Did high gas cost mean lower Daddy Day crowd?
The Father's Day crowd at Chung King, a Sichuan restaurant in San Gabriel, was surprisingly light, notes Times education reporter Howard Blume. He says folks often come from far away to dine at the restaurant, and he wondered if fewer people were willing to make the drive.
He contends that the fried chicken with hot peppers and whole Sichuan peppercorns is almost enough to make anyone forget the heat of rising gas prices. According to AAA, the average price for regular in California today was $4.60 a gallon, 63.5 cents higher than last month and $1.36 higher than a year ago.
For those who go by bike, bus, train or walking to the small restaurant on San Gabriel Boulevard, Blume also recommends the boiled fish in hot pepper sauce. However, the crispy rice crust with chicken is not to be overlooked.
-- Bill Nottingham
