Slippery Shrimp

Our family just got back from a trip to L.A., and there are lots of stories to tell, so many that I had a hard time deciding which one to blog about here. But then I noticed I was hungry, and the answer became clear. While touring downtown, our group took a side trip to Chinatown and made a stop at a little restaurant called Yang Chow based on the insistence of a friend who was with us.

From the street, the place is unassuming. If I didn’t know any better (and I didn’t at the time) I would think this was just one of a million other Chinese restaurants in this part of the city.

But then we went inside. The wall is lined with photos of celebrities who have eaten there, and the word going around was they were famous for a dish called “slippery shrimp.” When I heard this I googled my brain and remembered that I had heard of this dish before, on a Food Network show called “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” One of their celebrity chefs had suggested this, and I knew I had to try it. And it did not disappoint. It was one of the best food experiences ever, and all inside this little place that didn’t look like anything.

I think life is full of moments where we realize that something is better than we first believed. We judge books by covers and not by what they really are. I know a lot of people that, on the outside, don’t appear to have that much going for them, but when you get to know them then you can see that they are someone extraordinary. I met some of them this week on our trip. The lesson I learned in Los Angeles this past week was to not judge things or people too quickly, but to see what’s on the inside before you decide.