There is a certain sub segment of my massive audience base that is really into food. As I am really into food, I try to highlight my gastronomic adventures during my travels. Being in China and being taken care of by my gastronomically conscious son-in-law 2B, is leading to an incredible eating experience. Of course, there will be consequences to this (as going on the Celery and Water Diet after I get done with this trip). But truly this is a once-in-a-lifetime type of experience, having a person who has spent years exploring and experimenting providing the advice and recommendations.
I'd like to make some general comments about our eating Chinese food here in China. There are certainly things that would be classified as 'weird' by those in the United States. But there is a ton of stuff that is very familiar to anyone who eats reasonably quality Chinese-American food. I think overall, from what I've had so far, the flavor profiles of Chinese cooking in the U.S. are not all that different from what we've experienced here. What IS DIFFERENT is the overall quality of ingredient, and (what I would call) the overall intensity/impact of the flavors. Things just taste like 'MORE' than the U.S. equivalent. This really shows up with anything involving vegetables.
So without further ado let's get into a sample of that we've been eating.
Meal One - Hong Kong Style - This was one of the first meals we had after arriving at a restaurant close to where #2 and 2B work
Two types of Pot Sticker dumplings
Rice Noodles with a Meat Sauce
Sizzling Beef with (bizarrely with rotini)
Braised Pork with Glass Noodles
Local Food on the Road to Longji Rice Paddies - This was the restaurant that used the local, cook in bamboo technique.
Stir-fried Vegetables featuring Young Bamboo Shoots
Stir-fried Greens (things like this have consistently been superior)
The Sticky Rice cooked in Bamboo
Pork Braised with Potatoes (we ate way more potatoes that I would have thought)
Chicken Cooked in Bamboo & Chile Sauce
Beer Fish - A specialty of the Yangshuo/Guilin area. It is fish cooked in a sauce with beer in it. We originally hadn't planned to focus on this, but at our Guilin hotel they had it on the menu so we decided to try it. We loved it. We discovered dipping French Fries in the sauce was a total fusion treat.
Based upon this our guide told us of a restaurant in Yangshuo that specialized in Beer Fish.
This one was significantly better.
We've had this version of a cucumber salad numerous places.
Stir-fried Cabbage with some kind of Cured Meat
Stir-fried Potato Strings - This was a bit weird as the potatoes were still on the uncooked side.
We also had this incredible Chicken cooked Rotisserie Style that was a phenomenal combination of juicy tender meat with crispy skin.
Dealing with Translations
I am not always sure that the English translations of items on the menu really capture what is in a dish or what a dish is. Here are some examples from a lunch 2B and I had.
I don't think my head can even begin to get around the concept of Gelling aftertaste of eel or Jelly Silver Snow Fish Head.
Or Shrimp Sauce Jelly. However, I was going to try something and this was the one.
It was really good. Big fan now of Pig Oil Residue (I am thinking it might be like bacon drippings)
We had this earlier, Crispy Fried Shrimp in a Steamed Rice Wrapper
This is Hong Kong style Lemon Tea...It's Hot!
Rice Noodles with Duck
For dessert, Pastry Buns with a Sweet, Meaty (yes meat) Filling. They actually grew on me as I ate them.
And when we were not going out, we were ordering in. With their very busy lifestyles, and the low cost of food and delivery, this is a preferred option. I would say a spread like this though would not be typical when they don't have guests.
#2 & 2B's Bosses insisted that they take us to this place for a lunch just today. It is known for high end Taiwanese food of all things. The Bosses picked out the entire menu.
Another version of the Cucumber Salad
A dish of Tofu and Mushrooms. The Tofu had a spongy texture unlike any I've had before (#2 said it is actually pretty common)
Ye Olde Soup Dumplings
An Eggplant Dish
A kind of Pork that was like Orange Chicken
A type of Won Ton Dumpling in a Soy Hot Sauce
Noodles with a Peanut Sauce
Fried Rice
These were crazy. Siu Mai but with a Soup Dumpling juice on the bottom and a whole Small Shrimp on the top. One of my Favorites.
Lastly a Steamed Bun with a Sweet Red Bean Paste that was like dates.
BTW...We have another week to go!!!!
SIGNS OF THE WORLD
In a Mall, finally
A Men's Room figure that matches MY body type!
