Asian Art Museum & MATCHA present: Shanghai’s Drunken Dish

San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum hosted another successful MATCHA event entitled “Drunken Dish” on the 19th. The evening of art, music, drinks, and culinary pleasures featured Shanghai’s gastronomic repertoire of dishes where food is dressed in wine. The starring chefs were Chef Nei Chia Ji of San Francisco’s Jai Yun and Martin Yan of Yan Can Cook. If this event foreshadows anything to come from the inner workings of the Asian Art Museum, then foodies and art connoisseurs alike are in for a great surprise of collaboration!

To recap the evening’s experience on mingling among hot San Franciscans, interviewing Chef Nei Chia Ji himself, and viewing Asian cultural artifacts, I will hand it over to my date from the night, the dapper Avi Fogel, writer and performer:

“It is indeed a brave new world. I had the pleasure to meet and discuss, life, philosophy and organic food with China’s new ‘’it’’ man about everything tasty under the sun. Accompanied by Maureen Olund, we leapt into a world of delicious subject matter lead by the distinguished Chef Nei Chia Ji.

Humble yet passionate about transforming peoples views on organic cuisine, the soft-spoken chef, informed us of his desire and real need to make organic food something more obtainable to the everyman.

With no formal training, Chef Nei has created quite a following for his organic and nutritional dishes. Growing up in the colorful streets of China and then diving into the lime light of the culinary world (with such unforgettable dishes as his famous drunken chicken), Chef Nei has learned first hand how to mold new world taste with old world charm.

This was mirrored in the crowded halls of the museum as Michael Jackson’s thriller shared the same space with classical statues, paintings and artwork from 6,000 years of history all under the same roof. Needless to say we were all in good company that night.”

For upcoming events presented by MATCHA, visit their website.