LUNCH AND LAUNDRY By the time we’re done cooking, it’s around 3, and our family gathers at Kai’s dining table for a feast. Kai’s wife is there and so is their son. My brother, who is Kai’s dad, will join us, too, and so will my kids and sometimes, my wife. To drink, we have cold beer like Corona Light or Sapporo, and we finish with tong sui for dessert, which is a refreshing sugar water. A big Sunday family lunch is a Chinese tradition, and this meal connects us all. It’s something I look forward to all week. After lunch, I go back home and do my laundry.

HOT SPOTS Around 8, I’m ready to eat again. I don’t eat much when I’m working because I don’t have time, but on my days off, I’m starving. There are many great spots that we love to go to. Eim Khao Mun Kai Elmhurst, on Broadway between 81st and 82nd, is fantastic and only makes one dish: this gingery chicken rice that’s delicious. Another staple is Spicy Shallot for Thai.