Weekend of “Top 10s”

This weekend was a weekend of top 10s.

For lunch, we went to this Dintaifeng restaurant to check out their baozis because I saw in this theBeijinger (an expat mag—already a bad sign, I know, but they had this other dim sum place in it that my aunt, uncle, and cousin loved and it was reasonably priced!, so I figured why not…) that they were rated as one of the top 10 restaurants in the world by the ny times and as having outstanding dumplings by theBeijinger. Course, as my uncle and aunt told me, it can’t be that good. everything tastes good to a foreigner hahah.

Before hand, my aunt told me she had a colleague who’s obsessed with this place even tho it’s 死贵（sigui--literally deadly expensive haha）, and for some reason we still decided to go try it. haha I don’t really know why either because it wasn’t like if we didn’t go I’d be disappointed. Usually 死贵 means that about the equiv of the US price and then some, so it’s like at least 5 times what you could get at any other regular place.

Well, as my aunt said, Dintaifeng was def top 10…in terms of price. We got 2 half servings of their different xiaolongbaozis (one pork and the other crab roe and pork)...33 yuan for each serving of 5 little baozis, each prob a little smaller than an oreo…Pretty much a dollar for each tiny little baozi. And we also got 2 orders of their regular pork baozis…18 yuan an order, and each order comes with 2 baozis…TWO! 9 yuan a baozi!



I have to say tho, their baozi’s (big white ones) were the best that I’ve had in China so far haha. The breading was super soft and moist and the meat didn’t taste super oily like the other ones o I’ve had. The crab roe xiaolong baozi was kind of weird. You could def taste the crab, but it was still weird eating a baozi that had crab flavor haha. The other xiaolong baozi was just def not worth the money. My parents are dad is probably so disappointed in me now; I just paid over $1 for a tiny baozi and almost a dollar for pretty much one bite….so overall like $3 spent for 9, at most 10 bites. At least I’m averaging three bites per dollar here. =D  I made sure to take small bites.

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Then, for dinner, we went to one of the top 10 places to eat pizza in China…pizza hut! Hahah. Its funny how I’ve been to Beijing like 6-7 times and yesterday was the first time I ever had pizza hut in china. I mean it’s not like I usually eat pizza at home and want to eat it every week, but I def remember wanting to eat pizza hut in previous trips, but my dad always refused because pizza hut was too high class of a restaurant for us.



Like the other high class fast food restaurant chains here, namely KFC and Mcdonalds, the service was amazing, the menu options were more varied, the atmosphere much nicer, and the décor was nice like PF Changs, but better lit. We ordered some yummy chicken wings, a 12 inch atlantic salmon pizza, this bbq sausage thing, and some spaghetti for my cousin.

An order of chicken wings is only 4 per plate haha, but they were super juicy and flavorful throughout. There was nothing special about the spaghetti, in fact I know we make better spaghetti (sauce) at home. Typical American food. The bbq sausage thing was my favorite dish that we ordered—check it out:


It’s lke 2 pepperoni sausages on bbq sauce covered w/pineapple and melted cheese, with potato wedges and a HUGE slice of tomato with corn, covered cheese. I thought the best way to eat this was to stick a piece of pineapple, some cheese, and a piece of sausage dipped in bbq sauce and eat it in one bite. Mmmm

We also ordered a 12 inch mid-Atlantic salmon pizza. It came with shrimp, octopus, green and red bell peppers, I think mushrooms, and imitation crab, topped with slices of smoked salmon (I think. I’m not really sure what to call this) and wasabi sauce. Maybe you can tell from one of these pics...

This was definitely the weirdest pizza I’ve ever eaten because not only were the toppings kind of weird, but there was no tomato sauce…which wouldn’t have been too weird b/c I really like white pizza, but instead my uncle and aunt got ketchup on the side and put it on top of their pizza/dipped their pizza in it…Originally on the way there, I was telling them about how really good pizza has really good tomato sauce, in Chinese of course, and I’m pretty sure tomato sauce is just 西红柿酱(xinghongshijiang), and my Xiaojiu and Jiuma were telling me that you could get it on the side too and customize your pizza. I already thought that was weird b/c I didn’t see how you could customize the sauce of the pizza if the cheese was already on it…so I’m not actually sure which I thought was weirder when I realized that杏红是酱 is also what Chinese people call ketchup…

I was kind of shocked to say this, but it actually was pretty good. I really didn’t expect it to be b/c I’m not a fan of wasabi sauce, but it didn’t make it taste bad. But, the thing is, I think the only reason that it tasted good was b/c it was the typical pizza hut pizza, with its toasty bottom and soft doughy deep dish inside and buttered crust. Mmmm. Pizza Hut, tasty, but by far not the best pizza I've ever had, that would be the margherita Pizzeria Delfina in San Fran!

