Posted by ayersian
, March 24, 2010 18:30
Who’d’ve thought that the best Peking Duck that I’ve ever had would be found in Spain’s Costa del Sol? Nearing the end of the tour, our Chinese students Vicky and Yvonne confessed that they were tired of jamón sandwiches—not surprising, since sandwiches aren’t terribly popular in China. So I issued them a challenge: find a worthy Chinese restaurant and I’d treat them to lunch. Our home base of Torremollinos produced two such eateries; since Ming Garden was closed, we were warmly greeted at the family-owned Singapur on Calle Hoyo. The father does the cooking, while the mother waits on tables with their two children under foot. We were amazed when she scolded the kids in Chinese, yet the kids argued in Spanish! After ordering, rice chips arrived with the drinks, then hot & sour soup, which Vicky told me is strictly a Chinese-American dish. Beijing-style scrambled eggs with tomatoes is a dish so common in Chinese households that it’s often not listed on menus; the girls made a special request, and the eggs came out piping hot. A steamer basket full of beef shu mai, shrimp dumplings, and pork buns was excellent, though the girls explained that shu mai in China is primarily rice (as opposed to the meatball versions here). Lo mein with chicken and shrimp was also scrumptious, as was the sizzling spicy tofu and shrimp. But the pièce de résistance was the Peking Duck: tender meat and crispy skin sliced into strips, along with scallions, carrots, cucumbers, and hoisin sauce that we rolled burrito-style in thin pancakes. Magnificent! (Photos courtesy of Vicky Liu)
Posted by ayersian
, March 22, 2010 18:48
Touring central and southern Spain means lots of tapas, those wonderful little dishes of food that’re perfect for munching on while conversing with friends. The fact that most legit tapas establishments worth their salt (cod) do not have tables and chairs just adds to the transitory nature of dining here—one simply stands and eats the specialty of the house and then moves on to the next tapas bar, usually just down the street. Anthony Bourdain said it best in his novel A Cook’s Tour: “The whole idea wouldn’t work if you had to take a cab from place to place.” While in Seville, our guide Luis promised to take us to the best local tapas: Bodega Santa Cruz Las Columnas, on Calle de Rodrigo Caro. Bright yellow paella, one of the most famous staples of Spanish cuisine, is a constant here, as are the tortilla española (a thick omelette with potatoes), crusty bread, and mini breadsticks. Patatas bravas (cubed, fried potatoes with hot sauce) and berenjenas fritas con miel (fried eggplant drizzled with local honey) were also stars on our table (actually, just a shelf attached to the side of the building), but what truly wowed us was the famed pinga: a small panini grill-pressed sandwich with shredded meat. Its savory texture and moistness reminded us of Carolina BBQ and was so delicious that we grabbed a few for the road! (Photos courtesy of Christopher Glabicky)
