What’s your name, and which food tour do you lead?
My name is Jennifer Shuang, and I’m one of the tour guides for the Arcadia/Delicious Dumpling Tour and the San Gabriel Valley/New Chinatown Tour.
Of the five tastes, which are you?
I’m like a Sour-Patch Kid!! (I don’t think this really answers the question, though.)
Let’s say you’re on death row…what would be your last meal?
OK, so, I’m lactose-intolerant, bound by a gluten-free diet, and preferably vegetarian (with a soft spot for mystery meats). The obvious last meal for me would be an In-N-Out Neapolitan milkshake, paired with Popeye’s buttermilk biscuits, half of a Langer’s #19 pastrami sandwich (honestly — has anyone ever finished that thing? Props.), a few bites of anything on the El Taurino menu with their special red hot sauce, Spam, a heaping plate of stinky tofu, and a side of chili cheese fries. Oh, and let’s round that out with a shot of Tequila. Of course.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
I’ve eaten a lot of really cool, mind-blowing (and delicious) things. I mean, what’s “weird”? One person’s weird is another person’s soondae (Korean blood sausage — which is so ridiculously awesome, by the way). “Oh, come on. There is no such thing as a guilty pleasure!! I eat flamin’ hot cheetos when I want to. I’m a rebel like that.
What’s a food that you will never eat again?
This answer is easily chicken. I had some foul fowl (hehe) at an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ joint in Ktown and spent the next day, my anniversary with my boyfriend, regretting it all over the bathroom and in an uncomfortable seat in the ER waiting room. Chicken is way too unfriendly for me.
What’s your favorite LA restaurant?
I have so many favorites…and it really depends on what the weather’s like that day, but I rarely say no to El Taurino or King Taco.
Outside of doing food tours, what do you do?
In nutshell form: I’m pursuing my M.L.I.S. in Library & Information Science at UCLA, volunteering at local libraries and APIA organizations, knitting scarves, re-reading Sense and Sensibility, riding my cool new Citizen fold-up bicycle (thank you, boyfriend!), drinking bubble-tea, eating gluten-free cupcakes, sporting Hello Kitty life accessories, hangin’ out and you know, straight west coastin’ !!
What’s the best thing about being a Six Taste tour guide?
Eating food. Talking about food. Talking about food to people who love eating food. It’s all good.