I kind of want to try the pizza with corn and shrimp on it…or maybe the one with shrimp and cheese stuffed crust…maybe one more trip to Pizza Hut before I go to make my Dad more disappointed by my overspending for a Chinese person? Just kidding. For now. =p

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Then, as if I wasn’t full enough after 3 slices, we went to eat some of the top 10 ice cream in the world at Haagen Dazs b/c Jiuma and Xiaojiu promised my (3? Year old cousin) Doudou (who didn’t even understand what it is haha) that they’d take her after she drank her medicine to help her cold—btw that medicine smells HOORRRIBBBLEEE. Omg its disgusting. That stuff belongs on Fear Factor.

[Random side note—Before we went to Haagen Dazs, we went to the grocery store in the basement level of the mall for a bit, and like most big grocery stores, this one also sells hot food…like pork baozis…10.80 yuan for a whole large tray thing—most likely 10 a tray…hahaha ><] [hahahahaha Other random story #2. As I was sitting in Haagen Dazs waiting for the waitress, I turned to my left and looked out the window…right in front of me, like 3 feet from the window, I see a mom holding up her son in his kaidangku, peeing at Haagan Dazs. Hahaha i love how before I had blogged about kaidangku, the only times I saw kids peeing randomly were in nature-y settings and not nice developed malls. The little baby had this really fat face and expression on his face that was so adorable tho. It was hilarious b/c he had this blank stare when my cousin was hitting the glass in front of him hahaha. Maybe you can see his face from this picture. Haha]

First time I’ve ever had Haagen Dazs. The only Haagen Dazs that I know of back home is at Southpoint mall and it’s only a little island stand thing in the food court. The Haagen Dazs here was like a mini restaurant-Starbucks like set up. You sit down at a coffee shop table set up w/the couch like seats, the waitress brings you a menu, water w/a lemon, and nice utensils, etc.

My aunt ordered a banana split sundae thing for 62 yuan (almost $10) for all of us to split b/c we were so full. I thought it was the most reasonably priced thing there that also looked good too. I took an illegal picture of them preparing the sundae. I don't know why they said pictures aren't allowed because it's not like I could go make their ice cream and any idiot can slice a banana.

The left most scoop is vanilla with toffee swirls, the center is vanilla, and the chocolate looking one is Belgian chocolate ice cream. I think it’s just chocolate ice cream w/Belgium chocolate swirled thru. The vanilla was ehh, and we only ordered it b/c the stupid waitress thought the combo of the 1st two scoops my uncle ordered were too sweet…so Chinese. What a waste of a scoop. That vanilla was just like vanilla from the box. -_-. But OMG. The vanilla w/toffee and Belgium chocolate ice cream was AMAZING. I didn’t expect it to be anything spectacular or that much better than regular ice cream (like Coldstone, can’t really compare w/Bent Spoon b/c I think the best kind of ice cream at Bent Spoon is their fruity ice cream), but it was SOOO GOOOOD. Omg. Thank god it’s so expensive and there aren’t Haagen Dazs stores everywhere, or else I would totally just go eat Haagan Dazs like I do popsicles and Mcdonalds ice cream cones. I can’t wait til I find a somebody that my boss wants to hire to be his executive assistant. The first thing im gonna do w/my bonus is go buy Haagen Dazs. mmmm

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Sunday: Still full in the morning from the day before, so I could only eat a few pork and chives dumplings :(, but that was probly a good thing since I was going to go meet Popo (婆婆) again for dinner that night b/c she wanted me to meet somebody to talk to somebody about going to study abroad in the US.

When I got there, I sat down and I felt so on the spot. I was sitting on a stool and on the opposite side of the coffee table sat 2 students who wanted to study in the US, Popo, and one of the kids’ parents. Then these parents started asking me questions about community colleges in the US and what I knew about it and what their kid needed to do to prepare for studying abroad in the US, specifically on the west coast…whaatt?? How am I supposed to know anything about either topics? Plus their kid wanted to study compsci so its not like I could help him in any way possible. Not only did I forget all my Chinese, but I was sitting there w/5 pairs of eyes staring at me, waiting for my “wisdom” on where he should go to school. Jeez talk about pressure. I thought about telling them that there was no way in hell I had have even considered applying to a community college when I was in high school, so they could just save their money, but I felt like I was holding the kids future in my hands.

