As the six faithful readers of my blog know (yes, that’s an LOL), my chef husband and I recently spent a pretty amazing month in China, eating our way across the country by train! We began our month in Shanghai, then went to Beijing, then Way up north to Harbin, then down to Xi’Anto see the Terracotta Warriors, and do still more foodie stuff! The next stop on our month traveling thru China was Chengdu, home of the Giant Pandas and fabulous Sichuan food,among other things, and we did so many great things there that I have to break it into several posts! This post will be on “foodie” Chengdu- with Lost Plate Food Tours and Absolute Panda Tours, both of which I booked directly via email. The following one will be about seeing the Pandas, taking one of the last, working steam trains, and seeing the LeShan Buddha! The morning we left Xi’An, the wonderful Hilton Xi’AnExecutive Staff gave us a lovely parting gift, and got us a taxi at 7:30am;we got to the modern, airport-like train station in Xi’An with no problems, found our gate easily, and at 9:25am, exactly on time, pulled out of the Xi’An Station in Car No. 1 on the high-speed Bullet Train to Chengdu! As I’ve written previously, we bought most of our train tickets, including this one, from China-DIY-Travel, and everything went perfectly! The “morning smog of China” made the passing skyline opaque white, as it was basically everywhere we’d been- although in many places, such as Beijing, it seemed to clear up by noon, when the sky turned a bright and happy blue… On this train we had stewardesses selling snacks and drinks from aisle carts, and Dan got us an orange drink and a giant box of apricot kernel pastries from Macao for 40 RMB ($8). We passed through lots of mountain tunnels, and got to see a number of rivers, and terraced fields of spring green, many covered with yellow flowers… Train travel ROCKS- and SO beats flying!!!
The Xi’An Train Station
At our gate, at the Xi’An Train station
The Bullet Train from Xi’An to Chengdu
Selfie with Bullet train!
Xi’An Train Station
Elisse meets the criteria to be an adult. LOL
Bullet Train Stewardesses selling munchies…
Watching China whiz by on the Bullet Train…
A station along the way…
The countryside of China…
China, on the way from Xi’An to Chengdu…
Coming into the city (and smog) of Chengdu…
We checked in at the centrally-located Crowne Plaza Chengdu City Centre, had our free glasses of wine in the bar 🙂 , and then set out to meet our “Lost Plate Food Tour” guide at the 2nd Central Hospital Metro Station C Entrance- which we actually thought we could find on foot by ourselves. Ha! After trying to get directions from several locals, who appeared as confused as we were by their iPhone app direction-finder (one guy spun ’round like a top looking at it, obviously trying to figure out which direction to send us in- and then sent us in the wrong direction. LOL),we finally gave up and took a cab. Arriving a few minutes early we watched street sellers making delicious looking things (but held off eating- VERY smartly!), and, instead, had a coffee in a chic Starbucksish cafe that served a latte 300% better than in Starbucks wildest dreams!
A Chengdu Latte WAY better than Starbucks!
Classic Chengdu…
Kitchen on wheels…
Dan with our Lost Plate guide, Chino, and our Tuk-Tuk driver!
We met our great Lost Plate Guide,Chino, who, at 31, not only has a Masters in petrochemical engineering from the UK, has worked all over the world, and speaks Excellent English, but who changed his profession into a multi-faceted career in freelance writing and tourism, that includes running B-and-Bs on Airbnb! At 6:20pm we took off with him on our second “Lost Plate” Tuk-Tuk Foodie Tour, this one around Chengdu to sample the local spicy (Sichuan) specialties. Our first stop was at a food cart restaurant to sample their totally delicious, crisp, folded crepes filled with a choice of sweet and spicy fillings, sauces, and condiments, including a delicious shredded Mustard Root Pickle that was new to us! This food cart makes what we’d call “carnival food”, but it’s Light Years beyond anything I’ve ever had at a fair! The chef (to call her a “cook” would be unfair) makes two egg-based crepes at a time in little iron bowl-shaped pans on a tiny 2-burner stove, and then fills, folds, and wraps them in a napkin in 2 seconds- and they are SO good!
Amazing Crepes!
Chengdu Crepes- pick your filling!
