Phoenix may not have a Chinatown in the way that San Francisco or New York does, but it has the closest thing to it at the Chinese Cultural Center - and for the curious, it is a genuine find in the middle of the desert.
Inside, the senses do the exploring. There is everything from bolts of silk to huge tanks of live eels, fish, lobster, and crabs; markets stocked with ingredients you will not find at the corner store; and restaurants serving the real thing rather than the familiar takeout version of it.
It is the kind of place that rewards wandering - a reminder that the Valley's culture runs deeper and wider than its reputation suggests, and that an afternoon of discovery is sometimes only a few exits away.
Originally published in View AZ Highlife Magazine, Feb / Mar 2008.