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Thursday, December 25, 2008

Life Waiting for Santa at Shanghai Garden

Posted by Eli Sanders on Thu, Dec 25, 2008 at 11:27 AM

As is tradition—TRADITION!—certain gay Jews, and certain non-Jews without Christmas Eve obligations, arrived at Shanghai Garden last night around 7 p.m.

Every Christmas Eve at this restaurant is Jewy. But, relative to previous years, last night was outrageously Jewy. One rather bold table brought its own menorah, lit the candles (it was night number four of Hanukkah after all), and sang a prayer. Jokes were made about how many minyans were present—at least enough, it was thought, for a bris, a bar mitzvah, and the blessing of a new shul (with a cantonese cantor). In among the Jews and Buddhists: two writers for the Seattle P-I, King County Councilman Dow Constantine, and those same fish that have been swimming in Shanghai Garden's giant aquarium for all eternity. On our table: salt-and-pepper squid, shrimp with black bean sauce, high nutrition hand-shaved barley green noodles, Szechuan beef in garlic sauce, dried green beans, and eggplant in garlic sauce.

Sound delicious? It's not too late to get on the Chinese-food-on-Christmas bandwagon. Last year, Angela Garbes offered a list of places that tend to be open and serving Peking Duck over the holiday.

Photo by Ruby Re-Usable in the Strangr Flickr pool.

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My family always went on Christmas Day, unless travel plans made us change (they went last night in Denver because they're flying to Europe tomorrow). I'm glad the snow has stopped enough for me to get some today.

Posted by Abby on December 25, 2008 at 11:52 AM

gawd i fucking love that hand-shaved barley green noodle shit.

Posted by gin? yes, please. on December 25, 2008 at 12:04 PM

Ditto on the barley green. When I go with my coworkers it is always three house special barley green chow mein. I just need my fill of "chlorophyll and essential amino acid."

Posted by Luke on December 25, 2008 at 12:23 PM

that was my fabulous table of queer jews (and queers and jews) with the menorah! one man from another table came up to us and said, "THANKS for doing that [lighting the candles and saying the hanukah prayers] -- i suggested we do that at my table, and i got laughed at."

As we were leaving the restaurant, i overheard someone comment about "Jews proselytizing," referring to my party of loud and joyous jews. Was it because we were also handing out postcards -- to folks who came up to talk to us -- to support some Israeli high school kids who are in jail for refusing to serve in the military or support the occupation of Palestine? (see: http://december18th.org/) Was it because we were just being loud? Was it because we brought a menorah & candles and sang a hanukah prayer/song?

Why is that all called "proselytizing," when every fucking day of the year, I and my Jewish friends have to put up with calendars that follow Christian holidays, government & business closures on said Christian holidays, and a million other forms of Christian-centrism?

fucking OY.

Posted by stefanie on December 25, 2008 at 12:31 PM

Thank you for inspiring me to watch Fiddler on the Roof today. It's available to rent on iTunes for all you other bored Jews out there.

Posted by it's totally funny now that I'm not 12 years old on December 25, 2008 at 2:26 PM

Alas! There are no Chinese restaurants open on X-mas eve nor X-mas day here in Olympia, but we Oly Jews still know how to celebrate:

Come to the Olympia Film Society/Capitol Theater for the 4th annual Fiddler on the Roof sing-a-along.

Temple Beth Hatfiloh will be collecting donations of food, blankets and coats for charity; costumes are encouraged, popcorn will be consumed, more info HERE

Posted by Ruby Re-Usable on December 25, 2008 at 4:07 PM

oops! link doesn't work, go to Olympia Film Society website: http://www.olympiafilmsociety.org/ for more info about the Fiddler on the Roof sing-a-long!

Posted by Ruby Re-Usable on December 25, 2008 at 4:09 PM

My synagogue had a Chinese food Chanukah party today -- latkes and Chinese takeout.

Posted by Willendorf on December 25, 2008 at 6:04 PM

@#6 I am SO jealous. If I were in the area I would be there dressed like Tevia. Yiydidle didle didle didle didle dum.

Posted by biddy biddy bum on December 25, 2008 at 10:44 PM

Shanghai Garden is too crowded now. Too many "unchurched" non-Jews have adopted the chinese food tradition methinks. I eat Vietnamese on Yontif now. *That* hasn't been discovered yet.

Posted by Jabotinsky on December 26, 2008 at 9:37 AM

#9, there is always NEXT year in Oly!

we have had some fun costumes, the winner one year came dressed as a roof (with roofing shingles draped all over her), one of our board members came as the Russian non-Jew who wooed Chava (can't remember that character's name right now), Tevye is always a favorite, as well as the butcher's dead wife (my PEARLS!)

Posted by Ruby R-U on December 26, 2008 at 11:02 AM

We've also done Tamarind Tree and Buddha Ruksa on Christmas Eves past. The latter, a really great Thai place, is (oddly) no longer open on the 24th. But Tamarind Tree was good and festive last year. Of course, they still don't have the barleygreen shaved noodles or the sugar pea vines.

Posted by DC on December 26, 2008 at 12:01 PM