Tag: meat

The OG of Hot Pot Was Pure Pain

M's Adventures
Two spicy broth, one tom yum, and one bone.

The lunar, Chinese, new year is February 17 to March 3 this year. Here is a memory of eating Chinese hotpot last year.

The OG (original gangster — a name from the 1970s for the “original”) of hot pot is a place called Hai Di Lao.

We ordered too much.

The first Hai Di Lao restaurant was opened in Sichuan, China, in 1994. Now it is a global chain with over 1,000 locations. When in Flushing, New York, we had to go.

Selection of meats.

First, even if you think you can hack spicy, go lower. We got the spiciest and the pain for the next, sleepless, 12 hours was not worth it. Never again (I hope I remember this next time!).

More stuff, from lotus root, tofu skin, dumplings, etc.

Second, make a reservation. The location in Flushing is massive. We were at table 89. The place is fun for families and there are treats in the waiting room (fresh soy milk! wowza).

Multi level swinging shelves.

Third, remember that you can order more… don’t go all out first time round. Remember to order the hand pulled noodles so that you get some good video of the guy spinning around and flipping noodles at you like a lasso.

Chicken skin.

Fourth, enjoy the aprons. It helps with the mess (and drooling?).

My dipping sauce bowl.

As you may know, sichuan peppercorns and other chiles are addictive. So while I enjoyed the spicy hot pot, I could not sleep that night and the pain in my tummy was too much.

A final note on OG. I always thinks it stands for original goat.

Lost in the Alleys of Adana

M's Adventures

One day, I set out to find a well known “pilaf” eatery in old Adana. I had read that they were often sold out so one should go early. I got there at around ten thirty in the morning. They told me, “Come in, come in” but as there was no food, I said that I would come back after they opened at 11 am.

A quiet street in the inner warrens of Old Adana.

As I needed to find something to do for a half hour, I turned down an alley… in broad daylight, I generally do not feel apprehensive. The old streets of Adana are usually empty, sometimes foul smelling, worn down, and there is always a tea “shop” to be had. Today’s alleys were much the same but in one there was a man putting something in a grinder. It looked like green powder or grass powder. He looked annoyed at me so I did not stop to ask him what he was doing.

Wood stools.

Another thing I find fascinating is the variety of small stools. Today, I saw a saddle style that I had never seen before. In general, even if there is no tea shop or cafe, there will still be some stools and flat surface in or around every place of business. There are an innumerable tea boys and men running around delivering tea. Tea is a social habit, sort of like a handshake, in Adana.

Always tea.

While I was wandering around, I suddenly noticed raw meat on display, from lungs, stomach, testes, feet, and head. The heads were being blowtorched. Not sure how those heads were going to be prepared as one can get head soup, head sandwich, head cold cuts, and roast head. So many ways and apparently the cheek, tongue, and brain are the tasty bits. Am I right? (This makes me think of a “cute” street vendor in Istanbul who has been going viral because of his looks. He isn’t all that cute… anyway, there is a shop selling sheep head here in Adana that has employed that same marketing strategy. They have hired a cute “chef” who preps the sandwiches. Since they started featuring him, the views on their social media have increased exponentially.)

Sheep’s heads. And a woman.

As I walked through the meat market, sellers were calling out, “Welcome,” but I was not interested in buying any meat. I was also trying to make sure that I didn’t slip and fall on the slick tiles. Also, I noticed that there were only men shopping and only men working. I guess everywhere, butchery is a male dominated business. But, I was also in “the Egyptian Mall” and that could also be the reason that there were not many women around.

The meat market.

On the side streets of the meat market, there were lots of shops selling everything for grilling and cooking meat from knife stores to grinding equipment stores and some that sell everything but the meat. Aside from meat, there were the usual cell phone stores, sneaker stalls, cigarette stalls, and oddly, fake money stalls…

A grilling store.

In this warren of alleys, one could easily get lost, but not really because this area is only one city block. Eventually, one pops out on a “modern Adana” street again.

