Jon Tseng

Moby - does your wife know about this

I am staying at a place called The Bamboo Garden Hotel. It's a little bit out of the way, near the Bell Tower. By the way, how is it this time of year (weather-wise) to rent bikes to go around the Hulongs? Could be in trouble. Most places in Chinese; do some research ahead of time, figure out the exact addresses. Its also useful having the name of famous places written down in chinese - they are often displayed on large placards above the door (albeit written backwards) Don't know the Bamboo Garden but the location looks ok. You are dead close to a bunch of hutong around the rear lakes area (if they haven't knocked them down by now). The region north of the forbidden city also has a lot of private compounds used by china's leaders You are reasonably close to the Sichuan Fandian, the roast lamb place and Fangshan, in Beihai Park. There is also a famous Japanese restaurant called Bai Yun located in Chaing Kai Sheks former residence located somewhere round there (again, if they haven't knocked it down!) An time is good for biking in beijing; although it may be VERY cold! J

Goubuli - from Tianjin an hours ride by BJ. Basically they are baozi (little steamed stuffed meat buns). Named after a chap so ugly that allegedly even "goubuli" (dogs wouldn't look at him). Buns supposed to be very good or something - they're ok. the best ones are marked with a little red dot Now franchised as a chain in many places. I think there is also a branch on the shopping street just off from Qianmen. Reminds me of my goubuli story when we went to the original place in Tianjin. We weren't sure about amounts so we ordered two or three jin (chinese weight). Cost $20-30 which we thought was a bit pricy but reasonable for the original place. Ten minutes later a trolley rolls up, both layers STACKED with plates of baozi. Must have been about thirty plates of buns. Between three of us. Maybe a couple of hundred of the babies, all told. Slightly over-ordered. Thankfully they did takeout. Best baozi I ever had were lamb ones from a muslim restaurant in BJ. Hot lamby and REALLY juicy. jo-mel yeah, jian bing. Those are the ones! haven't had them for years... they put a bit of deep fried dough in the wrap which makes it wonderfully crunchy Yup. Sure lots of places have been been pulled down in the drive for modernisatoin. Was VERY pissed off last time to find my favourite jiaozi restaurant had only just been gutted (you could still see the outline of the sign) cwyc - don't know about hepingmen but I haven't been back for a couple of years. quanjude started franchising out in the nineties, often with varying quality. I'd probably just go to the big qianmen one. its the original one, a bit touristy but thats part of the fun! Qianmen definitely the most convenient from Tiananmen (ten minute walk). There's other duck places to - eg the one near the Peking Union Hospital (Bianyifang, I think) also has a good rep. Which hotels will you all be staying at? Justines at the Jianguo hotel is a frenchy place which used to do some truffled dishes (using chinese truffles, I think). I hear the Courtyard is supposed to be a good western fushiony place (think M on the Bund, I guess) right near the forbidden city, but last time I was there it was closed for refurb, alas. cheerio J

Here's some of the lao beijing classics. As you probably know from Shanghai the Chinese very into their famous-for-one-dish joints (eg "Hole in the Wall Famous for Three Hundred Years for Its Stewed Turtle Testicles") This info is a bit old but I don't think much ever changes for these... For duck Peking Duck Quanjude is a good bet. The Qianmen branch is the original, the Wangfujing branch is also good. For imperial court cooking there is one in the Summer Palace and Fangshan restaurant in Beihai park. Fangshan is one of the most famous restaurants in China; the food isn't great but probably still worth it for the experience and the history (think Tour D'Argent) Donglaishan is famous for its mutton hotpot (steamboat). Very good this time of year. I think there are branches on Wangfujing and in the SE corner of Tiananmen Sq (don't know how the rebuilding of Wangfujing has affected this) A good place to try is the Sichuan Restarant (Sichuan Fandian), which is has a great location in the gardens of Prince Gong's Mansion (Gongwangfu) to the north of the forbidden city. You can also wander in the gardens afterwards (unfortunately the mansion itself located just to the south is a music college; if you can sneak in the buildings are still very pictuaresque) Kaorouji is a restaurant famous for its roast lamb located right at the north tip of shimachai, the chain of lakes which stretch out NW from the northern edge of the Forbidden City. Its in the guide books. Gongdelin is a very famous vegetarian restaurant on Qianmen, about half a kilometre south of the Qianmen gate on the east side of the street. There is a branch of Goubouli Baozi (famous tianjin baozi) just off Wangfujing. Its on the same street as the Wangfujing Quanjude branch. As you can see, lots of famous old shit... cheerio J

