Breakfast in the Neighborhood...

[Li & John]

Last week, my wife and I took the plunge into our neighborhood street market for breakfast. Right across the street from our community, several vendors set up for breakfast and sell freshly made foods to the public. It's interesting that with my wife being Chinese, is a bit more squeamish than I, in that she often gets bothered by the lack of sanitary control. For me, I'm like, what the hell, I'll give it a try.

 

Several of these vendors bring in portable wood-burning stoves, to cook and heat food. There you will find a Chinese flat-bread burrito kinda thing, that is cooked atop a cast-iron dome shaped wood burning stove. The cook lady, ladles a bit of batter onto the hot surface, and then uses a long broken stick to spread it evenly over the hot surface; like a large thin pancake. It cooks quickly, then she flips it, and pulls it off. She then loads it up with a pre-made mix of vegies and stuff, and rolls it like a big burrito. Lan, didn't much care for the look of stuff, including the stick, but I went ahead and gave it a try. It was very good indeed; a little bready, but good when you bit into the inside.

 

Other vendors were selling several kinds of baod zi, some with meat, others plain, or with vegetables. Most excellent indeed. The place is really quite amazing, as they begin setting up around 6:00AM. By 8:15AM they are all gone without a trace they were there; well, except for all the garbage that gets swept up.

 

Personally, I really enjoy experimenting with different varieties of food, especially on the street. My view is, as long as it's hot, and others seem to be trying it, why not. More often than not, I've found something new to eat that's quite good.

You bring back some good memories of when I was in Beijing and Harbin. The good food that was on the streets and the smaller restaurants I always found it more tastier. In Beijing my wife and I would get up early and walk down to a steamed dumpling restaurant that had some of the best I have ever ate. My wife and I would stop and buy the corn on the cob and other fruits and stuff from the vendors and farmers. much cheaper and very tasty!

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Here are some of the pictures of my morning breakfast being prepared:

 

http://i36.tinypic.com/14lnjo3.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/24zlw75.jpg

http://i35.tinypic.com/t6xbiw.jpg

http://i35.tinypic.com/4rz2xj.jpg

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

http://i37.tinypic.com/xt642.jpg

http://i37.tinypic.com/20saqdv.jpg

http://i33.tinypic.com/4juw40.jpg

http://i37.tinypic.com/24whegl.jpg

Edited October 28, 2008 by ShaQuaNew (see edit history)

[shaffej7070]

Looks like her cooking instruments have seen much use. Was she somewhat apprehensive that you were taking snapshots, or were you "shooting from the hip."

 

We want to see pics of you gorging yourself like a remorseless American eatin' machine.

 

Looks yummy!

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Looks like her cooking instruments have seen much use. Was she somewhat apprehensive that you were taking snapshots, or were you "shooting from the hip."

 

We want to see pics of you gorging yourself like a remorseless American eatin' machine.

 

Looks yummy!

 

She was quite cute actually, and couldn't stop laughing when I approached her with my camera. She talked with my wife a bit, then asked me where I was from in Chinese. Fortunately, I understood the question and was able to answer her. She smiled, and proceeded to cook.

 

The man cooking the fried baodzi said I would have to pay to take pictures....a joke, but he was happy when I bought five.