Then we went to Chengdu Dumplings, where I had yet another Dumpling Epiphany,this time over their two kinds of delicateChao Shou (Wontons)– which are called either “arm crossing” or “swallows”, depending on dialect: one bowl was served in a sweet/hot sauce they call “dumpling flavor” that was totally new to us, and one bowl was smothered in a classic hot pepper paste sauce with green onions that makes my mouth water just thinking about it. . And I will dream about The Great Dumplings of China for years to come…
A “Swallow” Dumpling
Chino explains Chengdu Chao Shou…
“Dumpling Flavor” vs Hot Pepper…
Dan digging into Chengdu NOODLES!
Chino and the Thousand Year Old Egg!
Our third stop was for 3 kinds of delicious Chengdu noodles: thick Tian Shui Mian in a spicytehina (sesame paste) sauce; flat, cold Liang Gao in a vinegar-based spicy sauce, and the famous, spicy “Dan Dan Mian”(Dan Dan Noodles). Dan and Ialso got to finally try one of the famous Chinese “1000 year old eggs”, that my BFF Cindy Yee has been daring me to try for Years!
Cured for 80 days covered in lime, the white turns to gelatin, and the yolk becomes a dark purple; they’re served, sliced, and, as is basically everything in Chengdu, with a delicious hot pepper/scallion sauce!
Our next stop was at “Tiny Hot Pot”, where we got to fill our bowls with our choices of meats, seafood, and fresh veggies, which were then cooked for us in a spicy broth and served in a big bowl! We had passed several shops like this and had badly wanted to try them, but had No Clue what do do or how to choose, so this was GREAT delicious fun for us! With Chino’s help we chose duck, thin slices of beef rolled around hot peppers, around cilantro, and around a bundle of slightly fish-scented Chinese herbs thatwe’d never heard of before, my fave black fungus and other Chinese mushrooms, bamboo shoots, lotus root, seaweed, tofu, shrimp dumplings… and it was Totally yummy!
Choosing all the cool stuff for our “Tiny Hot Pots”!
Hey- it’s a Chengdu Restaurant- ya GOTTA have pandas!
Dan & Chino and “Tiny Hot Pots”!
Our Chengdu “Tiny Hot Pot”
Our final Tuk-Tuk stop of the night!
Our final Tuk-Tuk stop was at the A-Plus Lounge, a hot hipster 70’s Theme Bar that’s capitalizing on the totally bizarre trendy nostalgia for Mao and the Cultural Revolution (remember the Red Star Winter Mao Hats I spoke of in a previous post?), from Chinese kids who weren’t born until the ’80s, but whose parents lived through that hell… and no, I am not joking! We were assured- by Those In The Know- that this bar, which is decorated with posters dating from my wild and crazy youth, is outfitted with True 1970s Period Furnishings! (And yes, this made me feel 105 years old. LOL) Chino, Dan, and I toasted the end of a truly great foodie evening with cups of the bar’s Deliciously tasty, house-made Baiju (Rice Wine)- which I, (of course), bought a small plastic bottle of to take back to our hotel for 40 RMB ($8). I should have bought a fifth! 🙂
A-Plus Baiju!
Baiju at A-Plus
My Baiju, being ladled into a plastic take-out jar…
Dan, outside A-Plus
Chino put us in a cab back to the Crowne Plaza, where we each had a glass of wine (me drinking “Great Wall Red”, which is an excellent light, Chinese red wine) at their upstairsbar overlooking the city… And so, to bed, as Pepys would say…
In the morning we started our first wonderful, full Chengdu day with Absolute Panda Travel! I emailed with Seven for weeks to plan two full days for us in Chengdu, and she and her staff created truly great days for us. My only disappointment is that Seven, who I’d worked with so closely to set all this up- wasn’t our guide! We had two very nice guides, however, one of whom was a trainee; he’s traveled extensively through the USA, speaks excellent English, and is going to be a Great guide! In my next post I will talk about our wonderful morning with the Pandas and our amazing ride on one of the last Steam Trains and seeing the LeShan Buddha, but for this “foodie” post I will talk about our excellent and professional Cooking Class at the Chengdu Cuisine Museum.The chef first took us to the nearby Market, where we got to see and try some of the local veggies, garlic pickles, and fruits, as well as stop for a tasting (and buying, and a lot of laughter!) at a small, store-front Baiju distillery!