Think there's a wet market in south of the city by the northern edge of Tiantan park thats quite good (WARNING: THIS INFO DATES BACK TO 1997!!!) nr. the Hongqiao Pearl Market The Night Market which runs from the east gate of the forbidden city to wangfujing well worth it Had good food including duck at Xiaowang restaurant last time I was there - a couple branches about town Gary - have you been before? If not I can blather on about the roast duck and imperial restaurants etc etc. If so I guess you know all about them... ? Yeah... lots of good street food, breakfast pancakes, baozi, kebabs (grilled best but deep fried ones probably less germ-ridden). I think toffee haw fruit on a stick should be in season at the mo. And roast sweet potatoes. cheerio J

Best thing is figure out house rules at the start of the year - we generally work on the rule that anything in the fridge is fair game. Makes things a lot easier in the long run and, after all, there are times when you too are short of that last egg white for the souffle and can't be arsed to hike down the shops... nb this can be reinforced by stocking up on random foodie stuff. like offal or lardo... very effective! ;-) J

Not til March, normally J

dumplings

Hakkasan just by tottenham ct rd? J

Think its a normal chicken but - yes - with black skin Often seems to turn up in chinesey soups. don't think i've ever been served it as a normal dish Not to be confused with black-leg kitchen, a poshtrendy breed which sometimes pops up on recherche menus in London! cheerio J

Tangentially related - had Gundel Pancake a couple of times in Hungary last summer; nice but a bit too heavy for my tastes... nuts... chocolate... cream etc. cheerio J PS but the cold fruit/cherry soups they have as starters are the BEST thing on a baking summer lunchtime!!!

Hmmm. I can see a fight brewing here As Mao famously replied, when asked his view of the French Revolution "Too early to tell" J

Got a couple of teal last night, largely on the basis they look so cute (perfectly formed mini-ducks, about the size of a large quail). Browned them in a frying pan and roasted for five minutes - still underdone - roasting another four mins (about 200c). Came out perfectly done - not nearly as gamey as i thought they would be cheero j

Is max legal ageing still 28 days or are people allowed to sell older? Or is this restaurants only? J

Blimey! Unexpected, but not undeserved! Downside: I guess prices are going up and it'll be a damn sight harder to get a table for a sneaky Saturday lunch... :-( J

nonono - that was conrad gallagher very different! J

Nouveau Irlandais J

Lamb is a good, slightly different, filling I had in Beijing Scrambled eggs and chinese chives is also good for veggies Also did chinese wind-dried sausage, mozarella and basil once. very nice! J

Had it hot with a curry ice-cream once went wonderfully (sic) J

Have seen red tobaki roe go opaque when steamed but not change colour J

Yes, Mere Richard would be Renee (or Marie now?) Richard as Marcus said cheerio J

I would definitely use lard for the pastry - thats what gives it the flaky texture For interest you might want to look up some portugese egg tart recipes for comparison; i gather chinese egg tarts are essentially nicked from this source (eg Macau - for many years a portugese colony) cheerio J

And if you're slicing don't slice it too thin it it will dissolve before your eyes in the frying pan - re the bit in the FL book about, er, not slicing it too thin cheerio J

I think that is true, and the same holds true for London as well. When people interested in food come to London they always try to catch the same "must have's" eg St John, New Tayyabb etc. I actually had the same problem in Beijing - every time people came to visit we kept on having to take them to the same bloody Beijing duck restaurant - a "must-have" for them, a little blah for us. Why does this happen? I agree with Katherine there is an element of trying to seek the "tourist experience". However I also think part of it is the wish to get something they can't get elsewhere. eg in the case of London four-star french stuff is something americans can get back home. St John is not. Ergo another round of bone marrow and parsley salad... cheerio J

whether what kind of salt matters if it gets dissolved in the eventual dish - (although crystal shape/size does affect taste if it isn't dissolved) J