DaDong

When people think of authentic Chinese food, one of the dishes that should pop into their head first is Peking Duck. It can also be called Beijing Duck, but the point that I’m trying to get across is how much of a staple this is. Its definitely not an everyday dish. Its more akin to celebrations and parties, much like lamb or turkey would be to Westerners. This dish is a duck that is a roasted with a very specific technique, which renders the fat and yields a very crispy skin. Therefore, you get the essence of eating a fried duck from the skin while the insides being juicy and tender.

            You can’t come to Beijing and not eat Peking Duck, and many critics and locals claim that the best one available is in DaDong. This restaurant, which now has four locations has been featured anywhere you can think of, from television, to magazines, to tour guides, so you know it has something going for it. When I first found out about this place, I knew I had to stop here at least once during my trip to china.

            Recently, on a trip to the Beijing Airport en route to Japan, I had planned on stopping here. Because of several last minute complications, plans had to be changed and sadly, I decided that I couldn't stop at this restaurant on this specific trip to Beijing. It was far from the airport, it was late, and I had no idea how to get there. Besides, I had other priorities and needed to worry about not missing my flight to Japan.

            While riding on the subway on my way to the airport, I got hungry and decided to get off a few stops before I was supposed to. I decided to just walk into any random restaurant and order anything (like I always do) and noticed that the restaurant that I had walked into looked slightly (more like a lot) above my budget price. It was decorated beautifully and was extremely big. As I began looking around, I noticed how many foreigners there were waiting as well. Mind you, this is a Monday night, and the wait was over an hour. Clearly, this restaurant was a big deal. After I asked some Europeans I saw what the big deal was, it turned out I had somehow ended up in DaDong. I saw this as some sort of sign that I was destined to eat here during this trip. I asked for a table as I laughed to myself, and began to get comfortable. The hour wait was actually 20 minutes and I was able to entertain myself by watching the chefs work in a windowed kitchen.

            As I was taken upstairs to my table, I was amazed at how beautiful and big this place was. It was a couple of stories with the ability to seat a couple of hundred people without feeling packed. I began looking through the menu and noticed how high the prices were (even for American standards). No worries though, I still got my duck.

When you order duck, you also order a plate of condiments, which come with certain sauces and vegetables. Along with that come some sort of special pancakes and some bread cut up in the center. These two things are for a person to make themselves something similar to a taco or sandwich. About 30 minutes later came my beautifully roasted duck.

 My chef came to the table and began by carving off some of the crispy skin. He placed on the side for later preparation and began cutting the meat into thin slices. After perfectly carving this bird, he placed the meat and strands of skin on a plate with beautiful presentation. This allowed the person eating the duck to begin making their “sandwiches” and “tacos.”

 From each duck come two plates of skin and meat. The skin is incredibly crispy and fatty. People who think that bacon is the best thing in the world would be proven wrong by this skin. It is extremely decadent, but not very fatty when prepared correctly (which DaDong does). The meat was succulent and not dry at all. Along with the condiments, this made for a wonderful meal.

 After the chef was done carving the bird, he wished me a good meal and left. I thought that it would be the last time I would see him but I was wrong. He came back nearing the end of my meal (or what I thought was the end) with a special soup made with milk and some of duck broth made from the bones that remained from the bird. I’m sure that the broth wasn’t made from my specific duck, but the fact that whole animal is used and fed to the customers shows a lot about the restaurant. They want their customers to receive what they pay for, and I definitely did.

 

After this, I thought I was done, but then came another small dish. Chinese eat a special type of porridge made with broth for breakfast. Its never really been my favorite dish, but when a plate of this came out, I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed it for what it was, but I’d be lying if I said that I finished it. 

Lastly, I was brought out a plate of hawthorns decorated with dry ice. Although a simple dessert, it was a nice palate cleanser after a roast duck. It was a nice touch, and I honestly can’t complain about anything that is free.

            Overall, my experience at DaDong was an incredible one. I think my favorite part was how it happened even though it wasn't supposed to. What are the odds of me ending up where I wanted to go specifically in a city as huge as Beijing? I know for a fact that the chances are very slim. The fact that this actually happened shows me how what is meant to be will always work out for you. And this was a perfect example of this, because I made it to the airport on time and had nothing to worry about. Once again, I love China. 

Muslim

It’s surprising to me how many Muslim people there are in China. Not surprising because I didn't expect there to be ANY at all, but the amount is just incredible. This had led me to eat at many Muslim restaurants, which I absolutely love. My love for Muslim food was appeased most on a trip to Xi’an one weekend. Apparently, this city has one of the largest Muslim populations in China, and luckily, my hostel was walking distance from a quarter called Muslim Food Street.

