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Friday, November 18, 2011

Beijing in Pictures 3

                     Fooding In Beijing

So you and I have been relieving the Beijing experience for a little while now. Though my stay is gradually coming to an end,  there are still so many topics of discussion and stories to be shared. Moreso, I think perhaps some of my stories might help someone who has plans of going there sometime. Hence, I am thinking, shall I open a new page on this blog, tagged  “The 3-month Bejinger’s Journal”? or something like that….share your thoughts….let me know what you think.

Anyway, if you missed the previous story, check here.

Any oldie on this blog knows how much I love good food, even if I don’t know how it is made. As a result of this,  my nutrition as well as diet was one of my major concerns when I had to come to Beijing. Now, I realise that it was such an unfounded concern! It is not even worth wasting your grey cells on!

The most popular eating custom is the family style restaurant. In most restaurants, there are tables for groups of 2 to groups of even 12! The restaurants in Beijing put a different association to “restaurants” because you don’t have to dabble into money rituals or break and arm and leg to afford the food.  However, they also bring to understanding the old proverb that iterates that one can’t eat with his enemy. This is why:
Empty table
 PS: Dont forget that you can just click on the image to enlarge it

 This table sits about 8 people. The round glass is where the dishes are placed and it is rotatable.  Each dish serves about 2-10 people,  depending on the size of the dish and most groups order at least two dishes. As a result of this, it doesn’t make much sense to eat in a restaurant alone.
Now that's what I call "fooding"!
Chicken and Rice

Pork and Rice
So imagine having to eat with an enemy, he will definitely make sure to order every dish you don’t like, leaving you hungry, angry and frustrated. Usually, after all the food is consumed, the total bill is just split among the table occupants….again, remember not to eat with an enemy because either or not you eat the dish, you might have to pay!

Don’t fret though! Fortunately, if you are like me, who likes her food spicy, doesn’t like mushroom or doesn’t generally want to always deal with compromising on food matters just because you are ordering a group meal, there are other options. For instance, the Japanese restaurants have set individual meals that are finger licking. The set meal (in this particular instance) featured salad, egg custard, fruits, an appetizer/side/dessert/i-don’t-know-the-classification (potato salad), miso soup, your main dish and a bowl of rice as an accompaniment. In other words, you order what you want and so do(es) your partner(s). You don’t believe the finger licking part? Check out what my roommate reduced the plate of curry seafood and rice to.

while I had this
Ginger/garlic beef and rice
You don’t expect me to put my after picture, or do you? Plus, arent you just loving the food presentation? Even the presentations are enough food for me.:D. Here are another Japanese-style-meal:
Seafood rings and salad
Also, there are some other chinese-type dishes that are individualistic. For example:

Now, one day I went in search of food and I stumbled on this place. After I got my food, here is what I found:

You don’t see it, or do you? Those small roundish things you see on the sides are LOCUST BEANS, aka, IRU for my Nigerian people. I was a little bit shocked to see it in a Chinese meal. It just occurred to me at that point that food cultures across the globe are dissimilar yet similar. Encountering those locust beans in my food gave me enough confidence to chow down like no tomorrow! Odiro easy at all!

Somewhere very close to my office, during lunch time (around 12pm), this is not an uncommon sight.
Forget about the picture quality, it is a story for another day.

From the carts, full meals are made from scratch. I am talking some real chinese noodle/rice ish here! However, you should see the cart owner scuttling/cycling away as soon as they catch sights of the police.

By the way, I had this flavor of fanta which I had never seen before. It was peach-flavored and very yummy.
I know it looks like water, but if water tasted this good, I'd feed on water all life long!

So as per Nigerians being who we were, we nor dey carry last. If you bet that somewhere in this ancient city of Beijing, there exists an African/Nigerian restaurant, congratulations, you just won. My friends swear by their plate of Jollof Rice and Eba with Egusi. And you know how one has to be sure that people are being honest, so, sometime this weekend even though I am a busy woman, I will try to go and ascertain their claims about this restaurant.

Who am I kidding?!!! I can’t wait to do some justice to a plate of Iyan and Efo Riro!

Di diam kpo, my people!

35 comments:

  1. umm..lord knows that looks good, i love chinese food anyway, that my treat any day anytime..

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  2. and yet again she trys to kill me with this tiny tiny letters and food is alrite i shall catch u laters

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  3. mehnnn.....all these food. are yu sure those things are iru?
    think ill pass on the group table.