The Chengdu Market!
YUM! Tasting the locally-made pickled garlic!
Our guide and our Chef discussing Chengdu Spices!
The Baiju Distillery
A great Chengdu Baiju Tasting!
Our special Baiju being ladled into our jar…
And made into THE BEST take-home!!
Back at the museum we learned- by doing!- how they make and age their famous- and make-you-drool fragrant- Chile Bean Pastes and Soy Sauces- THE absolutely essential ingredients of Sichuan cuisine! The conical lids were taken off the aging barrels for us so we could see (and smell) the various stages of their preparation, and we got to stir the chili bean paste with a huge, traditional mallet, and pour soy sauce through a barrel of the aging soy sauce beans:
The vats of aging chili pastes and soy sauces
Our Chef, explaining the
Our Chef, showing how aged chili paste is made…
Chef Dan, stirring Sichuan Chili Paste!
Elisse, stirring Chengdu Chili Paste!
Our Chef, explaining the aging process
Ladling soy sauce over soy beans…
The Head Chef then tied a gold blindfold over his eyes and cut thread-thin noodles with a giant, razor-sharp cleaver in one of The greatest foodie performances ever seen… after which he actually threaded a needle with a bunch of them!
YES, THIS WAS AMAZING!
We were shown their lovely grounds, which includes a koi pond, where a father was teaching his 2 children to net tiny fish, and then walked through the exhibits in their museum, learning about the history, ingredients, implements, and variety of Sichuan cuisine- and that hot peppers (from Central America) are a late arrival to it- they came to China long after Columbus! What they had prior to that was ginger and the numbing Sichuan peppercorns, and around the year 600 they discovered the underground “well salt” that I’d love to find in the market…
We then took a fun and Very professional Sichuan Cooking Class in their top-notch, televison-ready pro kitchen: we learned to make adorbs Panda Dumplings, filled with a sweet filling, and with soaked black beans creating the panda face and ears; authentic, spicy, Kung Pao Chicken; and a fabulously spicy Sichuan Beef in Chile Sauce- and enjoyed it all with a small bowl of the blindfolded chef’s thread noodles, rice, jasmine tea, wine (from a Chinese winery in France!), and Baiju! 🙂
Chef Dan flambes!
Elisse flambes…
Stir-frying…
Chef Dan, stir-frying- just like at the Elkhorn Inn!
Honing my knife skills…
His knife skills are WAY better…
Voilla!
Following instruction…
Chef Dan making Panda Dumplings!
Chef Dan’s Panda Dumplings!
THE most adorable dumplings!
Our Chengdu Cooking Class Feast!
Before leaving, we had a photo-op with the Head Chef and were presented with certificates making us Rookie Master Chefs (!), and they kindly opened up their little store for us so we could buy a jar of their one-year-old aged Chile Bean Paste, and envelopes of Sichuan peppercorns and red chili pepper to take back to the Elkhorn Inn…
Rookie Master Chef Dan!
Elisse: Rookie Master Chef!
The Museum’s Spice Shop
Our Chef in the shop…
Sampling the Sichuan Sauces…
We then headed for the Chengdu Opera and Face-Changing Show, stopping first at the Teahouse next door for tea and an Ear-Cleaning! I know this may sound odd: a huge tea house where 100s of people waiting to attend the opera play mahjong, have tea, gab with WeChat friends on their iphones, and have their ears cleaned by strolling professional Ear Cleaners- but it’s actually very cool and felt good! The Ear Cleaners go from table to table wearing a black suit and a head lamp, carrying an assortment of little white-tipped brushes that look like mini chimney-sweepers, and a tuning-fork-like instrument that makes a faint clanging sound to let everyone know that the Ear Cleaners are at work!
Dan, getting his ears cleaned at the Teahouse!
Elisse, getting her hears cleaned!
With newly cleaned ears we attended the Chengdu Opera & Face-Changing Show, and found it excellent and fun, and very different from the Tang Dynasty Show we saw in Xi’An. The historic, Chinese costumes were absolutely fantastic, with the women’s headpieces adorned with fabulous feather antennae, and the show, which is based on a Chengdu-located love story, includes acrobatics, fire-breathing, puppet theatre, and the famous “face changing”, which is an art that’s about 300 years old, and amazing to watch!