When we went to dinner, I felt a little disturbed by the guy’s dad…I’m pretty sure he’s got some bias against females. More than once he said to his son something like, “See, she can tolerate academic pressure. If a girl can do it, so can you!”...and “See, this girl worked really hard and got into a good school. If a girl can put in this much effort, so can you!”. If I hadn’t been there with Popo, I think I would have asked him about it. -_-

Anyways, the reason why I even mentioned this whole thing was b/c I had a top 10 beijing food for dinner…Beijing kaoya--peking duck! haha. I can't find a picture on my computer, so here's somebody else's that's missing the cucumber slices. otherwise, pretty much exactly what ours looked like!

One less thing I have to eat again before I leave Beijing. Two off my list in a weekend!

Only in China

I think the first time I came to Beijing was when I was 6, and since then, I’ve come back almost every other year, and everytime after the first or 2nd Beijing is always drastically different from what I remember. The change doesn’t feel as big since I came back for the Olympics, but that’s probly b/c China was like my family when we have asian dinner parties…cleaning the house, hiding crap in closets, corners, rarely used rooms, you get the point. China got super modern (compared to years past, still far from the west) and nice for the Olympics, and then as soon as it was over, it became a mess again.

Anyways, I met this black dude from the US playing bball a few weeks ago and he pointed out that even though China does feel a lot more modern (I think largely b/c of the Mcdonalds/KFCs/malls on every corner), there’s something weird about it that makes it still China of old. I couldn’t figure it out, but things happen that make me think, only in China. Anyways, here are the possible explanations for why Beijing is pseudo-modern. I should note that there maybe some rather graphic pictures in this post--this is your warning haha

1. The people still act Chinese. Everywhere. Literally.
Obviously Chinese people are going to act Chinese, but I feel like that there are certain behaviors that people associate with Chinese people immediately. Like the Chinese Squat for one…to be honest, I actually haven’t noticed this, but maybe it’s because I’ve become so accustomed to it that I don’t even think, oh what a weird squatter. I do feel like compared to years past, more people in Beijing stand instead of squat at the bus/subway stop.

The other is what the fat Chinese man does when he eats outside and has either ate too much or ate something that was too hot (either spicy or in temp) that makes him feel hot/sweaty. At home, my dad would just take off his shirt, but I guess that’s a little too (I cant think of any word right now except for 野蛮)hickish/socially unacceptable/would make people think you’re too poor/are a construction worker, so instead you just roll your shirt up until it sits on your giant pot belly nice and high so you can cool yourself down a little.

Don’t believe me? I took this picture with my phone (kind of stealthily over my shoulder) at HaiDiLaoHuoGuo (one of the nicest hot pot places in Beijing) when I had dinner with the the CTO of Sony Ericsson China (and our old neighbor, but that just sounds cooler haha).



And it’s not just the old fat Chinese men that make me think, only in China. It’s the kids too, particularly the little ones peeing (public pooping not so common) everywhere, anywhere, and anytime. I have yet to witness such a scene in a public indoor location, but outdoors? Please, when your kid says she has to pee, and you decided your kid was too cool for clothes that already have a giant tear in them (开裆裤 kaidangku), just pick her up, carry her to the nearest tree and let em pee away. Of course, if you didn’t care that you just bought your kid pants with a giant hole in them, your kid is a big kid now, but in a slightly more environmentally friendly way. Take that Huggies! Look at how convenient that is and how minimizes the waste to the natural stuff.

SEE. I'M A BIG KID NOW.












2. English in China is still ehh.
Aside from the subway instructions, which were prepared for the Olympics, you still sign awkwardly translated signs.
From the gym in my neighborhood where I do rehab stuff:


At this huge mall by the shuangjin subway stop…not a big typo, but I like how one letter makes a difference haha




3. Google not in China anymore => bad English names?
Maybe it’s because Google left China so Chinese people can’t search what is a normal American name before naming theirselves. I don’t know, but for the past week, I’ve been trying to find an assistant for my boss and I’ve received resumes from a guy named Panda (the week before this, I interviewed a girl named Panda), and a resume from a guy named Alison…

I don’t know what it is with Chinese people and pandas. My colleague says it’s because Chinese people treasure pandas and consider them to be precious things, which is why they give them as diplomatic presents…It’s good to know this because when I say I want to be a panda, it means that I wish I could just be fat and lazy and eat and sleep all day.

I hope next week I’ll meet somebody who named themselves after a pokemon.

My Chinese-English name is great.

Hahaha today at work, I finally found this guy on linkedin after a longer than normal google search because I initially spelled his name wrong...I entered Henry into Excel...his name is Herry...and no, that is no typo.
Immediately, I thought of this video Mary showed me yearsss ago. I watched it after lunch with my coworker and it was still hilarious. except for tony. boring tony.



Thanks mom and dad for trying to and finding an English name that could easily be translated into Chinese and still make sense. Too bad you didn't do this for Victor...or should I say it was yeye does, Vicor? =p