In the morning, it was the apple’s turn to be picked from the fruit bowl in my hotel room. Then I was off to the Temple of Heaven. It was another bitter cold morning in Beijing. So I was thrilled when I stopped into a gift shop at the Temple of Heaven and saw these hot filled steamed buns (bao) for sale. I got one, and it really hit the spot.
China 2015, Day 6: Beijing, Day 1, Part 2
Central Beijing: Legation Quarter, Dazhalan, Tiananmen Square (Reprise), and Donghuamen Night Market
In the early afternoon, I left the Forbidden City through the northern Gate of Divine Prowess knowing that it would be incredibly hard to top that experience. Nonetheless, I still had a whole lot of Beijing to [Read more…]
China 2015 Food Diary, Day 6
Before I left the hotel for my first day out in Beijing, I had a banana from the fruit bowl that had greeted me in my room when I arrived the night before. On the frozen tundra that was Tiananmen Square, I was dying for something hot. Surprisingly, there were no food vendors on the square. So I did without. In the Forbidden City, I got what turned out to be a very popular treat at Beijing attractions–a (bunless) hot dog on a stick. It was a little funny to see the locals chowing down on these. Later in the afternoon, I went to a Chinese fast food restaurant and happily got an order of “Golden Nuggets”. I’m certainly not going to go to McDonald’s in China. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to enjoy some nuggets! I washed them down with a Mirinda. I looked this up to find that it’s an orange soda originally from Spain but now produced by Pepsi.
China 2015 Food Diary, Day 5
While strolling along the Bund in the morning, I saw a store with a Magnum sign across the front. Like I was going to pass that by. So as on Day 4 I had a breakfast appetizer of French fries, on Day 5 I had a breakfast appetizer of an ice cream bar. Not just any ice cream bar, of course. A Magnum. All they had were ones with nuts, but I didn’t even care. I was getting my Magnum bar. (If you didn’t already know that I go mad for Magnum bars, now you do.)
Later in the morning, I did have something a little more breakfast appropriate. I went to a coffee shop called Costa Coffee. I had seen a lot of them around town. I found out later it’s the Starbucks of Britain. I figured they were probably a large international (non-Chinese) chain, but I bent my rules a little by going in. Really, I wanted to use their WiFi. I got a blueberry muffin and a Victoria plum lemonade. A drink flavored with a fruit named after Queen Victoria. Yes, it was British alright.
China 2015 Food Diary, Day 4
I love the smell of French fries in the morning! I came by a French fry stand in People’s Park in central Shanghai on the morning of Day 4. I figured, it wouldn’t be open if French fries weren’t meant to be eaten in the morning. I decided to forgo any of the sauces that were available as condiments. I usually just salt my fries. And anyway, condiments such as French Pork meat Floss Flavor, Passion Chocolate Sauce, or Signs Cheese (whatever that is) just weren’t doing it for me. I tried to get a picture of the woman at the counter, but she was as bashful as she was friendly. I stopped by a juice stand and got a passion pop–a juice concoction made with passion fruit, pineapple, lime, banana. Refreshing!
