Photo credit:Vanessa Karlsson
Do you know about Chinese Valentine's Day? It is August 2, and Fang Restaurant in San Francisco is celebrating with a special one night only dish for romantics. Chef Kathy Fang is cooking up Heart-Warming Spicy Beef Noodle Soup for Two ($15). The noodle dish features a rich, flavorful broth made from beef bones, short rib, aromatics, and peppercorns, and is served with rice noodles and succulent pork wontons. Couples who order the special dish to share will also receive two sets of beautiful, satin-wrapped chopsticks which symbolize romantic love and are often gifted to newlyweds in the Chinese culture to encourage fertility.
The background to this day is a love story between the Weaver girl (symbolizing Vega) and the Cowherd (symbolizing Altair). They were in love but because their love was not allowed, they were banished to opposite sides of the Silver River (Milky Way), but once a year, on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, a flock of magpies form a bridge to reunite the lovers for one day. Thus a pair of magpies came to symbolize marital happiness and faithfulness. Currently in urban China people take the opportunity to buy flowers, especially blue roses symbolizing hopeful love as well as chocolates to gift their sweethearts.
Chef Kathy Fang is the daughter of Peter Fang, chef/owner of the famed House of Nanking. Growing up in House of Nanking's kitchen, Kathy found her passion for cooking and received her formal training at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School. Blending her schooling, Cantonese heritage and cooking style with her own native San Franciscan perspective, as well as her global travels she has created a menu with equal parts tradition and inspiration.
660 Howard St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 777-8580
