Happy New Year From The Museum of Food And Drink! MOFAD Chow!

What better way to celebrate Lunar New Year than to take my half Chinese daughter to an edible exhibit all about Chinese food at the Museum of Food and Drink!  I’ve never been to a museum that offered a sniff and taste test so I was excited to trek to Brooklyn and check it out.   .

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Juliet is always game for a mommy and me adventure and is no stranger to museums.  And she liked the sound of getting to eat her way through this one!

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The most spectacular sight there was an interactive curtain of Chinese take out boxes.  Each box symbolized 7 of the 50,000 Chinese restaurants in the US!

chinese food, food and drink museum, food museum It was impossible to resist walking through the curtains.chinese art, chinese food, chow, museum of food and drink

Juliet did this at least 100 times!IMG_0872

At this limited-time-only exhibit, we were reminded of Chinese immigration history, learned about the secrets behind “velveting,” (a cooking technique I’m going to have to incorporate now) and tested our senses.  Apparently Juliet is not a fan of the smell of coffee!

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The most scent-sational exhibit for us however, was the tantalizing fortune-cookie-making machine which continuously offered treats to all the visiting guests and filled the entire museum with its sweet, baked scent.

Each colorful fortune was thoughtfully created by the public who were invited to invent their own fortunes via social media or through the interactive station found at the museum.  How cool is this??

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Another tasty treat was found at the cooking demonstration where we watched as a friendly chef replicated Chef Irene Li from Mei Mei Restaurant / Mei Mei Street Kitchen’s Kung Pao chicken.

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Too bad he in full performance mode, flipped the chicken so high in the air that it splattered and fell all over my Chanel purse haha!

I learned so much about the evolution of the Chinese American restaurant’s 170 year history in the form of menu timelines, first dish originations, ingredient and sauce formations and secret cooking techniques i.e. “velveting.”

As “New York City’s first food museum, MOFAD seeks to advance the public understanding of the culture, history, science, production, and commerce of food and drink. Our exhibition allow(s) students to see, smell, touch, and explore while learning about different cuisines. Our multi-sensory approach to learning uses food as a lens to understand our world.”  It was such a fun, educational, and memorable way to celebrate Lunar New Year!

Check it out before the end of February.  (tofu and crab sauce is served at their culinary studio in February).

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:

  • review the hours, they are not the usual museum hours and start at 12noon on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays!
  • same-day tickets cannot be bought after 4pm.
  • Use code Groups10 at checkout for groups of 10 or more to receive $1 off each entry.
  • Lyft, Via and Uber can all take Manhattanites there (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
  • If you want to subway it there, MOFAD is still 8blocks away from the nearest (L) train.
  • There is a complimentary (unsecured) coat and stroller storage area
MOFAD Lab
62 Bayard Street
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 387-2845
mofad.org 

 

Times Square Art – The Beginning Of The End Installation with Tips For Those With Kids

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I purposely opted not to enroll Juliet in school on Fridays so we would have the freedom to take long weekend getaways or get to sleep in and enjoy mommy and me city adventures.  This is the last year we will have after all, before she has to attend school regularly M-Fri.  While the weather is still nice here in New York, we like to go out and explore all of New York’s offerings.  There’s so much to see and do and Times Square is one of the many locales that offers so much in terms of attractions, shopping and now art!  I’m excited to share with you some new Times Square art! “The Beginning of the End,” is an interactive and reflective monument in the heart of Times Square’s Broadway Plaza (between 46th and 47th streets).  It asks visitors to “reassess their perspective on an entirely different visual reality, how they see themselves in the environment that surrounds them, and how that relationship changes as the reflections create new visual possibilities.”

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Seeing Times Squares skyscrapers and flashing lights multiplied through all the mirrors was pretty spectacular!  If you’re in the area, you have to see this while you can.  It’s only around for another week (website says it closes down Nov 21st).  Who knows, it might just inspire a little dancing in the streets!

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It encourages even the most jaded New York-ers to look up, and really look around to appreciate the magnificent skyline and energy of the city.  There is art all around us if you really look.  We are so lucky to live in this vibrant place.

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                                                                                                                                                                  Juliet's dress is care of Sprouting Threads

I just wish Cuban artist Rachel Valdés Camejo could see all the joy she brought to the heart of this city through her Times Square art.  It brought smiles and such joy to tourists and NY-ers alike!

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Tips for parents:

  1. Nearby restrooms can be found at McDonald’s across the street
  2. The Disney store (which also has a restroom on the 2nd floor),  and the Hello Kitty TS store are great stops before/after
  3. There are tons of family-friendly restaurants nearby, (Carmine’s for Italian and Ellen’s Stardust Diner for dinner with a show are my top picks)
  4. Dave and Buster’s is at 234 W 42nd St, 3rd Floor
  5. Hershey’s Times Square is at 1593 Broadway
  6. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! is at 234 W 42nd Street
  7. Midtown Comics is at 200 West 40th Street
  8. You’ll see lots of opportunities to snap photos of your child with costumed characters found along the streets of Times Square (think Mickey, Minnie, Elmo, Hello Kitty and superheroes) but beware, you will be expected to tip!

Where else would you recommend hitting in the heart of Times Square?  And what’s your favorite source of Times Square art?

For more of our artsy adventures, click here!

 

 

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