A street in the old town of Adana.

Another time, I’ll talk about the pilaf eatery and the dramatic stories of love, family, and money woes from some of the staff there.

10 Things To Eat and Drink in South Africa

M's Adventures

Steak, venison, filet, bone marrow, and game meat. Okay, also drinks. While there is lots to eat that is vegetarian, South Africa is delight for meat eaters. Not only is there a lot of meat on the menu, it is not expensive, and there is a great variety. One can have a full steak dinner for 20 bucks. Tip is ten percent.

Let’s start with the sweet tooth.

Malva pudding: It’s a dessert sort of like sticky toffee pudding in England, except that Malva is made with apricots instead of dates so it is not as sweet. Just kidding. It is served with custard rather than toffee sauce, and that is what makes it less sweet.

Malva pudding with distinctive custard sauce.

Wine: Wine tasting is a big thing to do in South Africa. They have so much wine.

Amarula: is a liqueur sort of like Baileys. The urban legend is that the elephants were getting drunk off the fermented fruit of the Amarula tree and the humans got inspired to try it.

Amarula shots.

Biltong: is dried meat, like jerky, but it can be soft like dried mango in texture. The South Africans don’t like it when you say it’s jerky…

Bunny chow: is curry in a loaf of white bread. South Africa has immigrants from South Asia so there is lots of curry.

Bunny chow.

Kudu: is a kind of deer, or DLC, deer like creature (as one South African calls anything that can be turned into biltong). Delicious.

Eland: another edible hoofed animal. Bigger and delicious. Maybe the most delicious.

Bone marrow: is served a lot here. Maybe it’s a fad.

Bone marrow.

Roosterkoek: is a kind of bread a bit like a bun that is grilled so it gets good smoked char and deep grooves for absorbing taste. The bread is a yeasty bread so I liked it. Crunchy and yeasty. Now we are talking.

Roosterkoek.

Calamari (chokka): in South Africa are often served as “fingers” and is probably made from the local Cape Hope squid. It is exceptionally tender. No rubber bands here! See below.

Calamari sticks that match the fries.
The square things are “rusks” which are dried bread.

M’s Adventures in South Africa

M's Adventures
At Betty’s Bay.

South Africa is known for safaris, Capetown, penguins, the garden route, where the two oceans meet, and wine country. If you want to get inspired, I recommend a South African Youtube channel called “Like a Tourist” (I think they may soon run tours as well). Get inspired by the lesser known parts of South Africa, shown with excellent cinematic skill, by a native. I got inspired to go to Barrydale Hand Weavers, but otherwise, I relied on the recommendations of a friend who lives there… If you want to do what I did, then I’ve listed it below. Note: I will write about these places in separate blog postings in the next six months.

My itinerary:

You might make eye contact with a lion.

Safari –– Four night safari at Madikwe Hills: Madikwe is a private game reserve to the north of Pretoria. It is a four hour drive of which the last hour or so is inside the game reserve (so you will be on your own game drive!). Madikwe Hills is a luxury safari lodge (Think in the $500 per night and up range). I will write more about Madikwe in a separate article. I highly recommend them. I will write about safari in a separate article.

The view of the “game drive” vehicle at our luxury lodge.

The Garden Route — two nights in each — Capetown, Hermanus, and Knysna:

Breakfast view of the back of Table Mountain, at the Vineyard Constantia hotel.

Capetown: We stayed at the Vineyard, not in downtown Capetown, and it was a lovely hotel with views of table mountain. While in Capetown, we went to the Cape of Good Hope (the “southernmost” point of Africa — actually location is Cape Agulhus which is 90 miles away), we did fancy dinners (Chef’s Table at the Beau Constantia Vineyard and Belly of the Beast). We took Uber (your account will work here too) as to avoid driving, drinking and driving, and parking nightmares. We flew to Capetown on Safair, a domestic airline, and two things to note about that — it is possible to take liquids onto your domestic flights so load up on your coffee or tea — and you can reserve the middle seat for not so much money thus making it a pleasant flight. While in Capetown, you can go up the cable car to Table Mountain. Some days you will see nothing but we were lucky with sunshine. The cool thing about the funicular is that it rotates! So you will get a good view wherever you are standing when you get in. The ride is short (five minutes?) but the line is long (buy the VIP passes). Check out the botanical gardens.

