Adventures in Asia - Part V

Decided to stay in for the night at the Pullman Dongguan and try one of their own, Sakura Japanese Restaurant. This evening I was in good company with two coworkers from my U.S. office. It was especially a treat, as I had the pleasure to introduce them to the fine art of teppanyaki.
The 10 course meal over the next 3 hours was meticulously prepared and executed by our master chef, artistically rendered and presented before our eyes, and most importantly, each dish was fresh and delicious. Here were two of the appetizers we had to kick off the night with. That wasabi was unlike any I've had before. It was about 10x as potent as any other I have tried and went right to the brain!
For the main courses, there was lobster (still wriggling), shrimp, scallop, fish fillet, and kobe beef. Our chef took her time with each preparation, as this meal was all about sight, sound, smell, texture and taste. I must say the kobe beef did live up to it's tenderness, and was quite flavorful.
The fried rice was kicked up a notch making good use of the night's main ingredient. As a final course, a sculpted seasonal fruit dish was a nice way to end the show.

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.