Andrew Aigner-MuehlerChapter 11...Eating in China
March 6th 2009 04:59
When it comes to food, you got to admit Chinese food is up there with Indian and Mexican, whether it is the flavour or variety of dishes served or made.
One thing I had noticed even more in China, once you get out of the larger cities like Beijing and into the back streets of the smaller towns ie Chengde, the food gets cheaper, better and nicer.
I am one of those critics who do not go to the over established and fancy restaurants that lie many streets in china whether it is in a big city or a smaller town. I like those out of the way places to eat, maybe down a side street or back street, out of the way or normal pedestrian traffic. You know those places that once you see them, you think, is it safe to eat to eat there. These places do not spend money on fancy furnishings or music, but I tell you these places are the places to go to when it comes to eating out. The food is much nicer to eat, and usually half the price as their counterparts on the main streets.
One thing you do not see much of in Beijing but they are everywhere in the smaller towns and cities and they are the stalls that are pushed around on the street which set up their stand each day. Just for example the stalls that are on the street directly behind the cheap supermarket and the two storey KFC on Nanyingzi Dajie in Chengde are very inviting for lunch every day. You can buy Baozi or Jiaozi which are dumplings for 4rmb (equilavent to 80 cents Australian) for a meal that will fill you up. you can also buy a shibian which is a flour based dough fried on a barbecue then sliced with shredded potato, lettuce, ham, egg and chilli based paste added as a filling for 3rmb (equilavent to 60 cents Australian), if you keep walking north down that road to the main Bank of China past the centre square, at 9pm weeknights and weekends, heaps of blue and white tents get set up, with a barbecue outside the tent, where you you drink pijiu (beer) or baijiu (white wine) and again have a shibian with 5 kebabs in it, whether it is squid, chicken, lamb or beef, and that will set you back 6mb for each shibian, plus throw in another 2rmb for a beer, and it can be a good evening. Everywhere around town especially around the Nanyingzi Dajie you will get noodle soup for 5rmb which is equilavent to one Australian dollar. So if you like pasta like myself, and it being fresh, this is the meal. The pasta actually gets made straight in front of you. If you game to eat the left over soup juice at the end, I say it would not do any harm to you, but good, but the juice will be a bit spicy hot.
Once you are in China, and you are a cook yourself, I must admit, you start to not to cook much, and it is not worth cooking. Once you buy all the ingredients to cook you meal, you have actually just spent more than what you would have paid if you went out, as well as the time to cook it. I am a peron who rather cooks for him self, but since being here in China, I eat out three times a day, as it is so cheap. The only meal I cook myself, is a stir fry of my vegetables twice a week, as I like to keep up my weekly dose of vitamins.
Anyone who has lived and been to China will tell you, any restaurant or supermarket that sells western style food will be expensive. As KFC, McDonalds and Starbucks are. Even if you went to the supermarket and to buy margarine, sliced cheese, baked beans or tinned meat expect to pay the price. If it is ingredients that Chinese frequently cook with or use it will cheap to buy.
I am so surprised that KFC is so expensive when the Chinese love the Chicken and they love their KFC.
One thing for sure, in China there is never ending list of places to eat. If you lived here all of your life, and you tried to eat at every single place that cooks a dish, you still would not complete that list. There are so many places to eat at. Every time you walk down a street, and you think, you have seen everything that street has to offer, the next time you walk down, you spot another shop.
At times in China, you will find you can not help favouring your certain places to eat at. I think it comes also down to the hospitality that you will receive from certain places, but on the other hand, you can walk into some restaurants, they notice that you are a foreigner, they will wave to you and say "no..no..bye bye". They do not want you to eat in their restaurant, of which will offend you. It does affect you on the spot, but you get on with it, there are so many other places that will offer friendly hospitality and make you feel welcome.
Also, if you can learn a few words to help you order a meal including such words like manners, it will go a long way in receiving friendly hospitality.
