Monday, January 25, 2010

shabu shabu!

I’ve decided to download LiveWriter to my… I guess “step-aunt’s?” computer. Cause… I don’t want my posts to be ugly!

This will temporarily be a “food and culture” in addition to “food” blog. Cause Asia is radddddd.

Our first stop was the hair salon because Moony wanted me to get my hair did.

It is an exciting looking place.

DSCN0473

With a SHAMPOO MENU! I went for the tea tree, which smelled delicious. Getting your hair done is preceded by a RIDICULOUSLY skillful back and shoulder massage.

DSCN0474

You take a certain risk letting someone cut your hair when you do not speak the same language at all. Moony wanted me to have a new look… I look… new.

DSCN0477 

For dinner, we got HOT POT! Or Shabu Shabu.

DSCN0515

The place is called “Fat Calf”, and is apparently a very popular chain. Their menu explains how it all works.

DSCN0522

Inside was quite beautiful, with fresh flowers (they are everywhere here- it smells so good!)

DSCN0517

Carved wood…

DSCN0518

And big communal tables with the pot in the center:

DSCN0520

We got both kinds of broth in a kind of yin/yang bowl:

DSCN0523

And then they started bringin’ out the ingredients!

DSCN0525

Meat…

DSCN0531

Dried tofu that gets rehydrated in the broth…

DSCN0532    

Mushrooms atop my bowl of (obvi, this is Asia) rice

DSCN0527 Kebabs (these didn’t get dipped in the broth)- I tried beef, lamb, and chicken

Drinksies…        

DSCN0524 

Date tea (!) and “orange juice” which tasted like Tang and I passed off to my cousin and then replaced with:

DSCN0533

Sour plum juice! Like fruit juice and barbecue sauce, all at the same time. Weirdly refreshing.

DSCN0534  

It is bloody difficult to eat corn on the cob with chopsticks.

DSCN0530

Delicious bitter greens. I asked if there was an American name, and my stepmother didn’t think so. The Chinese name literally means “wife beater greens”! It’s based on a legend where some guy wanted his wife to cook him greens, and he gave her a huge pile of them, and she cooked them and they cooked down and it looked like there were less and… er…. Kind of a depressing story, but they are delicious!

And the food just keeps coming!

DSCN0528

Balls (the lighter one is some kind of fish, which was a little cartiledgey for my taste, but the darker one was a shrimp ball and was SUBLIME)

And

DSCN0535

Traditional dessert. Some kind of jellified fruity thing. So good!

DSCN0536

After dinner we went and admired the restaurant’s pond. Obviously. They have a pond.

Finally, look at my aunt’s cigarette pack:

DSCN0560 

Pregnant belly! For a few horrifying moments, I thought this meant this brand advertised itself to expectant mothers. But no. It’s just their surgeon general’s warning is a bit more dramatic than ours!

8 comments:

Jess said...

You are so pretty, girl! And love your eats. YUMMM!
<3 jess
xoxo

Tamara Marnell said...

You look fabulous! I have to admit that I think those models look bizarre--I don't understand why people with Asian complexions cut it choppy or die it brash colors--but you can carry it off. You look like an ingenue from a classic rom-com flick :D

Tasha said...

You look amazing! And what a wonderful dinner!

MelindaRD said...

Love the hair, looks great!!! I did hot pot there but my issue was that there was meat in it and I am veggie and if we had a table of all vegetarians would have been ok, but we didn't so I ate tuna out of a can that night. but in Las Vegas we have a place called swish (which is apparently what shabu translates too, or the sound it makes in the hot pot or something) and so we did seafood and veggies there with no problem.

Lily @ Lily's Health Pad said...

I adore your new hair cut! VERY cute.

Veggies, Cake & Cocktails said...

You look great!

What a fun looking place to eat. I would totally check it out.

Mo Diva said...

what a pretty face!

i want to go to there!!!

Penny said...

Corn on the cob with chopsticks.
Whoa.
I would starve to death.

But the food looks so amazing.
God Bless the Asians for thier food.