Shilin Night Market
After visiting Taipei 101 on my second day in Taiwan we went to a restaurant with some friends overlooking the city on a rather precarious mountainside. We had planned to eat outside but as it was a windy evening and so we retreated inside to enjoy some Taiwanese hot-pot. Read more
Vegetable Overload
I’m a committed carnivore and very few days in my life have gone by without some sort of meat consumption taking place. I’m also someone who dabbles in the art of cooking (with mixed results). Yesterday evening I invited some friend over for dinner but there was a catch – one of them was a vegetarian. Meat and fish were out so it was time to learn something new… Read more
A Surprise Christmas
Having spent Christmas 2008 in China it seemed a bit of a pity to miss out on the festivities for a second year running so I decided to make a last-minute surprise visit home without telling anyone I was coming.
After nearly 20 hours of travelling I flew into Norwich via Amsterdam from Hong Kong on the morning of Christmas Eve and turned up on my parents doorstep shortly before midday. To say people were surprised would be an understatement (luckily none of my family have heart conditions!).
It felt rather weird to be thrust directly into the Christmas spirit without the usual months of buildup which usually proceed it in the UK. It was however much nicer to experience it in person rather than through a Skype webcam session as was last year (however novel it may have been).
Of course food is a big part of Christmas and the traditional turkey is a must. While looking like a big chicken the taste is markedly stronger and more flavourful. As ever my mum excelled herself – the 8,000 mile trip was almost worth it just for this! I often wonder why people only eat turkey once a year…
Coming from the relatively warm south of China to the freezing south-east of the UK was a bit of a shock to the system but being a hardy Brit my body soon adjusted and a few nice walks outside in near zero degree conditions were had. Although there was a bit of snow when I first arrived most of it had thawed after a couple of days.
I have a terrible memory but was happy to find that after nearly a year of not driving that the old skills hadn’t disappeared. I always find it’s weird how your brain is able to learn and retain certain complex things as if they were second nature but for other simpler things it’s near impossible (for me anyway).
I’ll be heading back to China on January 4th so get to enjoy jet lag twice in so many weeks. Hopefully someone will invent a teleportation device before too long!
Chinese Culture 101 | Part 5 – Food / Dining
This post is part of a series exploring Chinese culture. See the links at the bottom of this page for more.
Much of Chinese culture revolves around dining and culinary experiences where both business and pleasure are combined with an astonishingly wide array of tastes and smells. Being such a large and ethnically diverse country with different climates and natural resources each region has its own local specialities which the Chinese are often keen to try and introduce to others. Generally you will find hot and spicy food in the north with mild and cooler food in the south (more about regional cuisines here).
Photo by KellyB
A Chinese dining table is usually round allowing everyone to engage equally in conversation and will be set with two bowls (for rice and soup), a plate (for meat and vegetables), a cup for tea, and a pair of chopsticks for each person. Food dishes are placed into the centre of the table to be shared between everyone. Don’t be put off if you see people spitting bones/seeds onto the plate as this is perfectly normal when eating Chinese food.
Photo by faungg
Contrary to what you might find in your local China Town, Chinese food is generally healthy and often beautifully presented. Texture, flavor, color, and aroma are key considerations for all Chinese cooks (above nutritional content). In addition specific foods have different meanings and must be eaten on various occasions such as festivals, weddings, or to welcome an honored guest.
Heavy drinking is often a part of doing business and it is expected that you’ll keep up with others. If you do not want to drink alcohol make it clear before you start. Be warned that Chinese spirits are particularly potent!
Next time we look at the core concepts which influence Chinese thinking and how this effects personal and professional relationships.
Read more
Vietnamese Spring Restaurant
If you’ve never tried Vietnamese food go now and try. Your stomach can thank me later.