One thing I had noticed even more in China, once you get out of the larger cities like Beijing and into the back streets of the smaller towns ie Chengde, the food gets cheaper, better and nicer.
I am one of those critics who do not go to the over established and fancy restaurants that lie many streets in china whether it is in a big city or a smaller town. I like those out of the way places to eat, maybe down a side street or back street, out of the way or normal pedestrian traffic. You know those places that once you see them, you think, is it safe to eat to eat there. These places do not spend money on fancy furnishings or music, but I tell you these places are the places to go to when it comes to eating out. The food is much nicer to eat, and usually half the price as their counterparts on the main streets.
Portable dumpling (Jiaozi and Baozi) seller on a bike in Chengde
One thing you do not see much of in Beijing but they are everywhere in the smaller towns and cities and they are the stalls that are pushed around on the street which set up their stand each day. Just for example the stalls that are on the street directly behind the cheap supermarket and the two storey KFC on Nanyingzi Dajie in Chengde are very inviting for lunch every day. You can buy Baozi or Jiaozi which are dumplings for 4rmb (equilavent to 80 cents Australian) for a meal that will fill you up. you can also buy a shibian which is a flour based dough fried on a barbecue then sliced with shredded potato, lettuce, ham, egg and chilli based paste added as a filling for 3rmb (equilavent to 60 cents Australian), if you keep walking north down that road to the main Bank of China past the centre square, at 9pm weeknights and weekends, heaps of blue and white tents get set up, with a barbecue outside the tent, where you you drink pijiu (beer) or baijiu (white wine) and again have a shibian with 5 kebabs in it, whether it is squid, chicken, lamb or beef, and that will set you back 6mb for each shibian, plus throw in another 2rmb for a beer, and it can be a good evening. Everywhere around town especially around the Nanyingzi Dajie you will get noodle soup for 5rmb which is equilavent to one Australian dollar. So if you like pasta like myself, and it being fresh, this is the meal. The pasta actually gets made straight in front of you. If you game to eat the left over soup juice at the end, I say it would not do any harm to you, but good, but the juice will be a bit spicy hot.
Beijing: The place of my first meal in China
Once you are in China, and you are a cook yourself, I must admit, you start to not to cook much, and it is not worth cooking. Once you buy all the ingredients to cook you meal, you have actually just spent more than what you would have paid if you went out, as well as the time to cook it. I am a peron who rather cooks for him self, but since being here in China, I eat out three times a day, as it is so cheap. The only meal I cook myself, is a stir fry of my vegetables twice a week, as I like to keep up my weekly dose of vitamins.
Anyone who has lived and been to China will tell you, any restaurant or supermarket that sells western style food will be expensive. As KFC, McDonalds and Starbucks are. Even if you went to the supermarket and to buy margarine, sliced cheese, baked beans or tinned meat expect to pay the price. If it is ingredients that Chinese frequently cook with or use it will cheap to buy.
I am so surprised that KFC is so expensive when the Chinese love the Chicken and they love their KFC.
One thing for sure, in China there is never ending list of places to eat. If you lived here all of your life, and you tried to eat at every single place that cooks a dish, you still would not complete that list. There are so many places to eat at. Every time you walk down a street, and you think, you have seen everything that street has to offer, the next time you walk down, you spot another shop.
A typical restaurant in China. This time in Chengde. a place that sells dumplings and noodle soup
At times in China, you will find you can not help favouring your certain places to eat at. I think it comes also down to the hospitality that you will receive from certain places, but on the other hand, you can walk into some restaurants, they notice that you are a foreigner, they will wave to you and say "no..no..bye bye". They do not want you to eat in their restaurant, of which will offend you. It does affect you on the spot, but you get on with it, there are so many other places that will offer friendly hospitality and make you feel welcome.
Also, if you can learn a few words to help you order a meal including such words like manners, it will go a long way in receiving friendly hospitality.
Fruit and Veg seller in front of another take out, who sells a dough based roll with filling.
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