Bai Jiao Yuan (100 Dumpling Restaurant)

People in China love their dumplings. There are different types, and for each type, there are different types of cooking methods. On top of that, the filling can be whatever the chef wants it to be. For example, there is the jiaozi, guotie, wonton, goubuli, or xiaolongbao. The methods can range from steaming, to deep frying, to pan frying, and cooking them in a broth. Just by seeing how many types there are, you can notice the popularity with them. That’s why I wasn't surprised to hear that one of the most popular restaurants in Tianjin is one dedicated to dumplings. Sure, they also serve other food, but the dumplings are the main attraction.

One of the Chinese students took me here and I absolutely loved it. Walking in, you can see a little room where all the dumplings are handmade. We sat down, and I let the other student order. When the food started coming out it all smelled delicious. First came out some pork feet, which are better than they sound. Following that was the curried pork and tofu, which was incredible. I absolutely love anything with tofu so I may be a little biased. 

Then came what we came for; the dumplings. There were many fillings within the dumplings, and they all look the same from the outside, so I won’t post many pictures. The fillings we got were shrimp and pork, cabbage and pork, chicken and corn, and curried pork. They were all delicious but my favorite was the one filled with pork and shrimp. We also got a type was completely deep fried and filled with egg and leek. I wasn't a very big fan of that one though. I prefer the texture of the steamed ones more.

Overall, this was a great experience. I loved the whole concept of the restaurant, and the food was very good. It was a nice way to get involved with one of China’s favorite food, and it made me appreciate the culture a bit more. Hopefully, I’ll get to try as many dumplings as I can before I leave so I can get a full sense of what they are all about. Until next time.

Shish Kabobs

One Sunday night, a couple of my friends were sitting around my dorm and decided to go out for some late night eats. This wasn’t the best idea, since it was late, and it was a Sunday. This means that finding an open restaurant would be a difficult task. You see, people in China eat dinner around 6 or 7; so expecting to find something open around 10 was like hoping to find some ice (which is one of the hardest things to do in China).

We proceeded anyway, and just like we had expected, we failed at finding anything open. Luckily, right around the corner from the place where we were at, they were a group of people sitting around a grill with smoke emanating from it.

 I walked close and saw that it was a shish kabob stand. There were about two dozen boxes filled with meats on sticks from one to choose from. Anything ranging from chicken hearts to beef to tripe to lamb to tofu. You basically choose how much of each thing you want and wait for them to be grilled

We decided on some chicken wings and beef sticks and waited excitedly. Five minutes later, my friends and I were chomping away. Let’s face it; this isn’t the most sanitary way of storing and preparing food. But when you’re in China, you do as the Chinese do. We prayed to not get sick, and luckily we didn’t. The food was delicious, and most importantly, cheap. It was quite an experience, and I hope to do it again soon. But until then, I’ll try to eat enough at dinnertime so I’m not hungry by 10. 

Hunan

When it comes to Chinese cuisine, there are some things called the “Eight Great Traditions.” These are basically the eight styles of cuisine in which Chinese food is usually categorized, based on which region of china that cuisine originates from. Each tradition has a particular style and certain flavor to it, and I am making it an effort to eat each style at least once while I am here. This post is going to be focused on the Xiang tradition, which is sometimes called Hunan as well. This cuisine is known for spicy flavor due to wide use of chilies and garlic, a wonderful smell, and a dark and deep color. The heat that comes from Hunan cuisine is usually different from Sichuan heat (another spicy cuisine) in that it is “dry hot.” Hunan cuisine is also considered to be oilier than Sichuan cooking. Stews and braising are very common when it comes to this cuisine. 

 Spicy frog legs

Chicken Gizzards with Chili Peppers

Eggplant with Sweet Red Pepper

 Steamed Egg Custard

 Pork, cabbage, and assorted Chili Peppers

Braised pork with potatoes, whole garlic, and chili peppers

Pork and Cauliflower

Sweet purple potato doughnuts

Hotpot

People in China love Hot Pot. It’s a very traditional meal where people sit around pots of boiling broth and are served raw meats and vegetables. They then proceed to dump things in the spiced broths and cook them as they wish.  I might compare it to what some people call fondue.