Walking down this quarter, I was greeted by some of my favorite foods. Abundant amounts of lamb were everywhere in all sorts of preparations. Whether they are grilled, stir fried, stewed, or roasted, you could smell the lamb cooking throughout the streets. There were some sights to behold as well, such as butchering of some lamb carcasses.

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Anyway, I was also greeted by large amounts of unleavened bread, very similar to a naan. This made me quite happy, seeing as bread is not something that is easily found back in Tianjin. This bread was used to make sandwiches or also to soak up soup during lunch or breakfast. One of my favorite things that I found in this food street was a bagel. I know this probably sounds a bit dumb, but I have a week spot for bagels and the fact that I ran into one surprised me and made me extremely happy.

Overall, this experience was a very good one. I got to see the differences in culture between the people in China just based off the food. On top of that, the streets and music were very “Muslim-like” and it was a fun atmosphere. I wish I had time to explore this type of cuisine more, but I am glad I got to experience it. 

Din Tai Fung

I usually don’t go out on many special occasion dinners here in China. Even if I did, I wouldn't know where to go. Luckily, I have people here who can help me out. Recently, one of my American friends was celebrating his birthday, so we decided to go out to eat. We had heard about this wonderful Chinese restaurant called Din Tai Fung, so we decided to stop by. Turns out, this place is recognized worldwide as a very good restaurant, earning it a Michelin star. This means we were in for a treat.

We began the meal with some sautéed spinach; very classically prepared and perfectly seasoned. The high heat of the wok cooked this green to perfection which allows it retains some texture without giving the taste of raw leaf. Next came the sautéed cabbage and bacon. This dish was incredible to me, because even though it was simple, it caught me by surprise. I was expecting the cabbage to taste like cabbage and the bacon to taste like bacon, but the bacon flavor was prominent throughout as if I were just eating a plate of bacon. The funny thing was that there was actually very little bacon in the actual dish.

Next came the fried rice and some of the most tender pork I have ever tasted. It was simple, yet perfect.

After these appetizers, the stars of the restaurant began to come out. This restaurant is mostly known for its dumplings, especially the xialongbao. Xialongbao is a type of dumpling that when being prepared, is filled with a type of coagulated soup, so it is turned to liquid through the process of steaming the dumpling. This explains why people commonly refer to them as soup dumplings. So when a person is eating the dumpling, they bite, and it literally explodes and gushes soup into your mouth. We got three different types: chicken, pork, and foie gras. They were all incredible, but the foie gras one was one of the best bites of food I've ever had in my life. 

Last came out the shrimp shumai, which was just as incredible as the other dumplings.

I definitely see myself returning to this restaurant, especially for those foie gras xialongbao. Just when I thought I couldn't love Chinese food more, I am proven wrong.

One of the Best

            Today, my Chinese friends took me out to what I would consider one of my best meals in China as of now. It was for no particular reason except for the fact that it was Saturday and we had nothing better to do. I’m not entirely sure whether the different foods we tried are all linked to a certain region of China, but I do know that it was all delicious. 

As always, I let the locals decide what we were going to be eating. While we were waiting for the entrees, these little fruits came out as a sort of appetizer. I’ve never really tried anything like them, and further inquiry and some Google translations later led to me finding out that it is a fruit called hawthorn. This fruit is sort of like a cherry but a bit more tart. They were incredibly delicious, especially surrounded in the candy coating that the restaurant applied. 

            Next came the Beijing style pork, with big leafs of lettuce. You’re supposed to wrap the meet in lettuce and eat them as some sort of lettuce wrap. The pork looks sweeter than it actually is, and what you see underneath are fried strips of wonton, which provide a crispy contrast to the dish. A combination of sweet, salty, crispy, hot, and cool makes this dish a very interesting one to eat.

After that, the preserved duck. This was probably the main reason why my friends brought me here, seeing as they know that I am an unabashed duck fan.  While I was expected Peking duck, I was not disappointed with this new-to-my-palate preparation of this bird. It may be a bit salty to some, but this is due to how the dish is made. The duck is basically cured with salt and seasonings, which lead to the saltiness, yet incredible flavorful aspect of the meat and skin.

When this dish came out, I couldn't even see what was inside. The waiter placed it right in front of me, as if trying to soothe my curiosity.  Looking inside, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by excitement. It was a silken tofu, shrimp, mushroom, and pea soup. It smelled incredible and tasted even better. 

Last came the signature dish of the restaurant. It was fried pork with a sweet sauce and assorted nuts. It was one of those types of dishes that come out of the kitchen extremely hot and you’re supposed to wait, but you don’t anyway and burn your mouth really badly. This dish was worth every burn I got, because it was wonderful. The sweet fried pork was perfectly fried, and the candied peanuts, almonds, and walnuts just took the meat to the next level. It is highly recommended.

