Comments on: Homesickness is the Best Seasoning

By: Mary Helen

Mary Helen — Wed, 04 May 2011 11:34:27 +0000

Hi Michelle,
Oh I remember the pizza there very well! One night my husband and I decided to go out to Pizza Hut, which in Beijing is actually a somewhat to-do restaurant. We scoured the menu to find something that didnt involve corn, mayonnaise, or tiny shrimp. When we triumphantly located the plain cheese pizza, we ordered with a good amount of anticipation. Boy, were we disappointed. The pizza there was as weird and greasy as ever. Its hard to even imagine how they made it taste so bad. I think it had to do with a lack of understanding when it came to dough. I found a similar issue with most baked goods over there. Everything tastes strangely spicy and greasy, which tastes amazing on Chinese food! Western food, not so much.
Speaking of Chinese food, have you has a chance to check out Chens Noodle House up in North Austin? I havent been there yet, but Ive been hearing rumors that the owners there make real, honest to goodness Beijing style noodles, dumplings, and kebabs. Im particularly excited about egg and tomato soup! Oh the things that Northern Chinese folks can do with tomatoes are simply brilliant. Yum yum yum yum.

By: Optimista

Optimista — Wed, 04 May 2011 03:07:53 +0000

This is such a beautiful piece! I need to forward it to my brother & sister-in-law, who lived in Beijing for several years as ex-pats. I am sure they will be able to relate.
One night when we visited them, we were feeling especially exhausted and decided to stay in and order a pizza. BAD idea. We ordered from Papa John’s, but it was unrecognizable from any Papa John’s I’d ever seen. The worst part about it was the cheese. I’m not sure I can do it justice by describing it, but suffice it to say it was AWFUL.
I’d kill for a meal at their favorite restaurant there, though – Xiao Wang Fu. Best Chinese food ever, for a song.

By: Mary Helen

Mary Helen — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:37:15 +0000

Hi Medi. Dont feel too bad for us! Most days we loved the adventure of eating something new every day. And although we were not always in the mood for Chinese food, it was almost always delicious. Anyway, these low points just made the highs sweeter in the end, and while Im not entirely proud of our double cheeseburger gobbling coping skills, it did help me to appreciate something that I had always taken for granted!

By: Medi

Medi — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 10:44:34 +0000

What a read today, I feel so bad for you, must of been a really hard experience. Something we just take for granted when we travel is probably the food. We have never been anywhere so exotic but just never think that we won’t be able to get what we want or be able to communicate at least to kind of get close to what we want. It must of been quite the experience.
Love the helmet, that is funny, and as if they deliver, wow, can’t get that here.