Egg foo young is an omelette dish found in Chinese, Indonesian, British, and Chinese American cuisine.

Literally meaning "Hibiscus egg", this dish is prepared with beaten eggs and most often minced ham. It may be made with various vegetables such as bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, sliced cabbage, spring onions, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. When meat is used as an ingredient, a choice of roast pork, shrimp, chicken, beef, or lobster may be offered.

In Chinese Indonesian cuisine, it is known as fu yung hai, sometimes spelled as pu yung hai. The omelette is usually made from the mixture of vegetables such as carrots, bean sprouts, and cabbages, mixed with meats such as crab meat, shrimp, or minced chicken. The dish is served in sweet and sour sauce with peas.

In Western countries, the dish usually appears as a well-folded omelette with the non-egg ingredients embedded in the egg mixture, covered in or served with sauce or gravy. Chinese chefs in the United States, at least as early as the 1930s, created a pancake filled with eggs, vegetables, and meat or seafood. In a U.S. regional variation, many American-Chinese restaurants in St. Louis, Missouri, serve what is called a St. Paul sandwich, which is an egg foo young patty served with mayonnaise, dill pickle, and sometimes lettuce and tomato between two slices of white bread.

In the Netherlands, which has a local variation on the Chinese Indonesian cuisine, it is known as Foe yong hai, and is usually served with a sweet tomato sauce. Strictly, according to hai in the name, it should contain crab, but it is often served without this ingredient.

There are several other variations in different countries of this dish but all have the simple start of an omelette. You should come in and try ours and see what you think!

Sweet and sour is a very popular Chinese dish and one of my favorite but how did it become so popular? Is it really something that’s traditional in China or was it adapted to American’s tastes?

Chinese cuisine uses a variety of ingredients and cooking methods that are very different from other cultures. Their own food and recipes vary according to the different Chinese regions, but generally speaking their basic diet consists mainly of rice and vegetables. Sweet and Sour chicken recipes in Western countries are not exactly what you would find in China. Usually the Chinese use the sweet and sour flavor for fish recipes rather than for chicken. Also, the Chinese, unlike the Americans, do not drown their food in the sauce; rather they serve it on the side for dipping. The sweet and sour recipes for fish are associated with the region of Hunan in China. The recipes that we use in America do however combine the classical combination of the five flavors of: sweet, sour, salty, pungent and bitter. The Chinese do not use as much sweet as we do, and their recipes tend to be more on the bitter side; to create the sweet and sour flavor they mostly mix vinegar with sugar. It is believed that the authentic cuisine of China developed during the Manchus Dynasty of 1644-1911; they introduced a life of decadence and leisure, where food became an important feature in their three day long Imperial Banquets. For the Chinese, food is treated with utmost respect, and is associated with health, luck and prosperity.

There are several different variations of this dish but for the most part it was created to satisfy Western tastes but still keeping the tradition and flavor of China.

In the spirit of International Honey Day this Saturday I wanted to talk about the history of honey and how it plays into Chinese culture.

Talking about bees and honey in history must always include Ancient Egypt and Ancient China. But starting from the very beginning of times, we must say that bees are actually one of the oldest forms of animal life, since Neolithic Age, preceding humans on Earth by 10 to 20 million years. When they appeared, humans did whatever the other animals were doing at the time, meaning, stole the bees’ honey to feed themselves. Homo Sapiens and honey were together since the Stone Age.

As the centuries went on honey was considered an important medicinal remedy as shown in their writings dating from about 2000 BC. As with India, honey also occupied an important place in Chinese culture, another great eastern civilization. Honey is mentioned in the Shi Jing, or Classic of Poetry, an important book of Chinese theology written in the 6th century BCE. According to Ancient Chinese medicine, honey is a major component to earth, one of the five basic elements, and acts on the stomach and spleen meridians of the human body.

According to Chinese medicine, honey has a balanced character (neither Yin nor Yang) and acts according to the principles of the Earth element, entering the lung, spleen and large intestine channels. (as mentioned by earlier writings). During the Xin Dynasty, around 220BC, a book of Chinese medicine says: “Those who often take honey can keep fit, honey can cure indigestion, it can be used in medicaments to bind other ingredients together.”

Need your Honey fix today? Try out our Honey Glazed Shrimp. Doctors orders!

China is a large and old country that has a lot of traditions and ties to culture that a lot of people don't know. One being the symbolism of color the meaning behind certain ones.

