I spent my birthday last week in NYC — picking up coffee at Roasting Plant, going to a $5 community yoga class at Integral Yoga , and then taking the train down to Chinatown for soup dumplings and a massage.
When I asked folks on Twitter where to go for soup dumplings, the response was a resounding Joe’s Shanghai (thanks to @jenneraustin and @supertsai). Joe’s Shanghai has locations in Flushing, Queens,  Chinatown, midtown Manhattan, and Tokyo.
Adam first turned me on to soup dumplings and has talked about us making them at …

When I asked Statesman restaurant critic Mike Sutter what new spot I should check out, he recommended Chen’s Noodle House. I trust Mike’s taste and had heard the buzz about Chen’s and at the last minute, rounded up my boyfriend and friends Marc and Megan to join us for a quick bite.

Marc and Megan have both lived in Asia – Megan as a child and Marc very recently in Taiwan and Beijing. It was hilarious to watch this white guy with blonde hair ordering food in rapid Mandarin.
The menu here …

I’m not a Dim Sum expert. However, I used to live in New York and had the chance to go to some of the best spots and always enjoyed my experience. I’m a pretty omnivorous eater and have enjoyed almost everything I’ve tried. The exception would be chicken feet. I have a hard time choking those down.
Anyway, a group of 14 of us made a reservation at Fortune in Austin’s Chinatown Center for Christmas Day. While the waiters were all very nice, it was next to impossible to get enough …

It’s my pleasure to introduce a new Tasty Touring guest blogger, Marc Matthews. Marc, a white Mormon who has lived in Taiwan and Beijing, recently moved to Austin with his new bride, Megan. They’ll hopefully share some experiences cooking at home and exploring the Austin Asian food scene.
The background below was what Marc sent around the office yesterday after sharing some traditional Moon Festival goodies for us to taste.

Tomorrow is the “moon festival” in China. It dates back 3,000 years and is a celebration of the end of the summer …