As a child, I lived to watch Martin Yan’s cooking show Yan Can
Cook on PBS. He had a thick Chinese accent, an off-the-cuff
delivery that often included random loud outbursts, and a sense of
humor that delighted me. On one show, while making shrimp and pork
dumplings, Yan repeatedly took his big cleaver and smashed whole
shrimps with it, letting out an ecstatic, high-pitched “Whoop!” each
time. I thought he was a genius, but mostly I just wanted to hang out
with him. After watching one of his other television programs,
Martin Yan’s Chinatown Cooking, in which Yan tours Chinatowns
around the globe, my affection for the man has only grown.
As part of its centennial celebration, and as a kickoff for Chinese
New Year, the city of Tukwila is hosting “Martin Yan’s Culinary
Weekend.” Events include a cooking demonstration, as well as a dinner
hosted by Yan at the venerable Imperial Garden Seafood Restaurant
(currently my favorite dim sum place) in the awesome Great Wall
Mall.
Martin Yan cooking demonstration:
Sat Feb 2, Albert Lee Culinary Events Center, 404 Strander Blvd,
Tukwila, 443-6788, 3:30
pm, $50.
Martin Yan hosted dinner:
Sat Feb 2, Imperial Garden Seafood Restaurant, 18230 E Valley Hwy,
Tukwila, 443-6788, 6:30
pm, $75.
