I really wish I had brought some______,

[awch]

Fritos.... There are tons of potato chips. Lays, Pringles, and other Chinese brands. But with all the corn here it's near impossible to find a corn chip.

143439[/snapback]

If you go for lemon and/or shrimp flavored potato chips, you'll be set for life.....

[Dan R]

For grits and corn chips try making your own. They use to do that before it became big business.

 

She had a hard time finding pants for me while we traveled. But near her home she knows a big men's shop that sometimes has pants and shirts she approves of for me . I was told to reduce so shopping is easier. Oh and for my health as well.

 

Amber is that your shopping list for all the guys going over in September?

 

Tony when I went in winter I was told don't bring anything, everything you need is waiting for you. It was a good thing too because it is very hard to find real warm clothes in California even in winter.

[awch]

Amber is that your shopping list for all the guys going over in September?

 

143469[/snapback]

Nope cuz I'm going home on Sept 1. Can't wait... here I come Taco Bell.

[Robert S.]

 

Amber is that your shopping list for all the guys going over in September?

 

143469[/snapback]

Nope cuz I'm going home on Sept 1. Can't wait... here I come Taco Bell.

143471[/snapback]

Somebody could make a bunch of money with a Mexican restaurant in Dalian. I think Dalian people are eclectic enough.

 

I did a search and found that there are two in Beijing, near the Mexican embassy.

 

Have you eaten any decent pizza in Dalian?

[Dan R]

Welcome back Amber! But once you are back wont you miss being able to get really good Chinese food?

[awch]

No... cuz I don't like Chinese food. I'll be happy if I never have to even see it or smell it again.

 

I don't think Mexican food would work really well here.. it's the beans and cheese.

 

As for pizza in Dalian.. I don't like pizza very much but Pizza Hut is good of course and there was Sally's Pizza- but that recently closed down. We also have Pizza King but it's not that great.

[Dan R]

I bet a Mexican Seafood restaurant with cocktails would do very well. Cheese and beans are important in Mexican fast food. Birria, Cocktails, Camarones Diablo, Pazole, Chicken Mole, Menudo are all dishes that should do very well in China. There are so many Mexican dishes and styles that would be just different enough to attract interest.

 

I saw many pizza huts while traveling. Indian restaurants are opening up. Young people want things international and new. I passed a Mexican restaurant not far from the embassies in Beijing. Many Japanese and Korean restaurants exist. Chinese and Italian are the most popular international fare in the U.S. Wouldn't it be funny if American Italian becomes the most popular in China? Remember it was only in 1974 that the Mandarin style restaurants started opening (they were considered communist so only Cantonese opened restaurants). The first Chinese fast food was in the 1980's. Things do change fast.

[Mick]

Grits.  Honey.

143431[/snapback]

Spoken like a true man of the South.!

 

When I moved to China in 1998, had trouble finding many things. First real western item I found on the shelves in Hefei was Skippy peanut butter, which I ate for breakfast.

 

By the time I left Shantou in 2003, you could find most anything, except as someone already mentioned, quality items needed for baking. Was able to scrape together what I needed to make some good old fashion Tennessee cornbread.

 

Grits, nada.....not available. Honey was plentiful, but it was much thinner than what you find in the States.

[frank1538]

Coffee!!!!

[Mick]

Coffee!!!!

143604[/snapback]

By all means, Frank! Those little packets of instant Nescafe with sugar and creamer only go so far.

 

The last four years that I was in China, in Shantou actually, there was a great coffee shop located above a department store downtown. You could actually buy the beans and gave them ground. Expensive though!

[Randy W]

. . . and a Starbucks at the Forbidden City! The emporers never had it so good

Edited August 4, 2005 by Randy W (see edit history)

[vibes1313]

For grits and corn chips try making your own.

Haven't tried to make grits, but I did try my hand at corn tortillas which I thought I could fry and make chips. Something wasn't right with the corn flour here though. It crumbles when I try to remove it from the plastic wrap. I tried several different proceedures. I think I need some Masa Harina. (Where's my emoticon with the Mexican hat?)