Jenny Lin Acosta
EXPLORING THE MEANING OF HOME THROUGH THE LENS OF FOOD
Hainanese Chicken Rice, for me, has been a symbol of gathering and celebration growing up.
This dinner is an homage to my maternal Hainanese grandparents, this dish, and my itch to host a meal that feels thoughtful and warming for everyone coming to spend time. Inspired by artists like Rikrit Tirivanija, I see this as performance depicting warmth we give through caring for those we cook for.
Each ticket gets you a seat at a family style (shared plates) dinner of Hainanese Chicken Rice, paired with my grandparents’ signature ginger garlic sauce, and mo mo cha cha, a coconut dessert I make for all the big gatherings (because my family loves it so much.)
Hope to see you there, dinner’s almost ready.
Photography: David Ordonez
Videography: Robespierre Dornagon
Special thanks to Welcome to Chinatown for supporting this dream
project of mine and hosting me at your community hub
M E N U
— Hainanese Chicken
Buddhist Chicken from a family-owned Chinatown butcher at 47 Division Street, gently poached with pandan, ginger, and garlic. Served family-style with kirby cucumbers.
— Bwee Chin
A “snowball” of Hainanese chicken rice and por por’s ginger garlic sauce, inspired family picnics my grandmother hosted in Prospect Park in the 1970s.
— Kurng
A family recipe ginger garlic sauce, not your average “ginger scallion.” Ginger, garlic, sesame oil, lemon, Hainanese Chicken Broth
— Broth
Hainanese Chicken broth with watercress and wood ear mushroom
D E S S E R T
mo mo cha cha
Chilled coconut milk soup with herb jelly, tapioca pearls, taro, sweet potato, and brown slab sugar.
“What is Hainanese chicken rice?”
