‘xi’an’

Xi’an’s Islamic Street

November 17th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Skullcaps and ground meat.

To many people, it’s surprising to find out that China isn’t a country full of just one ethnicity.  In fact, China is home to 55 different ethnic minorities and actually has a significant Muslim population.  A big part of that population is the Uyghur (pronounced wee-gur) people, who mainly reside in Xinjiang, a western province that borders Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan, Kygyzstan and Afghanistan.  But Chinese Muslims can be found all over the country and in major cities like Xi’an in Shaanxi Province.  While the Terracotta Warriors are surely the biggest draw to Xi’an, the city also has China’s biggest mosque, which looks like any other temple in China except for the Arabic writing.  Xi’an also boasts some delicious Muslim food. Continue Reading»

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Getting Some Dim Sum at Star Ferry

November 16th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Do these look Chinese to you?

It seems like going to China without eating dim sum is on par with going to Italy and not eating pasta.  But in truth, dim sum is really a specialty of Hong Kong and Guangdong (formerly known as Canton).  Fortunately, in this day and age, you can find Cantonese restaurants all over China.  In Xi’an, we found a place called Star Ferry near the Bell Tower.  The interior of the restaurant was decorated like a boat, and I later found out that it was named for a ferry company operating in Hong Kong. Continue Reading»

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Street Food Spotlight: Xi’an Skewer Sandwich

November 15th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Just try to name those meats.

After Shanghai, we headed to Xi’an to see the Terracotta Warriors.  We landed at night and although it was pretty late, I was a hungry unvegan.  I remembered Xi’an having some great late-night street food, but after four years so much had changed in China and I hoped this was not one of them.  I took a quick stroll just south of the Bell Tower and found just what I was looking for.  While Shanghai had some good street skewer food (none of which I actually had on this trip), it was nothing compared to what could be found in Xi’an. Continue Reading»

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Invoking Memories at Xi’an

June 1st, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Oh how I've missed you.

A lot of people visit China and are completely blown away by how different the food there is than the Chinese food they get back in the USA.  Some are disappointed, some are overwhelmed, and some even like it.  I am one of the latter, because while I lived in China, I couldn’t get enough of their food.  I liked it so much that when I returned to my homeland, I avoided Chinese food for months, knowing that it just wouldn’t be the same.  When I finally got up the courage to eat Chinese food again, I did it with the mindset that the Chinese food here just wasn’t the same as in the actual Middle Kingdom. Continue Reading»

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Going Global at Plan Check

Fries of the world.

A couple of weeks ago, The Backyard Bite invited me to The Burger Culture Clash, sponsored by Stussy (which apparently still exists) and Plan Check. Plan Check, by the way, is a sort of new (since February) restaurant in West LA with Chef Ernesto Uchimura of Umami Burger fame. As my love of burgers, especially those of the umami variety, I jumped at the opportunity.

Although I arrived alone, I was not the only lone eater. Just next to where I was seated, I met e*star LA and we decided to share a meal called loneliness, because it’s better than eating alone. We made quick friends over our respective blogs and Midwestern roots, then got to work at dissecting the special menu, which Plan Check will be featuring for the next month if anything tickles your fancy.

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Mmm marbly.

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Unvegan Friends