            Overall, this was an incredible meal. I would have to say that my favorite dish was probably the tofu soup, but that’s because tofu is quickly rising to one of my favorite things in the world and because the duck was a bit too salty. The rest of the meal though was incredible and what made it better was the chance to enjoy it with my Asian friends. These are the types of experiences I was looking forward to having in China, and I wouldn't trade them for the world. 

Thailand II

            The first part of this blog series was based on the foods that I found at or around Bangkok. These, on the other hand, are foods that I found in the island of Ko Pha Ngan. You will see dishes more heavily on seafood, but I also tried to find typical Thai foods to keep it more diverse and so I could try everything I wanted to try in Thailand. The seafood was extremely fresh and the abundance of fruit was incredible. The pineapple here was the best I've ever tried, and I look forward to trying it again. So without further do, here are is part ii:

Squid Pad Thai. No Pad Thai I've ever had can even come close to this perfection.

Kaeng Phet (Red) Chicken Curry.

Phanaeng shrimp curry. 

Extremely fresh coconut shake. I saw the guy climb the tree after I ordered it. 

 Roasted snapper thai style. Best fish dish I have ever had in my life.

 Pineapple fried rice with peanuts. A little gimmicky, but how can you say no to this.

Honestly, I’m pretty sure this was stewed pork intestine, but I’m not positive.

 Roast duck over jasmine rice.

 Fruit and shake stand. Incredible selection for under a dollar.

Egg fried rice. The breakfast of champions.

I ended the trip with a bang. Nam tok, or a spicy soup enriched with pig’s blood. Served with roasted duck and egg noodles, this may have been my favorite meal of the trip.

            Thailand was great overall, especially when it came to food. Although I enjoyed every little bit of it, I couldn't wait to go back to China to eat my favorite foods again. I guess it really is starting to feel like a home away from home. 

Thailand I

Part of the studying abroad experience is that you get to travel quite a bit when you have free time. Due to a week-long holiday that gave me a large amount of time, I was able to travel to Thailand, which is an incredible destination if you’re the type of person that’s into food. Because of the many things I got to enjoy, this will be divided into two different posts.

 Stir fried clams with roasted chili paste, garlic, and basil. Seafood in Thailand is a must.

 Incredibly fresh tasting oysters.

 Fried chicken and fried garlic.

One of the best fried chickens I've ever tried. Thailand is street food heaven.

Stir fried pork and fried chicken wings.

Boiled chicken.

Fried chicken and chicken innards (liver, kidney, heart, gizzards) over jasmine rice. Incredibly good.

Just because I like Peking Duck.

            I wish there were words to describe how incredibly good all this food was. There was not one time where I got something I didn't enjoy. I will just let the pictures speak for themselves. 

McDonald's

I find it incredible how popular fast food is in China. Especially since the price is equivalent to prices in America, I just do not see why someone would get fast food over traditional Chinese food. Not only is it about four times as expensive, it’s just not as good. This is probably because I've never really been a fan of fast food though.

            Anyway, the two major players here are McDonald's and KFC. Although they’re technically not even selling similar foods, they are each other’s main competition. The amount of these restaurants that you’ll find in a public area is outstanding. There is a mall area here where you will find five McDonald's in a one-mile radius. 

            Today I will be focusing on McDonald’s. The people behind this corporation are very smart when it comes to expanding. Not only do they sell the things that you can find in American restaurants, but they also have items that cater to the Chinese population. For example, one of the specialty drinks that they sell is a sort of bubble tea, which many Asians love. Other examples of Chinese items are these ying and yang burgers that are literally made on white or black sesame buns. They have contrasting flavors as well as contrasting meats, so it’s an interesting concept.

Another thing that McDonald’s has done to appeal to the Chinese market is add a take out window for every store, but the items you can get here are limited to only drinks and ice creams. At first I thought that this wasn’t a very good idea, but walking by a McDonald’s you will see dozens of people waiting in line. Who would have thought that the Chinese liked iced cream this much?

On to the food. It tastes exactly like it would in America, except that it is prepared with more care. In this aspect, it leads to a better product. You can tell that the employees here are actually proud to be working at these restaurants, and it shines through in the food. American McDonald’s can learn a thing or two. Anyway, it was a cool experience to see and taste how different companies cater to different cultures. It makes you realize how even if we like eating the same things, cuisines from different cultures can be completely different, even at a fast food place. Sorry I couldn't get more photographs. I wasn't allowed to take them inside for some reason.