Well, folks—I’m home! And thank goodness. And before I settle in too far, I just wanted to review a few other interesting culinary delights from my second week in China!
Mushroom hot pot! On the main shopping street (Wangfujing), on the 5th floor of a mall, you’ll find Tian Yi Zhu, one of innumerable “hot pot” restaurants around China. This particular style is a local one specializing in fresh and interesting mushrooms. By now, you know I love this stuff! Hot pot is a type of meal where you choose a broth (we chose mushroom broth, naturally), which is heated in the big bowl in the center. Then you order a variety of foods (meats and vegetables, usually)—in this photo you see (starting from upper right and continuing clockwise): a couple types of mushrooms, some prawns, some pork slices, noodles, a plate of lettuce and delicate vegetables, and potatoes. (The beer is for drinking, not dunking.) The food is dunked, let to heat/cook, then put in your bowl with broth. Eat (and eat and eat). I usually don’t eat tons of food in Chinese restaurants, but I’m a sucker for hot pot! This was incredible. Also pretty interesting were a number of other unordered things on the menu:
- Super fatcow
- Jew’s ear
- Sheep tail
- Bamboo fungus
- And dozens more
Dong Po pork at Mei Zhou Dong Po restaurant. We had lunch at a classic Sichuan restaurant, noted for its fiery dishes that delight locals. We had, as usual, a whole lazy susan full of interesting things (including some fantastic soup at this place), but the Dong Po pork was absolutely the winner. Slightly sweet, pretty spicy, covered in some wilted cilantro and bok choy. And the pork was simply fall-apart tender and absorbed the flavors and the heat magically. Our American and Chinese group had found a new level of harmony… thanks, pork!
Yak cooked on hot stones (Makye Ame Tibetan Restaurant). So, I’ve finally found the name of the Tibetan Restaurant (as noted in the potato balls mid-week). This, alongside dumpling restaurant and roast duck restaurant, were absolutely the best meals all around of the trip. While many other items from this meal were worth remembering (the yak jerky, beef with pancakes, mutton ribs, and even the salad!), the yak cooked on hot stones was probably the highlight. The hot stone is buried beneath the yak strips above, but it provided continual heat to the dish, which was cooked really nice and tender, alongside lightly cooked vegetables. Not very spicy, and despite all of the items in the dish, it really was the yak that made the flavor!
So that’s it, gang! I’ve been asked: what did you eat when you got back? Well, Sarah had ordered some pizzas from Ramundo’s and that did just fine, thank you very much. (No one does American-style pizza like… well, America.) But unlike lots of previous overseas trips, I didn’t suffer “food fatigue” on this trip, and I’m rather proud of my emerging chopstick skills, so I don’t mind at all. But I might have a burger before I get to my next Chinese meal! Until next time…