It is weird when I tell people I am going to eat Chinese food, and I am in China. I have done it several times.
There are several tiers of restaurant here in China. The lowest rung are street vendors. The most ubiquitous (and tasty) of these are run by members of the Hui ethnic minority. The Hui are muslim, and they often wear islamic prayer caps. This group have an exclusive niche market in the meat on a stick variety of street food. You will often encounter a Hui vendor selling Chuan (meat on a stick) outside of tourist attractions, at busy intersections, outside the modern shopping mall, or anywhere people might want meat on a stick.
The Chuan that the Hui sell are very spicy. The meat is cooked over hot charcoal, brought to a high temperature by fanning. The meat is doused in rather hot spices. It is tasty, but I am kind of leery of buying meat of dubious origins sold from random muslim men on the street. The vendors often have loud pakistani pop music or techno music blaring. A single skewer of meat is usually 2 RMB. 5 chuan can constitute a rather austere meal.
The next tier is taken up by the various noodle shops that occupy what are ostensibly large open rooms on the first floor of buildings. In Wuhan, this is where you get your Ra Ga Mian (as outlined in earlier posts). There are a variety of noodles that people can buy. Ra Ga Mian is one of many varieties of noodles to be found. Ra Ga Mian costs about 3 RMB a bowl.
Above the hold in the wall noodle shops are sit down restaurants. The lower end of these is depicted in the pictures below. I am not sure, but I think there are three levels given to restaurants by the state licensing powers that be. The rankings are A, B and C. I do not know how or what the criteria are for distinguishing an A restaurant from a C restaurant. In fact, I have eaten good, clean food at restaurants given a C. I think it has something to do with the menu and the kitchen size. I should probably know this, but I don't.
Below are pictures of a local restaurant. In Chinese, such places are known as Fanguan. There are better places than this, but I enjoy this one for the fried rice and the spicy green beans.
Fried Rice in a large bowl costs about 1.25 USD or about 8 RMB. It is greasy and tasty and has eggs in it. Also has green onions.
This group of guys were eating a hot bot. A metal pot full of vegetables and broth and meat are brought to a rolling boil over a sterno flame on your table. I found this type of eating/cooking makes the food to hot to eat.
One thing I do not understand about the Chinese are their love of bones. When they pull or suck the meat off the bones, they are pretty casual about letting a pile of bones build up on the table.
Needless to say, this is a small restaurant.
Spicy green beans cooked with green and red peppers and some fatty pork. It is quite tasty.
Above the TV is a statue of one of the various ancient Chinese generals who guard business from jealous or hungry ghosts.
There are several tiers of restaurant here in China. The lowest rung are street vendors. The most ubiquitous (and tasty) of these are run by members of the Hui ethnic minority. The Hui are muslim, and they often wear islamic prayer caps. This group have an exclusive niche market in the meat on a stick variety of street food. You will often encounter a Hui vendor selling Chuan (meat on a stick) outside of tourist attractions, at busy intersections, outside the modern shopping mall, or anywhere people might want meat on a stick.
The Chuan that the Hui sell are very spicy. The meat is cooked over hot charcoal, brought to a high temperature by fanning. The meat is doused in rather hot spices. It is tasty, but I am kind of leery of buying meat of dubious origins sold from random muslim men on the street. The vendors often have loud pakistani pop music or techno music blaring. A single skewer of meat is usually 2 RMB. 5 chuan can constitute a rather austere meal.
The next tier is taken up by the various noodle shops that occupy what are ostensibly large open rooms on the first floor of buildings. In Wuhan, this is where you get your Ra Ga Mian (as outlined in earlier posts). There are a variety of noodles that people can buy. Ra Ga Mian is one of many varieties of noodles to be found. Ra Ga Mian costs about 3 RMB a bowl.
Above the hold in the wall noodle shops are sit down restaurants. The lower end of these is depicted in the pictures below. I am not sure, but I think there are three levels given to restaurants by the state licensing powers that be. The rankings are A, B and C. I do not know how or what the criteria are for distinguishing an A restaurant from a C restaurant. In fact, I have eaten good, clean food at restaurants given a C. I think it has something to do with the menu and the kitchen size. I should probably know this, but I don't.
Below are pictures of a local restaurant. In Chinese, such places are known as Fanguan. There are better places than this, but I enjoy this one for the fried rice and the spicy green beans.
Fried Rice in a large bowl costs about 1.25 USD or about 8 RMB. It is greasy and tasty and has eggs in it. Also has green onions.
This group of guys were eating a hot bot. A metal pot full of vegetables and broth and meat are brought to a rolling boil over a sterno flame on your table. I found this type of eating/cooking makes the food to hot to eat.
One thing I do not understand about the Chinese are their love of bones. When they pull or suck the meat off the bones, they are pretty casual about letting a pile of bones build up on the table.
Needless to say, this is a small restaurant.
Above the TV is a statue of one of the various ancient Chinese generals who guard business from jealous or hungry ghosts.
I guess it's a far cry from the Cathay Pacific in Quincy or the Kowloon on Route 1, or A-1 Thai on Military Trail, for that matter. As long as your are eating your vegetables ;-)
ReplyDeleteI miss the Shangri-La in Lake Worth. or the KamWah. I honestly dont remember either as being particularly good. Don't get me wrong. I love my C rated fanguan here on Langyang Dadao.
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