There is also a restaurant at the botanical gardens.

Hermanus: We drove to a secret spot to see penguins (Betty’s Bay, on the way to Hermanus, and park at the Stony Point Penguin Colony entrance — you will still see penguins even when the colony is closed. It’s an insider’s secret!), did wine tastings (more to come on those later), and stayed at the Marine One hotel. The staff are helpful, the penthouse is large with a view of the whale-filled bay, but there are no elevators). The staff there can help you get to your whale watching and wine tasting. This is the place for whale watching.

Penguins hanging out on the beach.
Amazing views along the Garden Route.

Knysna (‘nice-naw’): This is a place to see the Knysna Headlands (I really liked the East Head Cafe), enjoy a sailboat ride, eat seafood, shop at Old Nick Village (a small outdoor shopping area including Mungo and their workshop), visit Barrydale for the drive and the shopping, and explore other shopping opportunities such as a farmers market. We stayed at Mount Knysna which has amazing views (and an elevator) and very nice rooms (the presidential suite has an extra bedroom).

View of the Heads from Mount Knysna hotel.

Another national park and small town — Clarens: Not on my list, but I went along with it. The town is known for being a cute artsy town, for the local hikes, amazing vistas in the national park (Golden Gate is not just in California), and a fun pitstop on the way to Lesotho. We stayed at the Marriott in town because then the town square and delicious restaurants were within walking distance (five minutes), but you can stay at a castle or a palace, or something more rural. Up to you. There is lots of do in Clarens, from dinosaur hunting, hiking, gin tasting, brewpub visiting, and cheese tasting. I had the most delicious Italian food there. The owner is from Bologna.

Golden Gate park in Clarens.

Pretoria: See the government building and giant statue of Mandela, have clothes made (or not), enjoy the malls, the low prices for steak ($20 for a steak dinner) and other meat. Enjoy the jacaranda trees in bloom in spring.

Tender meat at cheap prices everywhere! This was a happy hour snack while on safari.

What time of year to visit? I went in October which is spring but the temperature varied depending on where we were. Some days it was unseasonably hot in the 90s F (35 C) and other days it was down to 50 F (15 C). The baby elephants and jacarandas are a springtime thing. Whale watching is in the spring.

Jacaranda trees in bloom because it was spring.

Barbecue, the All American Way

M's Adventures

Discussing barbecue or bbq can lead to arguments. There are strong opinions of what is true barbecue. Experts will tell you tales of smoke, heat, wood, water, fire, dry or wet, brine or no brine, cut, butt, baby back ribs, spare ribs, pork shoulder, brisket, beef ribs, East coast, Carolina, Florida… the terminology goes on and on. Plus now in the DC area, there is Korean and Salvadoran barbecue and all the fusions in between.

Barbecue is quintessentially American. The word comes from the native word barbacoa from the island of Hispaniola (today’s Haiti and Dominican Republic). The idea is that long slow applications of heat will improve tough cuts of meat. Everyone used to use all the parts of the animal and turn them into sausages etc. but here are the most famous types (for a good read, try this article) explained simply:

Carolina style is pork usually slow smoked for 12-20 hours, served pulled apart, tossed in a vinegar dressing, and served in a bun.

Memphis style is pork ribs (and shoulder) in a dry rub. The shoulder is pulled and served in a bun.

Top platter has chicken, Texan brisket, Memphis style pork, Carolina style pulled pork, sausage, and turkey.

Texas is all about beef. Brisket is the most famous type but there are also tri-tips. The best barbecue in the DC area is 2fifty.

