"Ask the mountain for original shell bamboo shoots", how to exercise to lose weight quickly without gaining muscle; As the name suggests, it is produced in Wenzheng Mountain. "Red shell and white meat, shatters upon hitting the ground". During the Southern Song Dynasty, it was even an imperial tribute. The Wenzheng Mountain bamboo shoots served on the table are accompanied by ham for flavor, with a fragrant aroma wafting through the air. You can peel off the shell by hand before eating, with a fresh, crisp, and sweet taste that preserves the original flavor of the bamboo shoots - truly delightful. Even the greens in the soup are exceptionally delicious. The mixed mountain wood ear fungus is also very tasty, with its sour and sweet cold dish being quite appetizing. However, there's quite a bit of garlic paste in it, leaving your mouth full of garlic flavor after eating. There are many other specialty dishes, such as stinky mandarin fish, hairy tofu, Xin'an River wild duck, wild kudzu powder balls, and New Fourth Army stir-fry, which can only be enjoyed with friends on another visit.
LuoYang Home Inn (Wangcheng Park Store)
Luoyang Jianxi District
No. 3, Qilihe Construction Road
￥170 Book
LuoYang Home Inn (Tang Gong Zhong Road Store)
Luoyang Xigong District
No. 16 Tang Gong Zhong Road
￥170 Book
Very much wanted to eat lamb chops but they weren't available here, so I ordered a scallion curry mutton instead. The mutton was stewed until it fell apart at the touch, melting in the mouth. The curry was thick, slightly spicy from the curry itself rather than the coconut milk type, but lacked the authentic curry fragrance. One could order some wheat pancakes to dip in the curry sauce, which is very filling. The cheese baked chicken cubes were somewhat of a failure. The chicken pieces were extremely tough, all chicken breast meat, tough to the point of wanting to spit out the fibers. There was no cheese flavor either, so I gave up after one bite. The Masala tea was slightly worse than what I've had in many Indian restaurants, unable to smell the tea fragrance. A sip revealed a bland taste, and Nepalese teas are slightly salty when tasted, not suitable for everyone.
Haikou Home Inn (Bailong Road Store)
Haikou Meilan District
No. 61 Bailong South Road
￥132 Book
Haikou Home Inn (Hai Xiu Zhong Road Store)
Haikou Longhua District
No. 97 Hai Xiu Zhong Road
￥134 Book
Although considered one of the eight major cuisines of Chinese cuisine, it's actually not easy to find authentic Huizhou cuisine in Shanghai where various dishes are readily available. This long-established popular restaurant finally makes up for this small regret; another new discovery is finding a good noodle shop that caters to the common people.
One evening, I went to a noodle shop with an interesting name—Heniu. At first glance, it seemed like a high-end Japanese restaurant, with spacious premises, gray walls, large black wooden tables, and several Japanese customers. It was essentially a simplified version of Xindu Li, yet surprisingly turned out to be a common people’s noodle shop. The menu was as simple as the environment, with just over ten dishes or noodles listed on a palm-sized paper. The signature noodle is called Heniu Noodle, which is actually Taiwanese braised beef noodle. Reasonably priced, the portion wasn't large, but the beef brisket used was excellent, tenderly stewed. The texture was incredibly smooth and flavorful, especially the parts with tendon. The noodles were handmade in a rough style, with tomatoes and vegetables added for extra flavor. "Slurp slurp," finishing the noodles and soup brought great satisfaction.
Guilin Home Inn (Railway Station Store)
Guilin Xiangshan District
No. 64 Shangzhi Alley, Zhongshan South Road (near the train station)...
￥170 Book
Yangshuo Home Inn (West Street Store)
Guilin Yangshuo County
No. 38 Shen Shan Road (Beimen E)
￥119 Book
Recently, a friend introduced me to a Nepalese-themed bar located in a residential community. Calling it a garden restaurant-bar might not be entirely appropriate, as the so-called garden is merely a residents' fitness area, not a true garden. Nevertheless, once inside, there is a bit of Nepalese flair. The decorations and tableware have clearly been carefully selected, with soothing Buddhist chants creating a peaceful atmosphere. On the recommendation of the staff, I ordered a platter of assorted vegetable samosas, a dish found in many Southeast Asian restaurants. Here, however, it was not outstanding; the curry flavor was not strong, the various chopped vegetables inside were mushy and lacked flavor, the outer skin was not crispy, and the accompanying dipping sauce was unremarkable. The meat-scented eggplant, however, was quite good, served in a tin bowl resembling an eggplant hot pot. The eggplant absorbed the flavors of chicken and curry, with a slightly sweet taste that left a pleasant aftertaste.
