fried dishes can be an unforgettable experience.  Lovers of Chinese ought to visit the city of Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province, the birth of Huaiyang cuisine.

3. Among the many non-Chinese dishes, I love paella, jambalaya, and bibimbap kaiseki is not a singular dish but a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner.  Such a dinner prepared by a fine chef can be a trip to gastronomical paradise.

8. What do you see as the next frontier for Chinese entrepreneurs?
There are frontiers:
- First: Bold fusion, artistic presentation, and impeccable service.
- Second, streamline and simplify the food on the menu, and franchise.

We would like to thank Professor Chen for taking the time to answer our 8 questions (Check out #88 Numbers (8-8-08) if you don’t know why we chose this number). It’s very important to learn about the past to understand and predict the future.

Stay Classy!
-Peter.

Yong Chen is a history professor in UC Irvine’s school of humanities. His research interests include food, Asian-American history, immigration History, and  China-U.S. economic and cultural interactions.

For More Information about CA Food Matters: 
- New episodes of our web series “California Matters with Mark Bittman” launch on KCET.org/CAFoodMatters every other Tuesday 
- The ten part web series will culminate in a television broadcast special airing on KCET in Southern California this fall. 
-Series Summary: “California Matters with Mark Bittman” is an online series that explores the world of food, sustainable agriculture, policy and health through the lens of the University of California.  
-Mark Bittman Bio: Cookbook author and New York Times columnist Mark Bittman has come west to explore California and the food that’s grown and made here. In this 10-part series he’ll visit oyster farms in Northern California, Chinese restaurants in Southern California, and farmers in the Central Valley, stopping at points in between to talk to urban foragers and kids eating school lunches, among others. 
-To learn more, please visit kcet.org/CAFoodMatters. Join the conversation on social media using #CAMatters

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