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  4. Black ginger u are really having a nice time..I am guessing the Chinese and Japanese food are not that different abi?..Make sure you take pics of the Naija store..I need to understand while some people dont want to come home after all the questioning..:-)

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  5. A few stores in Naija have this flavour of fanta too!
    Locust beans = Iru/Ogiri/Dawa dawa
    Babes by the time u're due for home, u'll probably be breaking the scales. I wish i wasnt so picky about food! Many things upset my stomach

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  6. Lovely!! I love that you are so open about food... just like I am. It's probably also that you have a little less choice than I do at this particular moment being in a foreign environment but I still really appreciate your attitude towards food that might be/look strange to you or your readers. I love that!!!

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  7. Iru? correct somthing!

    I like the family-style sitting arrangement soo muuch

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  8. I am happy I found your blog. I studied Chinese language for a year but I'm yet to visit the great ancient country. Well I'm relieved because seeing another Naija person do it is definitely the reassurance I need. Gosh people have always thought I was weird now I can finally show them "weirdness" in pictures...lol

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  9. Ah Ah oga ju!!!

    Now whatever i make for dinner today just wont cut it!! I'd be busy wanting all these chinese grubs :(

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  10. *slurp* I almost ate my screen. China seems good... food-wise!

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  11. Opening a page on your blog to share about your Beijing experience sounds like a wonderful idea. I love to read and also see pixs of different countries, just in case I decide to visit. The food all look sumptuous. I'm terribly choosy when it comes to food, so I might not have the liver to try out some of them. The seafood rings looks yummy. You would have displayed the after pixs of your plates na, let's see how much justice you did to the meal. ;-)

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  12. I miss naija food...the food looks yummy.

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  13. woah...they look 'inviting'...eku enjoyment...

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  14. Dannnnnnnnggggggggg that food looks yummy!!!

    I should come and join you for your final days o!

    I had Asian food the other day and it had locust beans also but I didn't realize it until I saw ur pic, I just knew it looked familiar. Totally cool!

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  15. Authentic Chinese food....can't wait to taste...*stomach rumbling, hard*

    As for Naija mamaputs in China, I don't doubt, my sista. Naija people must chop Naija food anywhere =)

    Thanks so very much for trekking over to my mommy blog. I appreciate it greatly =)

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  16. everything look soooo yummy....even though i wouldnt dare try them...i am soooo close minded when it comes to food

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  17. You just made me hungry!! The blog sounds like fun- I'm hoping that I can travel more in the new year!!

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  18. Chinese food probably tastes better in China. Ugh to (fast) American Chinese food.

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  19. I hope there'll be some rice left over in Beijing by the time you guys are done. LOL...these look so yummy.

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  20. Lol@Myne. Wow, so much food. Very detailed post, and are you from calabar, cuz those people like delicacies *winks*

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  21. Ah u this woman! I have a regular rice parry today o but pls dont make me change plans and head to Yin Yang or somewhere for some chinese!! lol@ Iru!!

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  22. This made me so hungry I went and made for before I even commented lol ...and thanks for the comment.. x

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  23. These pictures bring back memories. I used to live in Singapore and I am quite used to these kind of food. Heard of the tiny noodles often referred to as Singapore noodles? That used to be my favorite :)

    - LDP

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  24. lovely. I am so into asian food. I love it. of recent i have become fascinated by thai food.
    love your blog. you just go your self a new follower. I hope you will do the same for me.
    keep it up girl.
    www.secretlilies.blogspot.com

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  25. oh my! this looks like good fun...enjoy!

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  26. If Chinese people eat such wide variety of interesting meals, why do they still look skinny and malnourished?

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  27. Oh wow, all that food looks sooooo good!!!!!! I'll have to add Beijing to my bucket list for sure!!!

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  28. @Afronuts - low in carbo, rich in protein and veggies, so low calorie intake..what more can we ask for. Enjoy!

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  29. The Foood though!! Thanks to you,i think i`m hungry and all i want is Chinese cuisines :)..starting a new blog just for your travel/adventures is Not a bad idea .

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  30. All this food pictures is making me drool.

    *running away as fast as her 2 mosquito legs can take her*

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  31. Whoa! Those pictures instantly teased my tongue and it seems that i need some fill ups even though i'be just eaten minutes ago.

    hip replacement lawyer

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