If you need a little more convincing here’s a few action shots from my visit to “Spring” last weekend, a new restaurant which has popped up in my locality:
Chicken Salad (Goi Ga) - onion, peppers, basil, mint, chicken, peanut, cilantro, sweet & sour dressing
Prawn Spring Rolls (Gỏi cuốn) – little parcels of fresh goodness with Nước chấm dipping sauce
Baguette (Bánh Mi Thit) – French bread containing paté, ham, various vegetables garnished with coriander
This was my third experience of Vietnamese food (the other times being in Guangzhou and Seoul) and although it was just a light lunch everything was delicious and healthy with so many fresh vegetables. The decor was also pretty tasty with a simple green/grey colour scheme.
If they eat this kind of thing everyday in Vietnam then I’d say they have it pretty well!
Exotic Street Food
One of the great things about China is the staggering variety of snack food available on most street corners for a couple of yuan and differing from region to region. Whilst hygiene standards may be questionable (most of them are illegal) I’ve never had any problems and quite often enjoy getting some spicy dry noodles or a meat stuffed pancake on the way to work.
Wangfujing night market (王府井小吃街 in Beijing) has an exotic selection of insects, sea creatures and even scorpions which can be deep fried to order. I have a feeling that most of this is just for the sake of tourists who screech when they see the scorpions twitching on the sticks they have been harpooned on. I didn’t take my parents (who were visiting) here as I thought it might be a little too much for them!
You don’t see a huge number of people actually trying them, myself included, and none of my Chinese friends I asked would dare either. Most people opt for the more typical foods like barbecued kebabs or caramelised fruits. There was also a locally produced yogurt which was very refreshing. I’m curious to know where they get all the scorpions from – do they farm them somewhere?
If you’re looking for a more authentic experience then it’s probably best to head into the depths of one of the many, but rapidly deminishing, Hutongs in Beijing where some of the best street food is to be found (minus the creepie crawlies). I’d recommend the area between Xidan and Hepingmen metro stations (west of the opera house) where many small and cheap restaurants can be found.
Hamburgers at Noon
I just got back from spending a couple of days in Hong Kong where I went to take a breather from the mainland. While I was there I spotted this rather large ad for my new camera (Lumix LX3) which I thought was cool. In the picture it’s shown with a number of accessories available (lenses, viewfinder, filters…). I don’t have any yet but I like the fact that it’s been given this sort of flexibility to be expanded and customised unlike most on the market. It’s a great camera as I think the photo proves.
Having Chinese food day in, day out gets a bit much sometimes so as well as the usual cornucopia of delights on offer food-wise in Hong Kong I also treated myself to some devilishly good burgers located with the help of the World’s Greatest Hamburger Blog (their words not mine!). So bad, yet so good 
Chinese Cuisine
One of the great things about living in China is the variety and quality of food on offer. Being such a large and ethnically diverse country with different climates and natural resources each region has its own local specialities and tastes (some being more palatable than others). Real Chinese food is a million miles from the greasy junk you’ll find at your local takeaway and is usually high in nutrients, low in calories and well-balanced. As a general rule you’ll predominately find noodles in the north and rice in the south with five main regional divisions* -
- South-eastern – Canton (Guangdong) – Famous for roast meats and delicate sauces as well as stir fried dishes with vegetables and the delicious delights of dim sum. Probably the most well-known and popular around the world.
- Western – Sichuan – Highly spiced, peppery and oily dishes prepared using vast quantities of dried chilli, Sichuan pepper, sesame seed oil and fermented bean curd paste. This distinct style of cooking is not for the fain of heart!
- North-eastern – Peking - Imperial Chinese cooking at its best. Consists of mildly spiced dishes rather than rich foods. Peking Duck, Mongolian hot pot, soft-fried foods, and delicious dumplings all on offer.
- Central – Hunan (and Shanghai) - Characterised by rich sauces and complex flavors. Tender vegetables, accompanied by freshwater fish and crustaceans are prepared mainly with ginger and Shao Xing wine.
- East Coast – Fukien (Fujian) – Famous for seafood and clear, light soups. Fukien is also noted for its subtle use of cooking wine, its soy sauce, egg rolls and suckling pig.
