Lao Ya Tang

 Mid-range, Restaurants/Dining  No Responses »
Aug 052007
 

Lao Ya Tang 老鸭汤 lit. Old Duck Soup
• Starts at ~30 RMB/small pot (2-3 people); ~45 RMB/medium pot (3-4 people); side dishes cost extra.

No, this doesn’t mean fermented duck and has nothing to do with Thousand Year Old duck eggs. This is actually a duck soup that is simmered for hours upon hours in a clay pot with ginger, spices, and vegetables (usually pickled daikon radishes or bamboo shoots) until the broth is saturated with flavor and the meat melts off the bone with the tiniest nudge of your chopstick. This specialty can be found all over the country, but seems to be especially popular in Chongqing (despite the fact that it isn’t spicy!) and you can find restaurants that serve this just about anywhere in the city. The duck and vegetables in the soup are the main feature of this meal, but generally people choose additional sides. Some may be ready to eat, like boiled peanuts or sweet pastries, others are prepared to be added to the boiling soup like in a traditional hot pot setting. Continue reading »

Wanzhou Barbecued Fish

 Mid-range, Restaurants/Dining  No Responses »
Aug 052007
 

Wan Zhou Kao Yu 万州烤鱼
•    Market price varies; average 20-30 RMB/person

Wanzhou, the second largest ‘city’ in Chongqing after Chongqing City itself and one of the stops along the Three Gorges cruise, is the home of barbecued fish.  And because this specialty is so popular with the locals here, it’s relatively easy to find one of these restaurants.  One particular area that may pass below your radar, but is well known to the locals, is along a side street that begins at the intersection of Petroleum Road and exits back out near the giant Da Ping traffic circle.  Here you can find several restaurants in a row that serve up this Wanzhou specialty.  Come out in the evening and you will find a line of tents set up outside each restaurant, crowded with hungry patrons.  Walk over to the large tubs along the sidewalk where live fish are wriggling and splashing, and take your pick.  Not a freezer in sight.  After the fish is prepared and seasoned to your specification, they barbecue it over a large grill and then set it in a large pan over hot coals at your table to keep it nice and hot for the remainder of your meal.  The three most popular styles are Ma La 麻辣-the traditional Sichuan spices of red chili peppers and numbing prickly ash, Pao Jiao 泡椒-pickled jalapenos and chili peppers (extremely spicy), and Dou Shi 豆豉-fermented black beans (very salty, not spicy).  All of the above go well with a frosty Snow or Shancheng beer.  The Beer reps are standing by. Continue reading »

Jade Rabbit

 Mid-range, Restaurants/Dining  No Responses »
Aug 052007
 

Yu Tu Zi 玉兔子
•    20-30 RMB/person

The specialty at this family-owned restaurant near Petroleum Road is rabbit, which comes in several different styles, all of which can set your mouth on fire.  The rabbit is cut into small pieces, then prepared and served in a heaping pile of spices.  Choose from the traditional Ma La, or pickled peppers, or with fresh whole jalapenos.  This restaurant is also one of the neighborhood favorites for authentic Sichuan style dishes.  They have a rather extensive menu that includes many dishes you can only find at upscale restaurants, but at half the price. There are even dishes here that are full of flavor without being full of spicy peppers.  Here are a few recommendations:

•    Yu Er Ji 芋儿鸡 – Chicken and taro root (a bit like potatoes) cooked in a high pressure cooker until tender and infused with flavor.
•    Xi Qin Yao Guo 西芹腰果 – Lightly stir fried celery with cashews.
•    Qie Bing 茄并 – Slices of eggplant stuffed with ground pork, lightly battered and fried
•    Song Ren Yu Mi 松仁玉米 – Corn stir fried with diced peppers and pine nuts.

Bus Tip: 石油路 From the bus stop walk along the North side of the road in the direction of Da Ping.  The restaurant is on the left less than 100 meters from the stop, it has blue glass sliding doors.

Mongolian Hot Pot

 Mid-range, Restaurants/Dining  No Responses »
Aug 052007
 

Bei Jing Shuan Yang Rou 北京涮羊肉
• Average 15-25 RMB/person (price varies considerably according to what you order)

Mongolian Hot PotMost Chinese consider this a specialty that comes from Beijing, so going around asking for 蒙古火锅 (lit. Mongolian Hot Pot) may not get you very far. The main difference between this style of Hot Pot and the local Sichuan variety is that here a clear broth is used, no peppers. You order paper thin rolls of lamb and beef and dip them briefly in the boiling broth. A few seconds later, it’s ready! Combine that with your choice of side items like plates of fresh green vegetables, sliced potatoes, lotus root, golden needle mushrooms or shitakes, and dried tofu strips (Dou Pi-豆皮). Everything goes into the pot to create a rich, savory soup, the perfect panacea for a cold, clammy winter’s day in Chongqing.

Continue reading »

 Newer Entries