So while I was in China, I took a short trip over to Suzhou (about an hour west of Shanghai) to check out some old school palace structures and just the view in general. Suzhou is a beautiful place with lots of breathtaking views. Of course, I had to eat so we went this restaurant which was recommended by my mom's friend with whom we stayed with.
I'm not really a big fan of chestnuts, but these were cooked pretty tenderly. They also had these little pearl shaped things which I'm not entirely sure what the name of it is but they had an earthy, ginko-like taste and texture.
This is not the typical jellyfish dish I've had where it's strings of jellyfish cut up. This one was in larger chunks and by far the BEST I've ever had. It was crunchy yet tender with the right blend of soy sauce, sesame oil, and other wonderful flavors.
Yes, this is kidney. If you haven't noticed by now I love innards of animals and eating other weird foods. If you overcook pork kidney, it can become chewy and tough to eat, but in this case it was the exact opposite. When cooked together with chilis, ginger, green onion, and a light broth, this dish was absolutely delicious! It was very tender and I couldn't get enough of it.
So it's not really the name of the dish but that's what it was. It was thrown together with edamame, green peppers, green onion, tofu, and pork.
This was actually baby watercress which makes it even more crisp than it usually is. If you've never had watercress, it has a distinct flavor and carries a slight bitterness to it sometimes.
So there's so much hustle and bustle about hairy crab in China. These things cost about USD$35 each and are very well known throughout China. I had to try it out to see what all the fuss is about and honestly, I thought it was ok. I would have much rather have a dungeness crab in San Francisco cause it would have had a lot more meat than this and would be comparable in flavor. It's something you should try once just to say you've tried it.
Verdict? All in all, it was a very delicious meal and I would go back again the next time I visit Suzhou. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a business card to let you guys know where it's located and I have no flippin clue where it even was so if you can read the Chinese on the cover of the menu in that first picture up above, you could probably ask your way around Suzhou and have someone give you directions here.
Hi there just a passerby and I'm really curious about the jellyfish dish!! Would be great if the recipe can be found!
ReplyDeleteAlso about the hairy crab... People eat hairy crab for the yellow paste thing in them and NOT the meat. Same reason for chinese to eat lobster and prawn heads...for the paste you know.