Food blog postponed!

Wow! Have finally managed to access blogger again...chinese internet seems to block my blog and my ability to upload now! Therefore I have decided to postpone the posts until I get back to England where I can write stuff up properly and organise the photos.

I'm very sorry to all of you (if there are any!) that have been reading this. I promise to get everything sorted once I get back...Needless to say so far the trip has been out of this world. I have eaten everything from chilli stewed bullfrog to rancid tibetan butter tea...It will be worth the wait!

So sorry to all but patience is greatly appreciated!

I hate internet cafes!

Really sorry everyone...I have been to some really amazing restaurants recently in Shanghai but the internet cafe I'm in right now has disabled the usb port...this means I will postpone the post until I can put the photos up...trust me, it will be worth the wait.

In Beijing now having taken the overnight train from Shanghai...heading south soon where the food gets a lot more spicy...pray that the stomach stays on best behaviour!

Promise to put everything up as soon as I can!

D

Revolving restaurants and food blowouts!

Hello from Shanghai!

Some of my food exploits have been set back due to my parents both getting bouts of the delhi belly!

However, before things got too bad I did manage a eat as much as you like in a revolving restaurant at the top of our hotel. Plates of sashimi, oysters, lamb in sichuan sauce, fried prawns, langostines...you name it, we ate it...pretty good although I must say I would have preferred less but higher quality dishes!

Been eating a lot of shao long bao- a kind of steamed dumpling with pork that catches all novices off guard by squirting hot juice in your mouth at first bite...delicious though and I'm getting used to the dumpling breakfast.

Had a crazy meal tonight...though I took the photo in raw and can't put it up at the mo! 30 separate dishes of meats, quails eggs, beansprouts, etc are layed out on a plate with a bowl of broth and a bowl of white noodles. You then pick the ones you want and put them all together in the bowl...v v pointless but adds some fun to the whole experience...v cheap too- about 70 pence!

Going to eat at the Grand Hyatt tomorrow- the tallest hotel in the world...v excited. I reckon it could be really special.

Until next time!

Hello from Nanjing!

I have only been in China for 2 days and yet I feel like I have seen and eaten so much! Unfortunately I used my little camera to take pictures of the first couple of meals I ate and it has decided to die after a marathon drinking session last night with some of my brother's Japanese friends- Chinese bars have dice on all the tables which you use to play some deadly drinking games!

I eased myself into the eating experience with some dumplings...these are massive in this area in China- the staple. Little rice, little noodles seem to be eaten in Nanjing...dumplings is where it's at! Filled with coriander and pork, or just beef, or cabbage and dipped in vinegar (not soy!) they were magnificent! Finished off with a chicken gizzard soup I was left with a smile and a bloated stomach of satisfaction.

The next couple of meals have been quite similar. Plates of beef fillet with chilli, mutton in a spicy broth, garlic broccoli, vermicelli-like noodles. All served in the centre of the table for all to share. I was quite suprised to find that all meat here is served on the bone...quite tricky when you get a mouthful of sharp splinters! Once you have chewed the meat off the bone you spit it out onto the plastic tablecloths! Quite suprised by this but think I'm starting to get used to it (a worrying development for when I get back to London!)

I also had some street food last night. Sitting out on the side of the road eating barbequed chicken liver with my brother's chinese friends was a real treat. They put some strange seasoning on it that makes it taste incredible...salty and yet very moreish! I almost forgot about the sweltering heat, beggars, and insane taxi drivers!

Sorry for the all over the place approach to this...gonna have to get more organised and write some notes for the next posts! Tonight, I'm going to a revolving restaurant on the top floor of our hotel. Promises to be an absolute treat.

Until next time my friends!

Here We Go!

Well it's time!

Armed with a couple of cameras, a plane ticket and a slightly thin on the ground wad of cash, I leave tomorrow for Shanghai. I have never been to China but, since my brother is out there teaching English and I have finally finished my law exams, I thought it might be time for a bit of an adventure.

The plan: To eat as many different dishes as possible in a month, and report back on the delicious to the outright stomach wrenching!

The time limit: I have until the 28th July

Where will I be going?: Shanghai, Nanjing, Beijing, Chengdu, Xian, Hunan province

Where will I draw the line: Since this is my only holiday for the foreseeable future, I don't want to end up hugging a toilet seat for the whole trip. I'd say dog, testicles, guts are all fair game. The line is certainly crossed at monkey brains...we'll see how the trip effects my inhibitions!

Well that's all folks...wish me luck and will try and update as frequently as possible!