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While staying at a hostel in San Francisco with a ogre shaped marijuana farmer named Richard a strange man approached us about Chinese food, it was just about midnight. He was wearing tight black leather pans, Chaco sandals, and some sort of untied white pirate shirt. His hairy chest was trimmed and heavily adorned with knotted hemp rope, blue crystals and glass beads, in his hand he bore a long staff with a bleached raccoon skull affixed near the top. "You guys like Chinese food? " his high pitched voice with an accent reminiscent of a shine runner instantly intrigued me and definitely frightened big Rich. My reply came with no hesitation, my comrade needed coercing. Together the three of us made our way onto the empty streets of China town with little or no familiar landmark to guide us home. Deep inside a foreign land we came to large sliding steel door, a log chain stretched across it boldly announcing we weren't welcome. The strange little man began to beat that door with his staff, after a moment a small window slid open and what sounded to me like profanity spilled into the once quiet night. Surprisingly, our tour guide yelled back in perfect Mandarin. The yelling subsided into a conversation, the steel door opened, and the chains came down. Weighing in around 275 pounds Rich began to tremble and I lied to him as we headed inside and up the stairs. Then as in a dream we found ourselves in the middle of clean and modern restaurant, surrounded by very normal looking people of course all staring at us. We were given the take out menu and asked to leave upon receiving our food. Not too far away we discovered the perfect Chinatown park, elegantly landscaped and meticulously trimmed. I remember a near full moon dancing behind the clouds, as I sat and ate the best dim sum I have ever had. Taking a risk to find dumplings, steamed buns, chickens feet, and white dragon jasmine tea was something I now knew was possible. Today as a chef I often reflect on that night, and allow my imagination to play through the things that didn't happen to us, laughing as I recall our roller coaster reactions, and beholden to a very unique experience.