[First published July 5, 2014] Chinese people frequently ask me, "Why did you come to China?' Were I to be honest, it would be for moments like this: sitting in a public plaza on a warm August night, surrounded by people. food carts, motorcycles, taxis, and neon lights, while nibbling on clams, eggplant and Chinese BBQ and quaffing reasonably cold beer.
I'm like Mr. Thwackum in Fielding's Tom Jones: "When I mention religion, I mean the Christian religion, and not only the Christian religion, but the Protestant religion, and not only the Protestant religion, but the Church of England." Likewise, when I mention China's vibrant culture, I mean its bustling streets and not only its bustling streets, but its outdoor food stalls, and not only its outdoor food stalls but the ones serving meat on a stick. Oh yes and the temples, too. For sure, temples.
The cost of eating out varies greatly from place to place but as far as I'm concerned we've derived as much enjoyment from eating little steamed buns for five yuan in a market stall created from a shipping container, as we did paying 125 yuan for a skimpy lunch in an upscale restaurant in Zibo's most glamorous shopping center. We can get steamed buns or meat pies for a few yuan to enjoy while shopping or to take home for lunch or dinner
I'm like Mr. Thwackum in Fielding's Tom Jones: "When I mention religion, I mean the Christian religion, and not only the Christian religion, but the Protestant religion, and not only the Protestant religion, but the Church of England." Likewise, when I mention China's vibrant culture, I mean its bustling streets and not only its bustling streets, but its outdoor food stalls, and not only its outdoor food stalls but the ones serving meat on a stick. Oh yes and the temples, too. For sure, temples.
The cost of eating out varies greatly from place to place but as far as I'm concerned we've derived as much enjoyment from eating little steamed buns for five yuan in a market stall created from a shipping container, as we did paying 125 yuan for a skimpy lunch in an upscale restaurant in Zibo's most glamorous shopping center. We can get steamed buns or meat pies for a few yuan to enjoy while shopping or to take home for lunch or dinner
Alive ten minutes ago We've had very fresh fish, poached and served with vegetables, peppers and peanuts. After you eat the fish, you dump more vegetables into the broth and eat those. We've had a simple lunch of sliced cucumbers and scrambled eggs with onions. We've had dumplings stuffed with pork and vegetable. We've had noodles in yummy broth at a Japanese restaurant. We've learned that not every meal in China comes with rice and around here, it doesn't come with a bottle of soy sauce. The Chinese food we grew up eating back home was Cantonese cuisine and the thought of the variety of unexplored-by-us cuisines out there is rather breathtaking.
There are lots of fast-food restaurants around here but it's amazing to me how fast the service is in regular restaurants. What do you need "fast food" for when you can order three dishes and the first one arrives five minutes later fresh out of the wok?
And boy, we're loving the eggplant. They have so many imaginative ways to cook it here, including as the filling in a little sort of sandwich pancake. Sautéed with cloud ear fungus and garlic. Last night it was flash-fried with a scrumptious seasoning.
Sorry if I'm making you hungry!
There are lots of fast-food restaurants around here but it's amazing to me how fast the service is in regular restaurants. What do you need "fast food" for when you can order three dishes and the first one arrives five minutes later fresh out of the wok?
And boy, we're loving the eggplant. They have so many imaginative ways to cook it here, including as the filling in a little sort of sandwich pancake. Sautéed with cloud ear fungus and garlic. Last night it was flash-fried with a scrumptious seasoning.
Sorry if I'm making you hungry!
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