(*summarised from here)
Of course not all Chinese cooking is to everyone’s taste, especially if you’re used to a western palate, and using chopsticks takes a bit of getting used to. I’m quite happy to try almost everything once (much to my mums surprise!) and generally like most of it. The only thing I dislike is having to de-bone most meat/fish yourself and then spit out the rejected bits onto the table – it’s against my British sense of good table manors but quite the norm around here!
All the pictures in this post are from my trip to Xi’an which boasted some amazing food and especially strong spirits (56%) which the locals drank to ward of the cold weather (as well as smoking like chimneys). Unfortunately I’m not sure about what all the dishes are called. More about Xi’an cuisine can be found here.
Above: cauliflower like you’ve never had it before!
One of the local specialities not to be missed are traditional flatbread called Youzhi which are filled with shredded cured pork meat creating a delicious and cheap snack called Rou jia mo.
The flatbread are also used in a beef/mutton soup called Yangrou paomo which is made by breaking the bread into small pieces before being added to the soup with seasoning and then eaten with pickled garlic cloves. The custom of having the customers crumble their own breads supposedly make the food taste better!
Secret Restaurant
For lunch today I was guided to one of Shenzhen’s secret underground restaurants. “What is a secret restaurant?” you might ask. Basically it’s an unlicensed establishment inside someone’s “home” and is only underground in so much as there are no signs to point you there and only a few locals will know about it.
More chillies than you could comfortably eat in one afternoon.
After giving the secret code word and exchanging a secret handshake we were hustled into a dimly lit room with dark wooden furniture which the proprietor claimed was over 100 years old (OK, I made the first bit up). In these restaurants there is no menu and no advertised prices. You simply get what they decide to cook that day and pay by leaving money on the table when you leave.
Whilst this is a bit of a gamble my friend assured me that the food was very special but in China that usually means you’re about to eat some part of an animal you’d rather not. I decided to take sneak peak in the kitchen to see what they were cooking and try and ascertain what lay ahead…
Luckily it appeared that monkey brains and pigs eyes were not to be served today but instead what I thought was beef at first turned out to be deer and various other dishes. I considered it probably wise not to ask where the deer had come from and tucked in.
Accompanying the food was also some home made beverage which tasted strangely like sweet communion wine and no doubt also illegal! In China the police often turn a blind eye to illegal activity as long as it doesn’t cause disruption and they get their cut . Outside my apartment there is often a street restaurant at night which some migrants set up on the pavement complete with tables and chairs and an open BBQ.
I almost laughed when on the way out the owner gave me his business card and asked me to come again!
Guangzhou Gluttony
I spent last weekend in the culinary capital of southern China; Guangzhou. To say I ate a lot of food would be an understatement. It felt like a two day non-stop tour of east-asia cuisine with my stomach bearing the brunt of all manors of Chinese, Japanese & Vietnamese delights!
Before visiting Guangzhou I was warned by many friends to be careful with tales of thievery and general social disorder so it was with some anticipation that I stepped off the train on Saturday morning. Whilst the city is a bit grubby around the edges it wasn’t as bad as I had been led to expect and indeed the city has a far richer history and culture than Shenzhen (being founded in 214BC). It was however very crowded so if you’re claustrophobic I’d advise to stay away!
Lunch: various duck parts cooked to perfection – very spicy but a sweet sauce takes the edge off.
Dinner: Vietnamese cold noodle salad with chicken curry (not shown) – seriously delicious.
Breakfast: Dim Sum - small parcels of Chinese heaven but eating too much may make you end up like my namesake (David = Da Wei = “big stomach”).
By the time it got to lunch on Sunday it was all getting a bit much and it was all I could do to manage a few pieces of sushi despite my friends protestations! After that it was time to head home oh train which was a welcome chance to relax and let the contents of my stomach digest. Sufficed to say no dinner was needed Sunday night 
P.s. if your looking for cheap hotels in China check out the 7 Days Inn chain. I stayed in one overnight and found it clean and comfortable for an amazing 160 RMB (£15). They don’t seem to have an English website but the staff could understand me OK.