Chengdu Opera and Face-Changing Show
Chengdu Opera
Chengdu opera
How a Hot Pot starts…
Our final foodie fun in Chengdu was on our last night, after we saw the LeShan Buddha. We drove back to Chengdu for an epic Hot Pot Dinner! I have written previously about the “law” that exists in Texas stating that you can’t leave the state without eating BBQ Brisket. (Yes, I’m being funny. Sort of). There is, apparently, a similar law in Chengdu, stating that if you try to leave town without eating an authentic Hot Pot they throw you in jail. LOL Our great Trainee Guide told us that the four rules of food here are: 1. Flavor, 2. Freshness, 3.Spiciness, and 4. Numbing (from the Sichuan Peppercorns). This was, truly, an epic and unforgettable meal, that hit all of the above in spades, and we were blessed to again be joined by our guides and driver for dinner, because the amount of food involved is totally and truly insane!The evening started with the waitress setting up the double hotpot in the center of our table and turning on the fire beneath it: a small inner pot containing a simple veggie/jujube broth is set into the middle of a large outer pot containing the restaurant’s “secret sauce” and hot peppers. Each place was set with a selection of hot pepper packets, so if it wasn’t blisteringly hot enough for you, you could make it so! LOL We started with a platter of sweet fried-dough diamonds topped with sesame seeds, and then went to the “sauce table” and created a sauce bowl from the various sauces, herbs, spices, and condiments (oyster sauce, bean paste, pepper paste, hot peppers, scallions, crushed garlic, herbs, cilantro, green onions, celery, vinegar, peanut sauce…), and then added chili oil to it. There were also crunchy snacks, and delicious fungus pickles… We then began to cook items from the platters of meats, veggies, tofu, and noodles that began to arrive, by placing them with our chopsticks in the boiling outer or inner pot. Among them: paper-thin hot-peppered and non-peppered sliced beef, skewers of lamb, chunks of crisp Chinese Yam, slices of Lotus Root, wide, slippery-chewy sweet potato noodles, fabulous paper-thin tofu skin (like super-thin, wide egg noodles), tendon (rather rubbery, and the only thing that wasn’t to our taste), thin slices of potato, and soft winter melon…
Our Chengdu Hot Pot feast!
Adding things to the Hot Pot…
Sauce & Condiment Table…
Meats and veggies begin to arrive…
Adding thing… and then taking things out to eat!
More yummy things arrive!
Adding things to the Hot Pot!
Although Hot Pot was originally a “workers” meal, and traditionally made with inexpensive organ meats and “offal”, we opted for the lean meats we like- and learned that now that organ meats and offal have become construed as “cool” and trendy (I have a feeling this is connected to the nostalgia for Mao and the Cultural Revolution…), the prices for offal have risen higher than for that ofthe “good stuff”. LOL Our guides told us that basically anything and everything, good, bad, or otherwise, is an excuse for locals to gather friends, family, or coworkers together, winter or summer, for Hot Pot, and I can well understand why! The magic of Hot Pot is a combination of the textures of each ingredient, plus the spicy, complicated heat of the cooking liquid and all the sauces and condiments, as well as the mouth-numbing joy from the Sichuan peppercorns! And it’s best enjoyed with lots of people, so you can order lots of different stuff to cook! And it’s fun- it’s fun to put the ingredients in the pot and fish them out when they’re done, it’s fun to make a sauce bowl from all the different ingredients, and it’s fun to share it all… and if the folks around the table aren’t friends to start with, they will be by the time they’ve finished a Hot Pot together- this is NOT a meal for the shy! I ordered a little bottle of Baiju (28 RMB, about $5) to accompany our buckwheat tea, as this was our last, celebratory dinner in Chengdu and I wanted to make it special! Our guides wouldn’t join us in drinking it, however, so we had some more Baiju for our travels…
And then, as usual, upon our return to the Crowne Plaza Chengdu City Centre, we waddled up to their 25th floor bar to have a couple of glasses of wine and look out over the city… Next up: Pandas, riding one of the last Steam Trains- and a boat to the LeShan Buddha!
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