The Potatoes Of China

July 28-August 6, 2018

Our vacation inwards PRC was hosted yesteryear ii lovey locals - ane a fluent Chinese speaker, as well as the other a vegan resident of ane twelvemonth alongside a growing vocabulary. They provided us an sense nosotros could never accept arranged for ourselves! In particular, Michael as well as I tend to rely on Happy Cow to direct our eating piece travelling, but our hosts merely led us to regular menage unit of measurement restaurants as well as picked wisely from the menu. Many menus included photographs of the food, as well as to a greater extent than than I expected to added English linguistic communication text too, as well as thence nosotros had our turns at ordering.

Another pleasant surprise was the broad array of murphy dishes to hold upwards had! Here's a sample of the wonderful potatoes of China.

At a Hunan eating seat our thinly sliced potatoes arrived slightly undercooked, alongside a burner underneath gear upwards to complete the project inwards forepart of us. It was hard to resist picking slices from the top, piece raw onion slices, whole garlic cloves as well as chilli bubbled inwards petroleum underneath. Waiting as well as stirring as well as waiting exactly about to a greater extent than yielded richer, spicier slices.

These Sichuan-style potatoes were served fully cooked as well as sliced a lilliputian thicker, alongside a company chilli striking but none of the numbing pepper that the say is famous for (rest assured, in that place was enough Sichuan pepper inwards the other dishes on the table!).

We received similarly sliced Yunnan potatoes inwards a hot ceramic pot; they had a lovely caramelisation to them as well as a telltale pool of chilli petroleum inwards the bottom of the pot.

This dish was described equally a Shanghai presentation of a Dongbei dish, which nosotros had several times over on our trip. Here the potatoes are served alongside eggplant as well as capsicum, as well as they're all smothered inwards a thick, sweet, soy-salty sauce.

Here's exactly about other version of the Dongbei potatoes, eggplant as well as capsicum; less caramelly as well as to a greater extent than garlicky, alongside the potatoes having a confit texture.

The shredded potatoes are a dissimilar sense altogether! They're as well as thence lightly cooked that they retain exactly about raw crunchiness, as well as they're made fifty-fifty fresher as well as livelier alongside a dash of vinegar. 

Eating inwards a Xinjiang halal eating seat was ane of the to a greater extent than unexpected experiences of our trip. Our disinterest inwards mutton meant that our companionship looked real dissimilar to the ones at neighbouring tables, as well as our waitress tried to persuade us away from ordering ii plates of potatoes. They had a mutual seasoning that included sesame seeds as well as cumin as well as reminded me of za'atar or dukkah, as well as the final result was subtly dissimilar but exactly equally proficient on both the murphy sticks as well as the apartment rounds.

While nosotros ever expected to hold upwards stuffing ourselves light-headed on rice as well as noodles inwards China, nosotros were thrilled to accept as well as thence many meals alongside our other favourite carbohydrate, the potato.

The Noodles Of China

July 29 - August 6, 2018

Noodles were a utilization of our meals inward mainland People's Republic of China at to the lowest degree every bit oft every bit potatoes. Sometimes they were served every bit a unmarried dish during a shared meal; at others nosotros each ordered a big bowl of our own. They were always terrific.

This minor bowl of noodles was the start dish to brand it at a Yunnan restaurant. The translucent noodles were based on mung beans, sliced into thick batons in addition to served cold. Their dressing was i of the most fiery chilli oils of our holiday, in addition to sent me into a coughing fit.

These thin, chewy Shanghai-style noodles were much to a greater extent than forgiving, stir-fried amongst salty-soy flavours, mushrooms in addition to light-green vegetables.

After a hot twenty-four hours traipsing some town, I should non accept been surprised that mutual depression temperature noodles amongst shredded cucumber would endure then refreshing! They were lightly dressed inward broth amongst dots of chilli oil.

They were a footling upstaged, though, yesteryear our accompanying bowl of youpo mian (oil pulled noodles). These characteristic kudai (belt) noodles amongst a few steamed greens in addition to an unforgettable dressing of chilli, garlic in addition to oil. I was tentative almost the chilli-intensity initially, but discovered a smoky slow-burn that I non solely could handle, but absolutely loved.

We had some to a greater extent than cold, translucent mung edible bean noodles inward a Dongbei restaurant. They were impossibly slippery for an inelegant chopstick-operator similar me, but worth the awkwardness for their sesame dressing.

These mutual depression temperature Sichuan noodles were somewhat familiar from our visits to Dainty Sichuan inward Melbourne - I've grown to taste the invigorating contrast of their mutual depression temperature temperature in addition to fiery spice (and I'm peculiarly delight when they're served amongst peanuts).

We ordered these noodle bowls from an alley-way noodle store that's Michelin-recommended: Ding Te Le. Slathered inward peanut sauce (pictured front), they were impossibly rich - 3 of us barely finished the bowl betwixt us. Submerged inward broth in addition to served amongst some meat-mocking mushrooms (pictured dorsum left), these sparse fresh noodles were at their best.

Here's a minute bowl of youpo mian from a unlike restaurant, where it was served amongst assorted finely chopped vegetables in addition to fresh edible bean sprouts (but merely every bit much garlic, chilli in addition to oil!).

At the same restaurant, I ordered the noodles amongst Lycopersicon esculentum in addition to egg afterward learning that this is a really mutual vegetarian pick throughout China. It was then mild in addition to nourishing - I could imagine what a comforting repast this could endure when you're sick. But I wasn't sick, in addition to I was a combat jealous of Michael's minute first-class bowl of youpo mian.

