The Trail

Issue date: 2/23/07 Section: A&E

As students, our choices to eat lavishly are confined by both our wallet and our transportation. Because of these restrictions, we choose where we eat out pretty carefully - after all, you can only escape from the SUB every so often. With that in mind, The Trail occasionally presents students with possible food offerings to help make your eating experience the best possible.

East Asian foods are strangely popular around campus - the Chinese, Thai and Japanese restaurants far outnumber any other cuisines available within our vicinity. Many simply cater to American familiarities and are not worth the time it takes to eat their food (unless that is what you are after). There are some, however, that are worth the trip.

Happy Dragon on 6th and Orchard Plaza is a Chinese restaurant that has genuinely good food, with a fair degree of authenticity. It caters to familiarity, but there are many items that are interesting and unfamiliar, allowing for people to experiment with the Chinese food palate without going too far from recognizable dishes. No matter what it presents, the food is generally very good. I will say that Happy Dragon is a good Chinese restaurant; but I must also stress that it bends rather towards American Chinese food. If you keep this in mind while eating, you will have a quality experience.

The place itself does not feel very Chinese. The décor has strange irregularities such as art deco lighting and kitschy oriental statues. This is not really the point - you will not notice those things once you are eating. Their food ranges from common items to more unusual fare. Although they offer General Tso's and Mongolian Beef (both American-born creations), they also have Crispy Eggplant, Clay Pot Stews and some unheard of dishes such as Chicken with Peaches and Pears. While I cannot propose that Happy Dragon is the prime example of Chinese cooking, it nicely blends authenticity with American familiarity.

For what it is worth, Happy Dragon has been the "best" Chinese restaurant in Tacoma for a number of years as rated by the Tacoma Reporter. Happy Dragon caters to the UPS crowd, with a moderate price range (about eight-ten dollars) and a student discount of ten percent. They also have lunch specials, which are significantly cheaper if you can make it there before 3 p.m.
For a meal of four at Happy Dragon, I would recommend trying a couple foreign dishes mixed with common ones. Also, as Americans, we tend to focus on the chicken offerings, but the most common meat in China is usually pork. Try incorporating different meats, such as the Almond Cranberry Chicken and Hunan Pork. You also should not dwell on the meat. Not only are you missing out on the lighter flavors, but an over concentration on heavy foods will leave you with indigestion and a stomachache. The best Chinese food offers tons of vegetables, so do not be afraid of spending money on strictly vegetable dishes, such as Asparagus in Black Bean Sauce. Even though there is not any meat, when united with the other dishes it presents itself as very balanced. Combined with white rice and perhaps an appetizer, three dishes are plenty for four people.

Happy Dragon is a great place to eat - though not the pinnacle of Chinese cuisine, it is diverse in its menu and expands beyond the well-known items that we Americans generally choose.

If Happy Dragon is too far away for you, ABC Café on 6th and Lawrence is a Chinese restaurant that makes food cheap and cozy. I will not suggest that it is comparable to Happy Dragon, but its close proximity and somewhat cheaper menu give students an easy place to stop by. Chinese Professor Lo Sun Perry informs me that the Chinese couple who owns the restaurant is friendly, and will accommodate customers' needs.
Now all of that is fine, but as college students, restaurants are an instance of luxury. For myself, I would like to eat these foods more often without spending so much. So, for anyone with access to a basic range and some kitchen utensils, I will show you how to make something pretty authentic and tasty.
To a great extent, the secret of East Asian cooking is actually quite simple. Many of the dishes you salivate over at Asian restaurants contain an amazingly small number of ingredients, and are actually much easier to make than many of the dishes we prepare in Western cooking. The recipe I will present for you to try is basic Gang Gai, or Thai Red Curry Chicken. I dare you to make it. It is so incredibly easy, you will feel much more confident in attempting other supposedly exotic foods.

All of the ingredients below are necessary, except the chicken and basil. The foreign ingredients can be found at the Metropolitan Market or Safeway for reasonably cheap. Because you are purchasing reusable ingredients such as fish sauce, the first time you make this recipe it will be more expensive. Otherwise the coconut milk and chicken are the only expended items, and those only cost about five dollars for four servings - much cheaper than anything found in restaurants.

• Jordan Barber is a deerhoof.


Thai Red Curry Chicken, "Gang Gai"

4 Servings (Recipe inspired by Thaitable.com)

Water
Medium-size Pot
2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
1 Tablespoon Red Curry Sauce (reasonably spicy)
1 Cup Coconut Milk
1 Full Chicken Breast (or two separate halves)
3-4 Sprigs Basil (Optional)

1. Cut the chicken into long, bite size pieces, cutting away the fat or bones.

2. Combine a half-cup coconut milk and the red curry paste. Stir well over medium heat until boiling.

3. Once the mixture comes to a full boil, slowly add in the chicken.

4. Once the chicken is cooked (whitens around the edges), add the remaining coconut milk and fish sauce.

Depending on your preferred consistency and spiciness, you will want to add water at this point: for a more authentic, thin curry slowly add about two cups of water. While the mixture boils in the pot, check the chicken for doneness (if you poke it, it should spring back). Also, sip the liquid for taste. If it is too spicy, add water a half cup at a time.

When ready, add the basil leaves and serve hot over a bowl of rice. This recipe is very elastic and allows for experimentation. Chopped vegetables such as onion or green pepper can be added in after the chicken whitens. Also, the recipe can be changed into a sweeter, Panang-style curry if you add about 2 tablespoons of suger when adding in the meat. If you prepare it in this style, it will be thicker-so do not add any water unless it is too firm.

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