Foods of Asia - October, 2010

Food is always an integral part of travel. The trip to Asia in October, 2010 was, without exception, a chance to tickle our palettes. A few of our experiences are written here but otherwise, just check out the link to the photos for some mouth watering, and for the most part, delectable delights.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisfick/sets/72157625693723212/

Shanghai

The city is so cosmopolitan that you can find every ethic food you are looking for. Since it was Collin’s first trip to China, I decided to stick with the local cuisine as much as possible. That being said, we ate at a Japanese Teppanyaki Restaurant for our first meal as it is a favourite of mine – my comfort food for handling jet lag. As you can see, they don’t skimp on the lard. Yes our arteries probably hardened a bit with this meal but we offset it with all the garlic that is a staple at this restaurant.

And if you were wondering about staying healthy in Shanghai - there is an abundance of fresh fruit in the city, whether from a nearby market, your local street vendor or a shop selling delicious fruit drinks.

And while at the market – you can take home a variety of fresh foods, besides fruit and vegetables, to enhance your home cooking experience – such as some delicious frog. Remember – it tastes just like chicken!






Sometimes, you do have to wonder about the English translations at the restaurants and whether you even dare to give some of the foods a try. It’s easiest to accomplish when you eat the items first and ask questions later. A Szechuan Restaurant that is a must to visit for delicious hot and spicy food (and a ‘mask’ show) has some interesting choices such as: ‘Seahorse Bulls Penis Cup’ and ‘Rock Blasting a Small Cock’. If nothing else, it leads to some lively conversation.

Singapore

Little did I know that traveling with Collin, whose family is of Chinese descent, meant we would eat quite a bit of Chinese Cuisine. But I’m not complaining as the food is always delicious. Keeping that in mind, our first meal in Singapore was Hainanese Chicken and Roasted Chicken at a nearby local eatery. Not new dishes for me but tasty all the same.


My first breakfast, the next morning, was Fish Ball Soup. Certainly a far cry and quite the change from my usual bowl of granola cereal and milk that is my morning staple in Canada. Another option, for those in a hurry, is to stop into the local bakery and buy the decorative ‘house’ toast.

If you are ever missing some North American cooking, there is always a jar of Ragu at the super market – to satisfy your hankering for ‘home’ cooking’.



The 70th birthday feast for Collin’s mom was typical of a Chinese feast. Dishes just kept coming and coming, such as shark fin soup. Just when you think you’ve had enough, you find out there is still more to come. We topped off the meal with mango pudding although in China it is often watermelon if it is in season.

Bukit Timah Hawker Centre – these typical eateries are everywhere in Singapore (and Malaysia as well). Food is cheap and delicious. You either order and wait for your food or sometimes they will deliver it to your table. Depending on the centre, servers often come around for your drink order.

Speaking of drinks – a favourite drink for kids (and adults young at heart) is Milo – basically hot chocolate, without the marshmallows. For adults needing their morning caffeine hit they serve white coffee. This is quite sweet and sometimes can taste a bit chocolaty. Collin remembers these drinks being served in these particular cups from his childhood days.

And let’s not forget the junk food. ‘Twisties’ are similar to the North American ‘Cheezies’ that melt (fizz) in your mouth when you eat them. The difference – they come in all sorts of different flavours. I tried the chicken flavour and did find it edible. To wash it down there is the ‘Kick A Poo Joy Juice’ – some sugary, fizzy soda pop to give you a quick sugar buzz.



The Fish Head Steamboat Restaurant is a favorite of the Koo family. This is another instance of food that ‘keeps on coming’. The main meal is the fish head soup, hence the restaurant name. I also enjoyed the rat noodle dish – any type of pasta is my downfall and a way to my heart.

What we didn’t expect to find was ‘Canadian’ Pizza at the University where Collin attended when he was just a young lad (in his early 20’s). I had a look at the menu to see if there was anything that might tempt me for lunch. There were combo’s that I had never heard of or seen the likes of before, certainly not in Canada. I decided to pass on the opportunity since it was only fast food and not too appealing.

Here is a list of Singaporean dishes that are a ‘must taste’ since they are local specialties. I tried them all except the crab and could easily go back for ‘seconds’.



My favourite desserts are Egg Tarts and Ice Kacang.
The Ice Kacang is especially nice to combat the heat, although the ice melts quickly.



The Claypot Chicken is a delicious local specialty. I bought a pot from the cook for a ‘song’ so I could add it to my collection at home. I don’t think the cook could actually believe I wanted a used pot. That pot traveled from Singapore to Malaysia to Shanghai. But unfortunately, Collin dropped the pot and it smashed into tiny bits at the door to the apartment in Shanghai. Maybe it was an omen that I have to visit Malaysia again – just for one last taste of the delicious claypot chicken and, of course, to purchase another pot.

