liuzhou

Avo avec flying fish roe and industrial ham.

Thai style red curry fish (grass carp) and prawns.

you is correct, KT. Thanks Kim. I do like a nice crust on my burgers.

Today, I had a busy time taking photographs of something I have absolutely no interest in to accompany an article I wrote about something I have even less interest in, but some idiot is willing to pay me for, so in the relentless quest to maintain my supply of beer and noodles coupons, ,decorated with pictures of Chairman Mao, I agreed. I have no morals. When I got home, after no thought whatsoever, I decided I needed my annual burger. When you see the appalling picture, you will realise why anyone dumb enough to pay me to take pictures is even more disturbed than me. To compound the infamy, I made and ate two.

Pork tenderloin and wild mushrooms with fresh ramen, lettuce, coriander leaf, chilli, garlic, ginger in a pork broth.

My mother is weird. She loathes any form of salmon that doesn't involve a can, preferably supplied by John West, whoever he is. Thank heaven, that is not a gene I inherited. I'm totally the opposite. Although, salmon is not my favourite fish by any means.

Xie Laoban’s Dan Dan Noodles recipe is also in Sichuan cookery / Land of Plenty. Same recipe but ingredient quantities differ in some instances. Maybe she tweaked it. Also, her story of how she got the recipe keeps changing, too.

The characters on the description above and those on the packet are different but say the same thing. The first, 甜麵醬 (tián miàn jiàng) use the Traditional Chinese characters, today mainly only used in Hong, Taiwan and among the Chinese diaspora. The second on the package, 甜面酱 (tián miàn jiàng) uses the Simplified characters used on the Chinese mainland. The "sweet bean sauce" translation is just wrong. 甜面酱is literally "sweet wheat sauce", made from fermented wheat, although it may also contain beans. Hoisin sauce is also wrong. Although visually similar, Hoisin sauce (Traditional Chinese: 海鮮醬; Simplified Chinese: 海鲜酱(hǎi xiān jiàng) is different in taste and is used in different applications. Interestingly, her recipe for Dan Dan Noodles in her Sichuan Cookery / Land of Plenty does not contain any of either. I can't see one teaspoon making much difference. One thing I dislike about Dunlop's books is the way she mixes Traditional and Simplified characters, sometimes even in one name. Traditional characters are rarely used in Sichuan

Yeah, I've had that dinner more often that I care to confess to in such esteemed company. Still, there's always tomorrow.

Is it possible to show me a picture of the packaging (assuming it's a commercial package)? I'm wondering if it's what I buy here.

He isn't keeping it secret. I asked him. He showed me. More than once. From start to lunch. And you don't know what I know.

Serviette can also refer to sanitary products in French, but the primary translation in most dictionaries is “napkin“.

Well, the guy in my local Lanzhou Lamian place (100 yards from my door), who is from Lanzhou, manages just fine without it.

Yes. That is why I put morels in quotes. The symptoms described seem to match those of false morel poisoning - mild discomfort usually, but occasionally fatal. However, I too will await an official investigation result.

Nothing

Yes. It is 蓬灰 péng huī and it is not universally used.

Morel Omelette and Chips

Standard practice in China. Either a box of tissues or little packs of tissues bearing the restaurant's name and address. I always take one home to remember where I've been. Cheaper places just have a roll of toilet tissue on one of the tables, like this one from where I ate breakfast noodles yesterday.

It has yet to be confirmed, but a dish containing "morels" seems to be the prime suspect. The restaurant has closed until investigations are complete. More here.

桂林米粉 guì lín mǐ fěn. Guilin Rice Noodles A new place opened just by my home selling this and other noodles dishes. I had to try their take. Damned good! ¥6 ($0.89 USD at today's exchange rate).

Bear Grylls could face fine after killing and boiling a frog Quite right too! Everyone knows they should be fried in butter with garlic. Boiled frog? Philistine!

Woman dies after eating at Michelin-starred restaurant

Steamed fish with garlic, ginger, scallions, Shaoxing wine and soy sauce. Mixed wild mushrooms and Shanghai bok choy. Rice.

@Anna N Thinking about your question further, I'm wondering if the SAFFRAN might actually be safflower (also known as bastard saffron). It was, in the past, known as saffranon. Maybe someone in Thailand is still using an 18th century Thai-English dictionary! * Taste will tell. *There is no such thing.

Yes. I have no idea where the terminology comes from, other than Saffran being Swedish for saffron.