When serving an Asian dish for dinner, do you set the table with your own chopsticks or do you rely on the throwaway sets provided by restaurants? Not until my husband mentioned that he's always dreamed of owning his own collapsible stainless steel chopsticks from Snow Peak (to use while camping), did it ever cross my mind to invest in a few pairs. We scouted high and low for attractive, well-made wooden chopsticks for everyday use and here are our favorite finds:
Above: Oki Sato of Nendo was asked by one of the oldest Japanese chopstick makers, Hashikura Matsukan to redesign the traditional chopstick. The resulting Rassen forms a tidy single unit that gets separated during mealtime.
Above: A box of Young Cedar Chopsticks, made from FSC-certified Japanese cedar, is $55 at Heidi Swanson's Quitokeeto shop.
Above: A good pair for practicing your chopsticks skills, Pick Up Chopsticks by Design House Stockholm are made of jamjuree wood with a stainless steel joint; $29 from Abode New York.
Above: The Akebi Bamboo Chopstick from Japanese outdoor company Snow Peak is made of bamboo that's been smoked for visual appeal and to prevent mold; $15.95. Snow Peaks' Tanner Goods Carry-on Chopsticks are the $70 pair my husband has been eyeing.
Above: A set of four Sandy Beach Collection Chopsticks are $16.80 from Etsy store Storiebrooke. Made of bamboo, they're paint-dipped using a food-safe, non-toxic paint and finish.
Stay tuned tomorrow for our wok roundup. Looking for advice on how to set the table? Don't miss our post Expert Advise: How to Set the Table, Courtesy of Food 52.