New Asia Restaurant

"In San Francisco, the 13th Annual Kung Pao Kosher Comedy Show at the New Asia Restaurant ran Thursday through Sunday, with two shows a night. The dinner show featured a seven-course Chinese dinner and a 90-minute comedy show.

"And you don't have to be Jewish to come. Not all the jokes are based on the Jewish faith," said Pam Lawrence, who helped organize the event. "Last night, we had a whole contingent from Australia, and only some of them were Jewish." ("Chinese food popular for holiday diners," CNN.com)

New Asia! That's where my parents had their wedding banquet, in downtown SF. Apparently Chinese restaurants are popular on Christmas, especially for Jews, since most other restaurants aren't open. This year, Christmas happens to fall on the start of Hanukkah, too, making celebratory Chinese restaurants particularly attractive.

Referring to guests at the Kung Pao Kosher event: "And only some of them were Jewish." I'm not quite surprised, based on her earlier disclaimer: "Not all the jokes are based on the Jewish faith."

The article also mentioned Shalom Beijing, "a restaurant offering kosher Chinese food in Brookline, a town bordering Boston that has a large Jewish population." My brother lives in Jamaica Plains, bordering Brookline, and passes by that restaurant all the time!