One of my friends, Cy, is in Madrid this month. I lamented about her being unavailable the whole summer for “artsy play dates,” so she’s compensating by sending photos of her experience. Am I letting her off easy? Probably… 😉

Cy photographs when something catches her eye or moves her in a particular way, and she typically shoots an angle I don’t expect. Although most people would expect photographs that immediately speak to Spanish culture, I was not surprised that the first photos she sent were shot inside a Chinese restaurant. This is not about the food though. Cy loves Asian cultures and much of her recent scholarship focuses on dislocation and Chinese literature.

View from inside Restaurante Chino, Palacio Oriente. Photo by Cy

She writes:

It never ceases to amaze me that I can find good, authentic Chinese cuisine in Europe. I have been studying Chinatowns in England, but this is is not a Chinatown restaurant. While there are several Chinese-owned businesses in Spain, there doesn’t seem to be a distinct Chinatown [as we find in New York and London] in Madrid. The family-owned restaurant in Madrid is very good and the prices are excellent. I have found the fruit and vegetables to be market-fresh.  There are loads of menu choices and special order options.  

Cy’s Meal–chicken, ginger, leeks, and vegetables in broth.  I’ll pretend the chicken is tofu.  😉  Photo by Cy.

I’m sure Cy and I will have a nice long chat when she returns about the history and presence of the Chinese peoples and cultures in Madrid.

I’ll be sharing “blurbs” from Cy’s experiences every Friday, so tune in next week for the next installment of “Snapshots from Madrid.”