6 April 2013
Mapo Doufu
I didnt do very much tonight as I was saving my legs for the mountain hike tomorrow.
What I did do was go to the home of Mapo Tofu, or as its called in China, Dou Fu.
Apparently the spot where I ate it is where a woman invented it many years ago. It is however named after her husband, as thats the way the world works.
I presume the spot looked quite different back then, because now its quite a nice restaurant. I didnt even have to line up, I got seated across from another solo diner, a Chinese guy who didnt stop talking on his phone the entire time I was there.
The actual dish was nice, cheap at $2, the internet (tripadvisor) warned about it being like eating novocaine and various other stupid descriptions from people who must spend their entire life eating carboard. It was a nice balance of numbing and spicy, not anywhere close to some of the other stuff I have eaten here or in Australia for that matter.
I would probably go there again as the other things on their menu also looked nice.
And now I am running out of time to eat stuff, which is slightly annoying. Once you have been in a place for a while you start to see lots of things you want to try, the list seems to grow exponentially as you get more and more familiar. When I was first here a couple of weeks ago I couldnt find decent places, now I have a mental list of 9 I want to try before I go home! At best I can fit in maybe 3 of them.
The inside of the restaurant.
Its a little different to what is typically called mapo tofu in Australia, more oil, served in a hot pot with the oil still bubbling. I chose no rice, best way to eat real Chinese food is straight up!
My favourite accomponiment is cucumber, which is normally served with something other than being sliced and presented with hoi sin dipping sauce. Still it was very refreshing.
This sign is funnier if you know pinyin pronunciation, the guys name is very much wanker.
It was very clear this afternoon, with a proper blue sky. I saw parts of Chengdu I had visited previously in a completely new light. It is a very colorful city when the pollution allows for it.
I took a photo from the same spot 2 weeks ago. When I can be bothered I will compare it to this one to highlight the contrast. Or something like that.