Here are some snapshots of my recent culinary adventures, courtesy of the iPhone:Private Kitchen 44, Beijing
Before I left Beijing for the holidays, my buddy Chris introduced me to Private Kitchen 44 one night. Set in a hutong near Beixinqiao, this restaurant has been written up in many expat magazines and directories with rave reviews. When Chris first mentioned he was going to bring me here, I was excited to try its Guizhou and Sichuan dishes. Having never eaten Guizhou food before, I wanted to sample the food and confirm for myself whether this restaurant was truly spectacular.
We started off the night with a carafe of guihua mei jiu, otherwise known as Rice Wine infused with Osmanthus flowers. I really enjoyed the wine - it was sweet, but not too sweet, and the aroma of the flower petals added another layer of depth to it. The wine was also not too strong. By the end of the night, both of us drank our wine as if it was a fruit juice.
Dinner started off with Sticky Rice and Ribs Steamed in Bamboo Leaves. I really liked the presentation of this dish, and how all four rolls were neatly tied together. Chris said this was his favorite dish. While it was certainly tasty and yummy, it didn't quite wow me as much as some of the other dishes. This was probably due to the fact that these rolls reminded me of zhong zis, which I've eaten since I was a little kid.
Dinner started off with Sticky Rice and Ribs Steamed in Bamboo Leaves. I really liked the presentation of this dish, and how all four rolls were neatly tied together. Chris said this was his favorite dish. While it was certainly tasty and yummy, it didn't quite wow me as much as some of the other dishes. This was probably due to the fact that these rolls reminded me of zhong zis, which I've eaten since I was a little kid.
Next we ordered barbecue beef cooked in a clay pot with an array of spices. Just looking at this picture makes my mouth water. The best way to enjoy this is with a bowl of mei fan or rice.
More food! The dish on the top left was a potato pancake with meat and vegetable fillings. Below the pancake was suanla mougu tang (spicy sour mushroom soup) and to the right of the soup was sauteed eggplant with garlic.
Overall, I would give Private Kitchen 44 a two thumbs up :). It's a quaint, cozy little eatery tucked away on a quiet street in Beijing's hutong area. In fact, I enjoyed this restaurant so much that I went back the following day and brought a Danish client to dinner. Needless to say, he loved it too!
Hot Pot Restaurants, Anywhere in China
Hot pot restaurants are a lot of fun. You get together with your friends, order lots of fresh food, and cook them together. The food is usually very fresh, and since nothing is fried in oil, it's actually quite healthy. Hot pot restaurants are quite popular in Beijing and northern China because of its bitter cold winters. Best drink to accompany this is with a shot of baijiu. So when the temperatures drop in Beijing, I know where to go for dinner.
Here's an image of my friends and I eating hot pot late at night in Beijing. See the pile of fresh raw meat and vegetables sitting on the table?
Speaking of freshness, here's a live shrimp speared with a kebab stick. Yes, they were alive - their antennas and legs were wiggling when the waiter placed the plate of shrimps in front of me. Luckily, we didn't torture them too long before we dunked the shrimps into the vat of hot, boiling soup.
Hangzhou
As the capital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou prides itself as one of China's top tourism destinations. Its natural beauty, such as West Lake, and its rolling mountains and hills covered with tea fields make Hangzhou a retreat for those who want to escape Shanghai or other bustling Chinese cities. I'm not necessarily a fan of the downtown area of Hangzhou, but I love the outer areas - the air and streets are cleaner, there are less people and I'm surrounded by nature.
One of my colleagues took me here for lunch one day. Unfortunately, I don't know the English name of this restaurant, but it's set on top of the International youth hostel. When you first walk in, you help yourself to a cup of Longjing green tea. Hangzhou-rens pride themselves in the city's tea - Longjing cha. It is one of the few remaining teas that are still baked by hand, and it's quite expensive to buy a pack of Longjing cha.
Here is Lily, one of my colleagues. In front of her is a chicken dish covered with vegetables and lots of red chili peppers. Yum.
More yummy food! On the bottom we have sliced pork sprinkled with various spices (they taste like the spare ribs from Di Shui Dong but without the bones!). The upper top left is la ji ding, the upper right hand corner is sauteed string beans (note the purple color), and the white looking dish is sliced bamboo.
Shanghai
Now moving onto desserts...in Shanghai...
A Louis Vuitton cake at Cabler, on Dagu Lu. For 258 RMB, you get to own the LV Speedy bag and eat it too! Now that's a steal!
Here's a picture for the ladies who used (and still do) to go ga-ga over Whisk. Chocolate upside down cake! Enjoy!
As the capital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou prides itself as one of China's top tourism destinations. Its natural beauty, such as West Lake, and its rolling mountains and hills covered with tea fields make Hangzhou a retreat for those who want to escape Shanghai or other bustling Chinese cities. I'm not necessarily a fan of the downtown area of Hangzhou, but I love the outer areas - the air and streets are cleaner, there are less people and I'm surrounded by nature.
One of my colleagues took me here for lunch one day. Unfortunately, I don't know the English name of this restaurant, but it's set on top of the International youth hostel. When you first walk in, you help yourself to a cup of Longjing green tea. Hangzhou-rens pride themselves in the city's tea - Longjing cha. It is one of the few remaining teas that are still baked by hand, and it's quite expensive to buy a pack of Longjing cha.Here is Lily, one of my colleagues. In front of her is a chicken dish covered with vegetables and lots of red chili peppers. Yum.More yummy food! On the bottom we have sliced pork sprinkled with various spices (they taste like the spare ribs from Di Shui Dong but without the bones!). The upper top left is la ji ding, the upper right hand corner is sauteed string beans (note the purple color), and the white looking dish is sliced bamboo.Shanghai
Now moving onto desserts...in Shanghai...
A Louis Vuitton cake at Cabler, on Dagu Lu. For 258 RMB, you get to own the LV Speedy bag and eat it too! Now that's a steal!
Here's a picture for the ladies who used (and still do) to go ga-ga over Whisk. Chocolate upside down cake! Enjoy!
1 comment:
Did you HAVE to post a picture of the upside down cake? That's just mean!!!!
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