The Morning News' Rosecrans Baldwin tours Chinatown eateries with Harvey Spiller, a self-taught gourmet and expert on Chinese cookery. Says Spiller, "I walked into this restaurant on Mott Street. It was Thursday and the place was empty, which was weird because it s good and famous. I didn't understand what was going on, so I went to talk to the owner, the mother, only she s sitting at a table being filmed for Chinese TV. So I wonder, what's up? Then her son, who I've known since the place opened in the late '80s, he comes over and goes, 'Why'd you come today?' 'Because,' I say, 'I haven't been here in a long time and I missed your soup!' And he says, 'Oh, haven't you heard? I'm dead!' Turns out all the Chinese newspapers reported that he died of SARS and now nobody's going to that restaurant."
Eating with Harvey Spiller [TMN]