Joni Arrives

Joni arrives

Half Japanese, half Chinese Joni is an interesting character. On one hand she is independent and tough (maybe a little mean), and on the other she embraces the Japanese Kawaii style, often dressing as if she were attending a tea party in the garden.

In the evening we all go to Yummy Tango for a nice dinner.

 

I ate this… I don’t know what it was… someone told me it had squid in it. It didn’t taste fishy to me. It tasted ok.

My companions had these sautéed mushrooms. Disgusting.

For a salad, I dined on Foie Gras Pâté, which is the fatty liver of a goose. I didn’t know what it was when I ordered it. Since it involves extended periods of animal cruelty to make, it’s nothing I would ever eat again. To make it they force feed a goose for several weeks to make it obese.
Served on spinach, garnished with greens and with 2 fried chips for spreading, it was delicious, with a meaty creamy texture. In fact the best way to describe it is meaty cream cheese.

My companions had Chicken Caesar Salads

I had a beautifully cheesy Cheddar Potato Soup. Excellent, especially considering how hard good cheese is to come by in China. In a fancy place… is it acceptable to rip apart the bread bowl with your hands?

My companions had this mystery squash soup.

My entree, Roast Duck Breast and Onions, garnished with a tomato, steamed broccoli and pickled apple. It was insanely tender with a crispy skin. Baked, but with the flavor of fried. Big thumbs up.

One of my companions opted to eat a Pig’s Foot, which comes diced off the bone. I tried it… it was a gelatinous mix of fat and oil with a salty pork flavor. Easily one of the most disgusting textures i had to chew so i could swallow it quickly. The flavor was great, but that texture… I just could not handle it.

My other companion had the this beautiful grilled steak.

My dessert, a surprisingly dense but lightly sweet chocolate cake.

This custard is topped with a nest of sugar strands, a nice twist on creme brulee.

A light fruit-topped yogurt.

The price for this 5 course, full service meal, plus designer drink: about $15 per person

 

Some lights in a mall.

Out with girls for dinner, which means they have to stop ever few feet and make me take photos. Here is Jing.

Having spent a large chunk of her life in Japan, Joni was enjoying the sights in China.

Me in front a Japanese restaurant. We didn’t go there. I don’t know why they wanted to take my photo in front of it.

We hit the streets and explore.
This is a pretty cool mall… small floors with not many shops, but several floors

A much larger mall with a triangular layout.

Each shop is small, and very specialized.

I saw these through a pet store seafood supply store window

On the street, small family run shops show off their fresh Hot Pot ingredients.

Jing poses on Chunxi Rd, which is Chengdu’s “Times Square”

Jing and Joni

Joni

Swenson’s is a Californian ice cream joint. What it’s doing in an alley in Chengdu is a mystery to me.

See any flavors that wouldn’t go over well in the states? I see 2.