food_porn: China

Individuation (

individuation) wrote in

food_porn,
@ 2008-03-08 14:43:00

Current mood:

excited

China
Hi folks! I'm going to China for the first time. I'll be in the coastal city of Dalian and then Beijing. What should I expect for food? What should I seek out!?

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	2morrows 2008-03-09 02:33 pm UTC (link)
	you should definitely go to an upscale restaurant and try their signature meal- peking duck. you'll also see lots of various kinds of dumplings....it really depends on where you choose to eat, and of course what you order. my friend and i were there for 3 weeks- i lost 10lbs, she lost 20lbs. (Reply to this)

	subarashiine 2008-03-09 02:56 pm UTC (link)
	Street food, street food, street food!! (Reply to this)

	dog_ear 2008-03-09 03:17 pm UTC (link)
	I just spent about a week in Beijing in January, and it was great. Expect to eat Family Style in most places, and its great. Do not miss Beijing (Peiking) Duck, it was fantastic! (Reply to this)

	kitchenalchemy 2008-03-09 05:18 pm UTC (link)
	never having been there myself I can't tell you what to expect. But I really hope you will post LOTS AND LOTS of pictures. (Reply to this)

saciel
2008-03-09 11:03 pm UTC (link)

Hi there.

I advise you to the street kitchens- but only those were you see the chinese go to! Eat where the chinese eat and you will be save.
Also, if you want to eat something real chinese or real delicious, take a chinese friend with you to a restaurant. Because foreigners almost automatically get the english menu cards which only contain half, if at all, of the restaurants meals.

street kitchens:
Pancakes!
They make you very full but are quite delicious and very cheap, one half (they are 1 meter big) costs 1 Yuan in big cities. They come with egg and spring onions or with sesame. I recommend the ones with sesame.

Also I recommend every kind of steamed bread, especially the spring rolls. You will easily recognize them as they are fist-sized, have waves carved on them and are just very soft and white with spring onions in them.

Also there are special kinds of streets kitchens, for example soupbars. These are no bars of soups but they have a rich variety of stuff to eat- meat, seafood, vegetables, eggs, mushrooms, sausages and every kind of ball on a stick. You choose sticks and (if wanted) noodles, every stick costs around 1-2 Yuan. These will be boiled in a clear boullione.
Be careful if they ask you if you want to have it "la" (second tone) thats EXTREMLY HOT. I like hot food, I drink hot-sour soup, but that's just insane.

If you are lucky you will get to see the cold food mixers. They appear in the evening between 18-19 o'clock. There you can choose from certain foods behind glass which will me mixed, spiced and handed to you ;).

Restaurants:

If you go to a restaurant, be sure that it is clean- clean in China is different from western clean but roughly it should be clean. It's the same like with the street kitchens: Go were the chinese go, except you want something super exclusive and hyper expensive ;) but I can't recommend it.
I recommend to try sea cucumber, they taste very good, though they are unusual to western tongues :)
Also akazia-pancakes are good.

steamed pork with bamboo slices is a good meal. Also almost every stirred rice meal.

I once tried bullfrog but it was rather meh.

Try everything containing crab flesh, it is very good.
(Darauf antworten)

If you are with some people more, order a plate of mandarin fish, it's extremely delicious.

Also:
Never go to a restaurant alone, that's strange.
If it is not westernized, you shouldn't order meals for everyone who is there.
Normally you choose 2-3 plates for 2-4 Persons who sit on the table. From these you take a portion to your plate and then eat it.
Never put the chopsticks on your table but on the little benches supposed for them.
If you drop something on the table, don't make a fuzz about it.

If you get invited and are full up, leave a rest on the plate to show that you aren't hungry anymore.
Don't clean your nose at the table.

If you have vegetables or soup, it is absolutely okay to lift the bowl up to your chin.

That's everything important I can remember now.

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