Cheng admires a carbonized-steel wok with a weighty magnolia wood handle and explains the difference between Shanghainese and Cantonese woks (the Shanghainese are deeper and rounder).
Cabinets are several inches higher than in typical American kitchens, in keeping with a more European look and to allow room for exotic appliances like woks.
It seems that every street corner has at least one vendor, their charcoal grills and scorching woks hissing with stir-fried vegetables, charred meats, pungent spices and delicate sweets.