Typhoon Tangents

Unfortunately, my last few days in Shanghai I managed to find myself in the midst of a typhoon. While there were some sights that I still wanted to see, I had no intention of soaking through three layers of clothes in the process. So, I resorted to plan B: eat my way through Shanghai. Collin, a friend who I had made earlier that weekend, introduced me to some delicious takeout and probably the best soup dumplings I have ever had in my life. Miraculously, the takeout was delivered by hand in the poruing rain, but I guess to the people of Shanghai, it was just a light drizzle. 

View of Century Park and Shanghai skyline from my hotel in Pudong. 

My last meal was soup dumplings from Jia Jia Tang Bao with Collin.  This is a no frills dumpling house with made to order dumplings of all kinds. I managed to peak my head back into the kitchen to catch a few shots. I don't think I've ever seen fingers move that fast! I'm pretty sure we ended up going through 5 trays of dumplings on our own. And while I had to be practically rolled to the train to get to the airport from how full I was, my taste buds hadn't been that happy all trip. And, besides, I'm sure the dumplings were calorie free...

I ate up until the very last minute before I had to head to the airport, where I took the Maglev, which hits speeds hovering around 400 km/h (roughly 230 mph). I was a little sad to be leaving Shanghai after getting a sneak peak into the city. There are plenty of sights left to see, so I guess there will just have to be a next time. 

As a Duck Takes to Water

My overall impression of Beijing is a mixed bag. The city is very spread out and quite difficult to get around. Luckily, cabs are cheap and your hotel will usually write addresses in Chinese to avoid any confusion. Because of this, Beijing is the only city that I never took public transportation. In addition, the Chinese culture is very conservative and reserved and often came off as harsh. That, paired with the polution made for a difficult introduction to the city. But, once properly settled in, the history and cuisine balance out scales. While you might need someone to help translate and a tour guide for the major sights, Beijing is the gateway into the China that still remains somewhat of a mystery to most of us Westerners.

For my last dinner in Beijing, we had some very traditional cuisine at Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant. There are plenty of places to order duck in the city, but according to my sources, this is the very best restaurant to enjoy Peking's signature dish. The duck is carved table side and served with a large assortment of a accouterments including sugar, garlic sauce, and melon. To me, those were some unlikely combinations, but boy, I'm glad I tried every single one. 

Lots of other smaller dishes, with ingredients I have never heard of, were ordered as well. The highlights were a pear and vegetable soup and a traditional preparation of Chinese cabbage.

At the end of the day, I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had a friend who works in the city and took time out of his holiday to show me the sights. I think without this, I would have had a tough time appreciating all Beijing has to offer, which is more than meets the eye.