Boston Chinatown Market Tour

Well planned and educational. Jim speaks the language and we were welcomed warmly by all merchants on the tour. Chinatown in Boston remains very authentic. Was helpful to have a guide. Fun to learn the food and cultural heritage. We tried so many treats and ended with the gala dim sum luncheon. It was a walking tour full of nice surprises! Went back and dined at the recommended small hot pot restaurant and then found the tiny ice cream shop. Both were excellent. The restaurant recomendations Jim provided were right on! Highly recommend this tour.

Last year I took my mother on the walking tour of the North End where my ignorance was exposed by the history lesson of the region, as told by Jim. I knew nothing of the North End and knew EVEN less about Chinatown. With the Chinatown tour, Jim again, put the history literally and figuratively, on the map. After first coming to terms with the fact that every Chinese food dish I enjoy insults all of China, I let go of my American-Ignorance complex and enjoyed the tour. The places we visited with Jim allowed the curtain to be drawn back enough to increase the comfort level. Sometimes, being in the ignorant minority can allow you a more distilled appreciation of the region you are exploring. I tried things I hadn't ever heard of "bubble tea", "flower water," and "moon cakes". After the explanation at the entrance of the neighborhood, I felt more empowered and less ignorant--the ying and yang began to balance. I never would've walked into the pharmacy in Chinatown. Now, I feel less apprehensive. The grocery store revealed a lot about the pantry items. The dim sum experience left me wanting to return immediately with a group of rookies. It was a cultural experience of a tour. It was informative, flavorful, and even slightly uncomfortable.....who really feel comfortable eating bird feet? As Jim encouraged us to "get outside the cocoon," I felt invigorated to learn and be open-minded. I look forward to more authentic Chinese barbecue. I found the story about altars quite spiritual. As Jim said, we must not ignore our ancestors because they become "hungry ghosts" and hungry ghosts become....well....take the tour and find out yourself. I know I'll never order General Gao/Dow/Chow/Tso's chicken again. I now know the truth about fortune cookies, egg rolls, chop suey and other unholy violations. My only regret is that there is not (yet) another tour for next year. The duck boats just don't seem as appetizing. Thank you Jim, you give the tour substance and sustainability.....keep working on that Middle Eastern tour idea.....This play needs a third act. Erik

I loved the tour. Jim was a great tour guide and incredibly informative about the history, culture, and cuisine that helped to create Boston's Chinatown. The sample food and drinks were good and the dim sum lunch was spectacular. it was great to try foods that I otherwise may not have been so brave to test. Thank you and I will recommend this tour to friends.

Fun, informative and great tour, enjoyed the tastings at all our stops, very fun meal at the end of the tour.

My mother and I went on the tour as her early mother's day present. We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The tour guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and put us all at ease in unfamiliar surroundings. The only downside for us is that my Mother doesn't eat pork, and during the lunch about 3/4 of the options chosen for us had pork in them. She was a little dissapointed that we didn't get to pick any of the lunch options for ourselves and that there weren't more vegetable options. Other than that we had an excellent time and everything was very tasty. THANKS!!!!

We live about 75 miles from Boston and have been shopping/eating in Chinatown for several years (including dim sum). We looked on this as an opportunity to learn about some new places and we certainly did. My husband was especially delighted to learn the produce at C-Mart while I enjoyed the BBQ shop. The highlight was our dim sum lunch. It was fun initiating our dim sum "virgins" and also to pick up history and background we hadn't known before. Jim Becker was a great guide. I want to do the tour again in a few months when I can take my daughter with me

Great cultural and historical detail with a delightful and knowledgeable host. Loved all the culinary adventures as well as weaving into all the shops-herbalist, tea, candy and an authentic Chinese grocery store. Couldn't wait to give this tour as an anniversary gift to my son and daughter in law!

Jim was prompt in starting and keeping on schedule. His knowledge of Chinese language, culture and food was exceptional. The different shops and C-Mart included on the tour were most interesting and fascinating. My wife and I most enjoyed the lunch very much, it was so different from our idea of a "Chinese Restaurant". Having a group of just 8 was an ideal size. We have already recommended this tour to several of our friends. Mary and Dave

This was an amazing walk through history. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Chinatown. Our guide was a wealth of knowledge. The tour was both educational and fun. The materials he passed out to the group will be very helpful when I go back to Chinatown for a visit.

I thought that the tour was very informative and would be helpful for a target Western audience. As a Chinese-American I already had a lot of the knowledge that was being articulated by the guide. However, it was very interesting and insightful to hear about Chinatown from a Western perspective. The guide was very engaging and had a great knowledge of the different types of food and cooking techniques. The historic part at the beginning of the tour was very helpful as well. Overall, I thought that the tour was a positive experience and was impressed that there wasn't a "slanting" of the presentation of Chinatown.