Of all the noodles inward China, it's definitely those youpo mian that are haunting us! We'll endure keenly looking out for them dorsum inward Melbourne. Maybe nosotros tin fifty-fifty function upward to making our own....

Glam

August 5, 2018

Since nosotros were beingness hosted past times friends as well as residents of Shanghai, nosotros didn't create a lot of question inwards advance of our arrival. One affair that did popular up, though, was a monthly vegan brunch at Glam. Happily for us, this coincided amongst our finally twenty-four hr catamenia inwards the urban gist as well as nosotros made a reservation. Glam is a glittery bar on the seventh flooring of a edifice on the Bund, important that it has impressive views of the urban gist skyline (see photograph below). From the decor to the carte du jour to the cost (350 yuan AU$68.90 per somebody compared to the AU$7 per somebody nosotros were routinely paying elsewhere), it's clear that Glam is targeted at western migrants as well as visitors; footling close the house indicates that we're inwards Communist People's Republic of China at all, salve for customised plates upon which Shanghai women bring their heads replaced amongst vegetables (blergh).

The carte du jour is non solely vegan but gluten-free. We started amongst a selection of a Virgin Mary or a mango sago drink; the sago was really welcome equally I arrived hot as well as hungry. The amuse bouche of sesame-crusted celtuce was soy-salty as well as juicy, as well as much less substantial.

The next 2 courses were delightfully low-cal as well as fresh. We were each allowed simply 2 beetroot ravioli, which were filled amongst cashew butter as well as apple, as well as then garnished amongst candied orange. The summertime soup was served amongst about theatrical dry out ice, but I was to a greater extent than impressed past times its soothing combination of mint sorbet, cucumber as well as aloe vera.

Though they weren't actually complementary, the finally 2 savoury courses were served together. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 pineapple filled amongst a warmly spiced chickpea as well as pineapple curry as well as wild rice side kept upwards the summery theme. I idea the gnocchi were to a greater extent than autumnal. Made amongst smoked kumara as well as cassava, they had the almost-gelatinous texture of gummy rice dumplings. They were good accompanied past times pino nut curds, kale, chilli as well as regal rice salt.

Dessert was a sticky, deconstructed lemon pie amongst what I assume were miniature aquafaba meringues. This left a lovely tangy-sweet sense of savor inwards my oral cavity long later on the repast was over.

After many days of eating noodles, potatoes as well as fried foods, the pocket-size portions as well as fresh vegetables at Glam went downward really well. We felt weirder close the setting, which was at best an instagram trap as well as at worst held a whiff of cultural appropriation.

____________

Glam
7F, five The Bund, 20 Guangdong Lu, Shanghai
Vegan brunch drinks, food
http://www.m-restaurantgroup.com/glam/

Summer Kitchen

January 21, 2012

We'd been a chip ambivalent nearly Hobart's ever-popular Salamanca Market when nosotros were concluding inwards Hobart - likewise busy in addition to crowded in addition to filled alongside a lot of stalls selling fairly deadening wares. Despite this, Lisa's enthusiasm for Summer Kitchen's veg pies meant that a provide trip was booked inwards every bit a telephone substitution priority for our Sat morning time on this trip. Summer Kitchen is correct at the bottom of the market, then nosotros fought our agency through all the crowds in addition to stalls on our agency there. The marketplace wasn't every bit annoying every bit I'd remembered - at that spot were lots of non bad local nutrient stalls in addition to a few other interesting bits in addition to pieces scattered throughout the 'Made In China' t-shirt in addition to sock stalls this fourth dimension around. Still, I was actually alone at that spot for the pies.

Me, refusing to instruct out Cindy's photograph inwards illustration it meant 
waiting an extra 5 seconds for pies

There are v veg pies to direct from (two vegan), including chilli bean, curry veg in addition to more, alongside non a faux-meat inwards sight. I chose the lentil shepherds pie (lentils, dark-brown rice, celery, tomato, carrot, parsley, potato, onion, garlic, parsley, dairy-free margarine, tabular array salt in addition to herbs wrapped inwards a vegan wholemeal pastry, $6) alongside homemade tomato plant taste on laissez passer on (on the left of the motion painting below).

Funky Pies for flaky vegan goodness.

Cindy ordered the Homity pie (potatoes, leeks, onion, garlic, sour cream, cheese, salt, basil in addition to sunflower kernels inwards a buttery wholemeal pastry, $6). It's laissez passer on was less crispy than my potato-based one, existence made upwardly of a layer of melted cheese, but merely every bit tasty. The filling was dominated past times the spud in addition to leek in addition to whole matter was mayhap a smidgen on the dry out side from having sat inwards the pie-warmer a chip long - still, the taste added plenty wet to brand upwardly for that.

It's difficult to know how skilful these pies were. Having brekkie at 11:00am tends to brand whatever you're eating gustatory modality wonderful, in addition to these were no exception - an excellent, inexpensive in addition to vaguely well for you lot fast-food selection for the hungry in addition to worn-out market-goer.

____________

Darkside of Knitting sampled the other vegan pie on offering at Summer Kitchen in addition to gave it the thumbs up, but nobody else seems to accept blogged nearly them.

____________

Summer Kitchen

Salamanca Markets (Eastern end, Sat mornings from 8am)

veg pies $6 (they accept lots of other baked goods, but nosotros didn't explore whatever further!)

Accessibility: The marketplace is jammed alongside people, then it's non amazingly accessible. There's a chip of breathing room 1 time you lot brand your agency correct downwardly to the bakery, but it's nevertheless crowded. Ordering in addition to payment happens at a middling grade (see picture).