Chinese Restaurant 1
I grew up in a restaurant. I’d like to say my curiosity with Asian foods began when I’d stare at the condiment bottles in the kitchen, wondering what they were, but I’d be lying. The restaurant is where my love of eating was borne.
I was all over this bowl of Egg Flower Soup (with delicate egg whites, soft button mushrooms, and crunchy water chestnuts) at the Chinese restaurant we ate at during the road trip, just like I was years ago as a child.
And this Deep Fried Chicken, which tasted remarkably like my Grandma’s. Although I was feeling stuffed toward the end of the meal, I forced myself to eat another piece because I didn’t know how long it would be until the next time I got to eat the chicken. (My stomach can reason anything out.)
Oh! So I’m doing before and after shots…this is the after. The Food Moaner, our dining companion (an eight-year-old girl), and I did good with the fried chicken.
Honey Walnut Prawns. We hadn’t ordered this dish, but it was brought out anyway because I knew the restaurant owners. Can we say booyah!?
We didn’t make much of a dent in the prawns…mostly just some missing walnuts courtesy of the Food Moaner. For those unfamiliar with Honey Walnut Prawns, care to guess what a coating ingredient was? Answer at the end of this post.
The restaurant’s Special Chow Mein with barbecued pork, beef, celery, and carrots. (Yes, I was still most definitely experimenting with the DSLR.)
This mostly full after plate was a testament to how much food was bestowed upon us. I’d like to blame the only real change from the before plate—some noodles-over-the-plate-and-onto-the-table spillage—on the eight-year-old girl, except it was me.
A simple plate of Barbecued Pork Fried Rice.
I guess we all liked it.
Mixed Fresh Vegetables (broccoli, snow peas, button mushrooms, celery, carrots, water chestnuts, and fried tofu).
We all ate our veggies like good girls.
When the young one asked why I was taking photos of the sugar packets, I gave this explanation:
“When I was around your age, you know, back in the olden days—the 1980s? I used to refill the caddies. A waitress paid me a quarter for every refill.”
“I do that with the sugar, too,” she informed me. “And the soy sauce.”
Then she ended our conversation by going back to eating her fried chicken—smart girl for both things, I say—and I thought about what I could buy if I’d still had those quarters…things like Pocky…
* The Honey Walnut Prawns had a coating made with mayonnaise.
I’ll admit that I’d go straight for the veggies. I’m a veggie freak
Wei Wei
I remember that mayo walnut shrimp dish! Really fatty, the mayo. And yet, after the first time I ate it, the next time I went to a restaurant that had it, I wanted it again.
I like how the bowls/plates are shaped like clam shells. It’s like, “veggies on the half shell” (like oyster on the half shell.)
these are great! you should take me there after you give me my photoshoot…:p
Honey walnut shrimp is my husband favorite. I tried to make it at home couple times, shrimps never came out crispy enough so they got soggy in the sauce. I wonder what the secret is.
Wei Wei: I’m a veggie-lover, too. The only one I don’t like and maybe it doesn’t count because it’s a bean, is lima bean. I always pick it out of my bag of frozen veggies.
Lian: I really like all components of a Honey Walnut Shrimp dish…from the mayo-covered shrimp, to the toasted honey walnuts (sometimes covered with sesame seeds), to the shredded-lettuce base. And I usually eat about three pieces (while pushing aside my waistline-guilt).
Tool: I was thinking some of the foods look over-exposed. You would have come in handy, Tool, had you been next to me during my photo taking.
Chau: Yeah, crispiness adds to the yumminess of the shrimp. If I ever come across someone, like a restaurant cook, who knows how to make this dish, I’ll be sure to ask how to make it crispy and get back to you.