Each color represents one of the five elements that hold a special place in China's culture. Here is the break down :

Black

Black represents water. In China, as elsewhere in the world, black 黑 symbolizes something serious, very formal. It was the color wore by the imperial dignitaries,  much like the outfits of our lawyers back in the West. Black also expresses the secret in Chinese, something that is happening in the shadow like the mafia. Black is also considered as a neutral color. Thus, in modern China, people usually wear black clothes in their daily life and white is usually for funerals.

Red

The second color is red. It represents fire. Chinese people usually believe that red can be a sign of joy and fortune. It has been common color in Chinese New Year and other official or traditional holidays. That is why many older people or people that have been married usually give red envelope as red is a sign of good luck. Red in Chinese culture is not usual for an event like a funeral because it  represents happiness. Thus, it can be pretty offensive to wear red clothes to the funeral ceremony.

Green

In China, green color usually carries a negative meaning. The Chinese think that someone who does not feel good has a green face. “Having a green face” also means to be angry. Another popular meaning is to cheat on someone. “Wearing a green cap” means being unfaithful to your husband. Generally this term is used for a woman who had a relationship with another man and therefore dishonored her husband.

White

The fourth color is white. It strongly symbolized the purity and brightness of the metal. It is the official color of clothes in a funeral ceremony. The Chinese are also obsessed with the white skin, as it is usually related to your position in the society.

Yellow

The last color is yellow as a symbol of earth. This color, very important in Chinese symbolism, represents glory, wisdom, harmony, happiness, culture. Yellow is reserved for the Emperor, it is the color of royalty. Later, it took very different meaning as yellow is also the color of sex and pleasure.

As we quickly approach summer we are seeing all the colors that come out in nature and also our food. So, next time you are enjoying your delicious food from Windchimes take a look and see what colors your see and what they might mean!

Winter is a time for us all to get hunkered down in the comfort and warmth of our home. We tend to eat dishes that warm us up and make us feel full and happy. With spring just around the corner lets celebrate the dishes that will energize and excite us for the upcoming weeks of spring.

The edamame bean is a immature soybean that comes from a pod, much like peas but are a bit different. The name itself literally means "steam bean" in Japanese. It's most commonly found in East Asia cuisines and is usually boiled or steamed and severed with salt. The earliest documentation of the bean dates back to 1275 in Japan where a monk wrote about the small treat. Next in 1406 during the Ming dynasty in China, edamame were eaten during the outbreaks of famine and were part of the survival. Not only is it a tasty treat but it also contains energy, protein, and fiber along with various amino acids. The bean also helps promote a healthy digestion system which connects to it being a great source of fiber. Edamame can not only help promote a healthy diet but it’s also a good source of Vietnams and iron.

It's a light, refreshing appetizer that is a great way to start off your meal at any restaurant. So, if you are looking to get your body in tune with nature and ready to spring forward why not start your meal at Windchimes with some yummy edamame!

The Lion Dance was so much fun. Look how beautiful the Lion Costumes are! The Chinese New Year happens in February. Mark your calendars for next year so you wont miss it!
#WindchimesChinese, #LionDance, #ChineseNewYear, #BestColumbusChinese

It's true, Valentine's Day is on its way and we want to make it easy for you!  Reserve a table for this special evening and let us serve you a delicious experience.  The Windchimes is a great choice as we offer a truly exquisite experience.  Plus, we have a full bar, a great wine and sake selection, and our food is colorful, authentic, and delicious.  

Reserve a table to ay and you will feel so good and ready for that special day for that special someone.

It's that time of the season when we yearn for warm comforting food that not only fills our bellies but is also healthy and nutritious.  The House Sizzling Noodle is a fantastic cold weather dish and an amazing show of sizzle, crackles, and steam as it is brought out in a piping hot, cast iron skillet where the vegetables and meats finish cooking right in front of you.  The House Sizzling noodle is a medley of vegetables and chicken, beef, and shrimp laid over a bed of fried rice noodles.  The brown sauce is a a perfect blend of spices to create a balanced, delicious, and comforting food.   It's not only appetizing but an experience.  I suggest trying the House Sizzling Noodle on your next visit to Windchimes and experience this tasty dish. 

Windchimes Chinese Restaurant. Join us for authentic Chinese in an elegant restaurant atmosphere with a casual feel.  Our flavors are exquisite using only the finest ingredients.  We create magic with our bold flavors and our finely crafted spices! We offer a full service bar, a lunch menu, event rental, and carry out. We are located in Dublin, Ohio.

Windchimes Chinese Restaurant. Join us for authentic Chinese in an elegant restaurant atmosphere.  Our flavors our exquisite using only the finest ingredients.  We create magic with our bold flavors and our finely crafted spices! We offer a full service bar, a lunch menu, event rental, and carry out. We are located in Dublin, Ohio.