To see the 'claypot chef' in action, check out the following video:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisfick/5350419103/in/set-72157625693723212/


Then there is the experience eating durian. You know the fruit – it just stinks. It stinks at the store, it stinks in the car, it stinks in the kitchen when you cut it and it stinks when you eat it. Everyone says it tastes better than it smells. It would have to - otherwise no one would ever eat it. However, I think it tastes exactly as it smells so I am not a durian fan. Collin loves the fruit so I guess it must be an acquired taste which I have not and probably will not ever acquire.

To relish the experience of eating durin, check out the following videos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisfick/5350431599/in/set-72157625693723212/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisfick/5350425159/in/set-72157625693723212/


Ipoh

Our first restaurant we ate at in Ipoh was a Chinese one. Just check out the menu – it is all ‘French’ to me. A first - they bring your dishes to the table for you to wash yourself. The kitchen was hopping and ‘priceless’, churning out some delicious food.









Ipoh is infamous for its ‘Bean Sprout Chicken’. Although there are quite a few places that serve this meal, we went to one that the family remembers from years gone by and were not disappointed in the least bit.




Another dessert that is tasty and sweet is Rojak – a fruit salad covered in a sweet soy sauce and peanuts. I imagine this is a dish that originated in Indonesia as I have a similar recipe at home. I will have to make it now that I have had a chance to taste this interesting mixture.

Who doesn’t enjoy those tasty morsels at a Dim Sum restaurant. It is truly amazing how you can eat all these little bite-size snacks and still overeat. Maybe it was because we were eating 6 meals a day by this point so never feeling the least bit hungry.



One of the snacks we had in the car while driving was water chestnuts. I would have never thought to munch on these from time to time. Certainly, the fresh ones we had were much nicer than the ones we get canned at our local store.


Our first stop in Penang was a street vendor selling fried bananas (and yams and). We certainly didn’t need to eat having just filled up on Dim Sum about an hour earlier. But they were just too delicious to pass up.


I have discovered that one of my favourite sea foods is Stingray. We ordered this at the Gurney Hawker Centre in Penang – grilled to perfection.




Ever wonder what happens to the best part of the chicken – the skin? In Penang, you can order Deep Fried Chicken Skin – a crunchy seasoned snack. It may not be a health food but it ranks high as a junk food.

Our last meal before leaving Malaysia was Salted Chicken. We bought it in Ipoh and brought it back to KL for all of us to eat. It is a family favourite. To complement the chicken we had 3 different kinds of noodles and vegetables. A fitting way to end our travels.

Huang Shan, China - October 2010

Huang Shan (aka Yellow Mountain), is one of the most popular tourist destinations in China. You may have seen pictures of its landscape of granite peaks and twisted pines in many of the traditional Chinese paintings. Collin and I were eager to see this talked about site and relish in viewing an early morning sunrise from up top the mountain. I was hoping to take the train from Shanghai but we didn’t have time for a 12 hour ride (the book I have suggested it was only 5 hours). So we opted for a quick 1 hour flight to the area.

The airport for Huang Shan is in the town of Tunxi. We booked the hotel last minute and ended up with a super deal in an amazing golf resort. I let Collin make the final decision on this one so he gets all the credit. The room had all the western comforts, even a huge tub with a TV so you can soak the hours away (or become a prune) which Collin gladly enjoyed. They provided free mandarin oranges in the hall which we stocked up on for our eventual trip up the mountain. Included in the price was a huge buffet breakfast catering to a variety of tastes, just what we needed before a day of climbing.

As we arrived in Tunxi in the afternoon, we had time to poke around the town before heading to the mountain the following day. We quickly discovered that the city is ‘ruled’ by tourism. Information for the town and the surrounding scenic areas seems to be scarce unless you are willing to travel in a tour group or hire a driver. So, our taxi from the hotel to visit ‘Old Town’ in Tunxi eventually became our driver. He certainly was friendly and suggested we see a museum before going to Old Town. We agreed and he dropped us off there offering to wait for us. We declined as I really wanted time to mosey around on our own. It was almost closing time for the museum so we were rushed through. Of note – a small room with traditional Chinese paintings, supposedly drawn by famous Chinese artists (I’m still skeptical given the condition and lack of preservation of the pieces of work). In another room – an artist painting the ‘inside of the bottle’ art. His work was quite nice and I regret not having bought something. However, I didn’t want the added weight to lug around up and down a mountain.

We now needed to get to Old Town and asked our museum guide how to get to there, since we had no map and no idea where we were. She explained it was far and as it was now dark out, we might get lost on the path going there. With those encouraging words to start us on our way, we headed down the road we had originally come from. We weren’t having any success hailing a taxi (I even tried to flag a bus – no such luck) but finally a cab did stop. In a matter of seconds, the taxi turned a corner and we were in Old Town – within easy walking distance from the museum. Did we lose something in translation?