Baoding Home Inn (Railway Station Store)
Baoding Beiqu District
No. 642 Yuhua West Road
￥180 Book
Baoding Home Inn (Sanfeng Road Store)
Baoding Nanqu District
No. 199 Sanfeng Middle Road
￥170 Book
Anhui Cuisine
I ordered the famous Huangshan Double Stones. The "double stones" refer to stone chicken and stone ear, produced in the cool streams and caves at an altitude of over 1,000 meters in Mount Huang and on rocky cliffs, a must-try for national banquet Huizhou cuisine. Indeed, the taste was fresh and clear, with tender and smooth meat, and also had nourishing effects. The Huangshan free-range mother chicken soup was also one of the store's specialties, using chickens raised in the pine forests of Mount Huang. These chickens have small heads and claws, feeding on tender grass, pine pollen, and caterpillars. Stewed slowly over a low flame, a pot of soup is served to the table, showing golden oil, with a fragrant chicken aroma. A bite reveals fine-textured meat, and the soup tastes even better. Although it looks greasy, it is actually light and fresh in taste. I also ordered a large rabbit leg from Dabie Mountain. Though not big, the meat was tender and smooth, roasted with a sweet flavor, distinct from the taste of grilled rabbit legs in Sichuan restaurants.
Qiqihar Home Inn (Longnan Street Store)
Qiqihar Tie Feng District
No. 1 Longnan Street
￥151 Book
Qiqihar Home Inn (Railway Station Store)
Qiqihar Tie Feng District
No. 38 Fuli Street
￥132 Book
This restaurant doesn't get many customers, many perhaps coming for the ambiance and style, to experience the exotic charm of South Asia. Therefore, the food needn't be too serious. If you really want to try Nepalese cuisine, I still prefer the one on Julu Road, which has more authentic and delicious flavors.
For cold dishes, I ordered pickled kelp threads, beautifully presented in a Japanese style. Of course, the portion was mini-sized, but the taste was refreshing and very good. There was also the signature "Hen Ice," similar to colorful sweet bean ice. A small bowl was filled with ice and covered with various colored beans, looking very vibrant. The taste was also nice, especially the small pearls, which were chewy and bouncy. However, the ice was too coarse and large, slightly affecting the texture. In summary, this is an interesting restaurant with a bit of style, a bit of fusion, and a bit of mix and match. Even the restroom is decorated in an ancient style. I will definitely come back to try the braised pork noodle or the three-flavor noodle.
Shishi Home Inn (Zifang Road Store)
Quanzhou Shishi City
No. 27 Baodao Road (opposite Set Hospital)...
￥132 Book
Quanzhou Home Inn (Overseas Chinese Museum Store)
Quanzhou Fengze District
Inside the Overseas Chinese History Museum on Donghu Street
￥140 Book
As one of the eight major cuisines, it was my first time tasting authentic Huizhou cuisine, at Hui Zhen Yuan. Flipping through the menu, I was full of curiosity, as all the dishes were very distinctive. I picked some of the most eye-catching dishes to try. They say Huizhou cuisine is "an art of fire and seasoning," focusing on elaborate cooking techniques such as roasting, stewing, smoking, and steaming. So, I ordered "Huofen Wanbei Donkey Meat." A large golden copper basin was served, with golden corn pancakes lining the edges, slightly sticky. The donkey meat was fresh and tender, not greasy, with a rich and delicious flavor. There were also dried bamboo shoots and bean curd sticks underneath, absorbing the essence of the donkey meat and the soup, making them very delicious. Another major feature of Huizhou cuisine is its expertise in cooking mountain delicacies and wild game, due to its location in the southern Anhui mountains, allowing for the use of many local specialties in dishes.
Yichang Home Inn (Shenzhen Road Store)
Yichang Dongshan Development Zone
No. 3 Shenzhen Road
￥161 Book
Yichang Home Inn (Gezhouba Store)
Yichang Xiling District
No. 9 Qiaohu Second Road
￥139 Book