Many people in Pikesville love David Chu’s and consider it the best Chinese food in town. Many people in Pikesville love Goldberg’s and say it’s the best bagel in town. Many people in Pikesville love Tov Pizza and say it’s the best pizza in town. However, a lot of people do not know how those kitchens run or what ingredients go into their foods. Among those questions there are others which might include: Who is General Cho, who is David Chu, why is it so popular with Jews in Pikesville? My goal is to answer these questions and maybe expose other elements of the beloved restaurant.
I would bet a lot of money on that if you asked every Jew in Pikesville, they would know what David Chu’s, Goldberg’s, and Tov Pizza are. Sam Radov ‘28 answered that he “loves all those places, I’ve eaten there so many times.” At Tov Pizza the normal thing to get is pizza. At Goldberg’s it’s a bagel. Chinese food is different because there is such a large swath of foods. Sam’s favorite is General Cho’s Chicken and if they’re putting normal things in as ingredients he doesn’t care because it “tastes good.” Although when asked he has no idea who General Cho was, or David Chu for that matter (neither do I!). In fact, nobody knew after asking twenty students, every single one of them said “I dunno.”
However, one thing fifteen of the students said was, “I love that place.” Which I think is important to highlight. Whether it’s Chinese, Pizza, or Bagels, food in general, but especially in Jewish culture, is a love language and something that brings people together. Shabbat dinner is one of the most important times of the week not just because it’s Shabbat, but because it’s when you get to connect with your family. This is like what Sam Hanna ‘26 says. When I asked him what these Kosher restaurants meant to him, he replied, “It’s a way to form bonds between people you love.” If you’re curious, the other five students said they liked Joey Chu’s better (A different Chinese restaurant). Which leads me to another mini question: does putting Chu after any name make you a mysterious figure in Chinese food?
