Adventures in Asia - Part IV

Into the heart of Dongguan, China.

A co-worker recommended a restaurant sporting authentic Sichuan cuisine. What a true treat! But only those who can handle the heat need to show up. Just about every dish is liberally scattered with red hot chili peppers, herbs and spices. The sesame seed crusted shrimp with macadamia nuts delineated this, as a sea of spicy chilies engulfed the shrimps. It was the hottest and most fiery dish of the evening for sure. The giant whole rack of pork ribs was as much of a sight as it was scrumptious.

Eight Treasures tea is a legendary component in Sichuan tea drinking culture. There are 8 key ingredients which form this rosebud herbal tea, creating a balanced sweet blend that is especially fitting for drinking alongside hot and spicy Sichuan food. The tea is traditionally served in lidded cups and constantly refilled by skilled servers wielding meter long neck pots of boiling water while putting on a show of dangerous dancing and courage. Check out this video.

Eight Treasures tea pouring from nola on Vimeo.

The spicy braised fish in soup broth also held true to the style and upheld intensively fragrant and bold flavors on our already numbed tongues.

"Pigs made of blanket" piqued my interests as a very creative steamed dumpling. One of the few dishes, not percolating in spiciness. Finally, we had a chicken Sichuan hotpot boiling over an open flame vessel. The pungency of Sichuan peppercorns proffered citrus-like flavors and induced a tingly-numbing sensation in the mouth as a ultimate send-off for the remaining few who haven't already broken down from the piquant and zesty dishes prior.

Adventures in Asia - Part III

2nd night in Hong Kong
With limited nights to spare, I set out for the world famous award winning Taiwanese dumpling house, Din Tai Fung, in Tsim Sha Tsui. A must stop dining venue, as the only one in the U.S. is in Los Angeles. As usual, the wait to be seated is a minimum half hour. However it's well worth it, as the food does not disappoint! Wetting your palate to start is a refreshing, moist and tender, perfectly deboned Drunken Chicken, served cold. Hints of Chinese wine tickle the taste buds and alter the senses of those with lesser tolerances. Then moving onward, the main star of the evening makes it's entrance in a hot bamboo basket, the treasured crab-filled steamed pork soup dumplings. Each one, bursting with a rich essence of the sea uniquely of the crab, and pockets of a soupy broth explode into your mouth, as the delicate thin skin attempts to cradle the balance of goodness remaining from the bun. Then there was a Chinese meat sauce with noodles dish, which would be most similar to a pasta with Bolognese sauce. Always interesting to see how each restaurant individualizes their version based on ingredients, spiciness and heat, and noodle type. The edamame beans were an added plus, and again, well balanced and proportioned for a delicious savory treat.

Summer BBQ's & Grilling

It would be sacrilege to pass through summer without making it to at least one BBQ. Of course any long weekend is excuse enough to throw one. Grilling meat over an open flame has always been a pastime dating back to our primal ancestors, Mr. Caveman. After urging my dad to fire up his behemoth shiny stainless steel gas grill, which has sorely been underused over the past few years, just take a look at these perfectly seared chicken wings - the texture of the skin is exquiste, crispy, rich in tone, and doneness, complete with the requiste grill marks. The interior flesh, most importantly, cooked through, succulent, moist, and abundantly bursting with flavors of a garlicky soy marinade.
Not to be outdone, these Bone-In Rib Eye Steaks were amazingly tender, with a signature pinkness in the middle, done medium rare, left to continue to cook in it's own copious jus. This is the ultimate steak for grilling - juicy, and well-marbled. Remember, fat is your friend when it comes to great grilling!