By Natasha Chudyk
Special to The Post
Lindsay Anderson has the best job in Richmond.
She is the city's official food blogger and she has the job of eating out every day for a year - yes 365 Days of Dining.
Anderson was selected as the winner of their 365 Days of Dining, food blogging contest last June by the City of Richmond.
In total 1,507 applicants applied for the dream job which comes with a $50,000 salary for the year, living compensation and a daily stipend of $30 for all dining experiences. The job also includes a one-year membership to the Richmond Olympic Oval to assist in burning off all those daily dining experiences
“When I first started I really didn't know that much about Asian cuisine, but dining in Richmond has been the perfect crash course in Cantonese, Szchuan, Japanese, Taiwanese, Korean and more. I've been able to try traditional foods and also eat at a lot of places that have created their own niche with fusion cuisine," said Anderson.
“The culinary scene in Richmond is so diverse and I am figuring out a lot of the traditional dishes, what makes them good and what I personally prefer.”
In a city with so many cultures and languages Lindsay has come up with a way to determine what exactly to order off the menu at restaurants that have new cuisine that is isn't yet familiar with, “I've learned a few words, but even if a server doesn't speak English we can communicate just fine through sign language and pointing to the menu. Language barriers can intimidate people about eating in Richmond but it has never been an issue for me. I usually ask what is their most popular dish as I am up for anything!”.
As for her favourites so far Lindsay raves about many Richmond restaurants but a few in particular have stood out in her daily dining experience, “There's a Hong Kong style cafe called Lido that I have been back to four times now just to get the pineapple buns. They have a baking rack of
pineapple buns that are made fresh each day, people buy them up really quickly. They serve them with a slab of butter that is incredibly thick. I love, love, love Lido pineapple buns!” Another of Lindsay's favourite places to dine in Richmond is Japanese restaurant, Kiriri where she says “They serve a miso black cod, it's probably the best thing that I've eaten in Richmond. I've had other versions since then but no other places compare.” Korean restaurant Haroo is another favourite of Lindsay's, she says “You kind of feel like you're in their kitchen. Its just so cozy and the food is really good, it comes beautifully presented.”
There have also been some more interesting dishes that the food blogger has come across, “ I've tried some unique dishes that are new to me but completely normal to other people like congealed pig blood . I've had it before in English sausage or Scottish food but I had never tried congealed blood in a hot-pot. That was tricky for me. I'd also never tried durian fruit, so that was new.”
Along with the new foods have come some delicious new food discoveries says Lindsay, “There's a Chinese condiment called rousong which is like a meat topping. It's pork that has been cooked for a long time, then dried out and they add seasoning. Its weird looking to me but I actually really like it.”
Lindsay has 244 days left on her 365 Days of Dining in Richmond food blogging journey.
You can follow her food blog at www.365daysofdining.com.
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