I have already had two experiences with this sort of gathering, and all I can say is that they can be pretty fun. Groups sitting around each other being completely immersed in what they are eating only leads to great quality time. The fact that the food is good does not hurt either.

When talking to some of my Chinese classmates of where I should go eat, somehow, Hot Pot always comes into the conversation. Although I am not as into the flavors of the food as they are, I can see why it is so attractive to them. I can honestly say that it bonds you with the people that you are with, and it makes for a very casual meal. I was in a very fancy Hot Pot restaurant recently, but because of the style of meal, it felt very informal and friendly. On top of that, all my friends say that this dish grows in popularity during the wintertime. This makes sense, since sitting around boiling pots of broth is sure to make you warm.

I am glad I got to be part of a meal such as this, and although I can’t say that it is the best food I have ever had, the experience was one of my favorite ways of becoming friends with those around me, especially since it is considered so cultural.

Dumplings

Last time was the only time that pointing and hoping failed me, so after that experience, I was a bit apprehensive to try it again. Sadly, I won’t always be with a Chinese classmate to help me out, so it was bound to happen again. Today I will be talking about a time where it actually worked out for the best.

Recently, I went shopping to a Chinese version of Costco or BJ’s called Metro. There were some super cool food selections for purchase, but that’s an entry for another day. After that shopping session, I decided to walk around with my friend and walk into the first restaurant we saw. It wasn’t typical lunchtime, so any place would be empty. Therefore, I couldn’t really follow the rule of going into the place with most people.

We ended up in this tiny place that has hardwood tables with glass on top. The menu was lodged between the table and glass so the customer could choose what they wanted.

I pointed at the top two things (priced 15 and 6 yuan each) and once again, hoped for the best. First came out these strips of what I’m assuming to be some vegetable. I honestly have no clue what it was, but it was served warm. It was very light and most likely one of the most refreshing things I have eaten so far. It’s a nice change from so much stir-fried dishes.

The owner’s of the restaurant were gracious enough to send over a complimentary drink. It was a warm liquid with some grains inside. I’m assuming it was some sort of warm rice milk. It was not the most flavorful thing, but definitely something new to experience and a nice touch to this traditional meal.

Last came out the entrée. This is definitely what I like about pointing and hoping. You could get some of the best dishes like this. In a tray used to steam (a very traditional dish preparation in China) came out 15 perfectly made beef dumplings. They were moist, well seasoned, and super fresh. These experiences are what make me love being in China. I hope my pointing and hoping technique continues to yield such delicious results such as these. And if not, then at least I’ll have funny stories to tell.

Miscommunication

One time, I went out to Lotte (sort of like a Wal-Mart) with a friend to stock up on some much-needed things. During the process, we both decided we were extremely hungry and wanted to get some food. We walked around and landed in a hole in the wall restaurant that was packed. This is usually my favorite type of restaurant, but they can be in problem when you have no idea how to speak or read Chinese. Most places are pretty good when it comes to having menus that are translated into English or at least has pictures, but when it comes to the real deal, they don’t really have the need to do that.

I tried to communicate with the owner but the chances of that actually happening where extremely slim, so I just looked around for a menu, hoping to find pictures. All I found was a menu on the wall with prices next to Chinese characters. I had no way of knowing what was what, so I just pointed and prayed that I would get something edible and appealing.

Waiting, I watched as other tables got incredible looking noodles, awesome plates of chicken and vegetables, and what seemed to be noodle soups. I started to get excited when all of a sudden the waiter walks up to my table with a plate. What he put down in front of me was actually quite disappointing but extremely comical. On my plate was a pile of sautéed-salted peanuts. Don’t get me wrong. They were delicious. But not what I wanted or was craving.

I looked over to my friend and started laughing. Had the chef sent these out as some sort of appetizer on the house or was this actually my meal? I sat there for a few minutes waiting for more food, when all of a sudden the waiter comes and puts a huge plate of noodles in front of me. They looked and smelled delicious. I excitedly exclaimed my “thank yous” and was about to dig in when the waiter apologetically comes back, takes my plate, gives it to another table, and comes back to apologize again. It turns out that he had messed up and given me another table’s order of noodles. So the peanuts HAD been what I ordered.

Oh well. I got my peanuts to go and headed back home. Guess you can’t win them all.