I’d characterize Old Town as one very long souvenir street – guide books giving it more credit as wooden shops and Ming style Huizhou architecture. Whether quaint or not, it was another ‘pete and repeat’ of the same goods over and over again. Its redeeming quality – there were sport shops where we purchased official ‘Li Ning’ gloves for our mountain trek the following day. That and the most amazing restaurant, Meishi Renjia. Inside it is decorated with traditional Chinese lanterns hung from the ceiling and has a very long counter displaying an extensive array of Chinese dishes – won tons, dumpling soups, dumplings, steamed buns, noodles, claypots and more. You name it, they probably have it. The food was delicious but our mouths were bigger than our stomachs – we ended up ordering too much. We decided to give our ‘doggie bag’ to our driver the next morning hoping to keep him on our good side. Then it was a quick taxi ride back to the hotel, along streets all decked out in lighting just for the tourists pleasure.

Once back, we wandered around the grounds of the hotel and lobby. A little shop had maps of Huang Shan for sale (we gladly purchased one for the next day's hike) and also tea. There was time for a quick traditional 'tea ceremony' so we enjoyed a few cupfuls before retiring for the evening.

Huang Shan Mountain – it’s about a 25 minute drive from Tunxi to the town of Tangkou, at the foot of the mountains. We said goodbye to our driver at the shuttle bus station for Huang Shan promising to see him again the following day at about 2pm – same place. Our shuttle then transported us to the base of the western slope cable car where we enjoyed a scenic ride to the top of the cable car. Departing the station, we were met by a sea of Chinese, most in tour groups, many of them quite loud (with guides and their wonderful megaphones). To characterize our hike to the hotel – picture a slow and steady procession of ‘ ants’ along a path, some heading towards the cable car we had just departed and others traversing up the mountainside to their hotel for the evening (we were in the latter category). Despite the crowds, the views were spectacular with clouds and mist moving in and out and frost appearing on all the trees and plants as we continued our climb upward. For those needing an easy way out, you can rent a ride in a wicker seat and continue for a bit ‘coolie style’. I am guessing we hiked for 5 hours or so, finally reaching our hotel. I will confess that I did not have complete confidence in Collin’s map reading abilities (especially since the names on our map and the signs on the hill did not always match) and hence I had him do the impossible ‘guy thing’ – ask others along the way if we were headed in the correct direction. He complied and yes – we are still buddies.

It was cold up top the mountain and our mini one room cabin did not have heat. Collin was sure he would freeze and checked to see if we could stay in the main lodge where he was sure it was warmer. We found out heat does not exist anywhere on the mountain so we would have to rely on the warm jackets provided. At first, Collin was reluctant to don a jacket – not a ‘cool’ thing to do. He eventually realized it was better to be ‘uncool’ instead of ‘cool’ (more like freezing as the night wore on) and he became a red ‘comrade’ like the rest of us. I should clarify, as heat did exist in the most amazing hot shower you can imagine. Our evening was a buffet dinner and then early to bed to be up in the morning. A brief mention about the food – it’s best to stick with the buffet offering. There was an ala carte menu offering a dish of ‘dog’ but as the menu was only in Mandarin, it was Collin who pointed it out, otherwise I would have never known.

Early morning sunrise begins at 5:45am, same time as my alarm for work. It’s not quiet and serene as all the ‘ants’ are up early to witness the spectacle. However, the people did quiet down just before the sun began to peak from the neighboring mountains so we still felt awed by the moment. A hundred pictures later and we were done, had breakfast and began heading towards our descent down the eastern slope of the mountain, choosing to walk instead of riding the cable car. The guide book claims it is a 2 ½ hour hike up but I think it must have taken us about 4 hours to walk down, step after step, avoiding the porters ferrying goods up and down the path. Our pilgrimage complete, Collin posted a letter and then we found the bus back to the drop-off station. Or so we thought. The bus driver left us somewhere on the road (our mistake – this was a lost in translation situation). Fortunately we were able to contact our driver who came and then took us to a delicious restaurant for a late lunch as we were absolutely famished.

Then it was back to Tunxi, but not before stopping at a ‘tea museum’. I was led to believe it would be a tea factory and was keen for Collin to see the process (I have seen it previously in India). However, the museum was interesting and I did buy both black and green tea from the descendants of Master Xie – his teas are touted as the top ten teas in all of China. Once in Tunxi, we had a few hours to wait for our flight to Shanghai. We spent time looking for an internet for Collin, ending up at a ‘fake-o’ KFC. Collin ate, but I held out for the real thing a bit later. Then a quick flight to Shanghai. The following day, Collin packed and headed up to Beijing. We said our goodbyes and have promised to travel together again one day.

For more pictures check out:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisfick/sets/72157625788882088/