Brisket can be as juicy as this but it is hard to find. This was at Rose’s Luxury years ago.

Kansas City was once the meat packing center of the US. The barbecue here is ribs with sauce.

Kansas style ribs on the upper left smothered in sauce, pulled pork, sauce, coleslaw, brisket, sausage, and wings. Fries in this style are a new fusion-y thing.

Apart from the meat, the sides are a big part of barbecue. I once had the best garlic coleslaw at a barbecue joint in Texas. I tried to buy the sauce but they said that it was only for eating in the restaurant. Darn.

Every year there are barbecue competitions and secrets about sauce, rub mix, and every other element are guarded in bank vaults.

If you are here on Memorial Day weekend, enjoy the smell of outdoor parties.

Vegan Restaurants in Lima

M's Adventures

b-9SqtGuypabK3fyZCyne8G_VrX3AhDJqri-sK7NkmkUzYIShTflpULlq_9uSfTPBBSK02gx0DlS0DCDVCldhtpu-v7zTWavThmbQSahfzVGo22Sq9sjM7tKR4dQy-XKCIuayrpI6cliMp8N8PE4Ve5zHfESmqZSvLyNnB41oU7154v2SuWxVyG2f2Vegan food in Lima? Yes, apparently. I asked some vegans for their list of places to eat. This blog posting is cribbed off of their list (though, I think you can ask at any place and then can probably make it vegan for you.)

Miraflores:

Raw Café (also in Surco), Calle Independencia 587

El Jardín de Jazmín, Av La Paz 838

Bao!, Manuel Bonilla 105 (has 2 vegan options)

Veda Restaurante, Av. Schell 630

Tierra Santa, Av. Schell 354 (has various vegan options)

Seitan–Urban Bistro, Calle Alfonso Urgarte 150

La Verde, Bío Factoría, Calle Gral. Recavarren 315

there are several restaurants right around La Verde that also offer vegan food

Armonica Café, Mariscal La Mar 1167

Trattoria dei Prati, Cantuarias 239, Miraflores: They wiill make changes in their menu to accommodate for vegans

Panchita, Calle 2 de Mayo 298, Miraflores, has a great salad bar with lots of vegan options, as well as a number of side dishes that fit the bill.

Rasson, Calle Gral Mendiburu 1007, Miraflores

Jeronimo, Av Mariscal La Mar 1209, Miraflores: Also, guessing that they can make vegan considering the international experience of the owner.

Statera, Av. Mariscal La Mar 463: They have some delicious items that happen to be vegan. You could probably challenge the chef into making an all vegan menu…

Veggie Pizza: They will probably also accommodate vegans if you ask them.

San Isidro:

Cosme, Tudela y Varela 162, San Isidro: Ask them.

IJtv9MdP9IW8txeYKJCq1sxdNa3GjwVwRqRVzpLecB1W8aXBMjEOAexjycD6KBPudMnq5cl_u0z-xaq2EwuqzXYwYJnyqoTVdSFPc9O12tIQUVwBWZeQmGgmh7cLPHUUJU1o6p4_LJiE3aojkpTLkPV6zl7GdoXX42bwkAXkNhyYm7qbnHXMdY4pFd

Barranco:

Germinando Vida, Av Almirante Miguel Grau 209A, Barranco  (Possibly closed…)

Las Vecinas, Domeyer 219, Barranco

La Isolina, Av San Martin 101, will make you vegan food if you ask for it.

Veggie Pizza: This is a chain so there is also a location in Barranco. This location is right under the chocolate shop (and many of the chocolates are vegan…)

WThYwZC_-QnGLtfH1A6RFVsaKnuQI5zOgP0HoTOZUA47R0HCk1Eng-Ktr5FGSbPz7MeTlW_87_uZPMdsafsJW1irmdvwfaQ8VgRhDXkzoXVfz8BT3MsKxV65rOC7P7nqPWL1bHJK7zBFuuIoViumunLqcBGfL_fBLcTQ_6wTokkl1PBhrMwuldlYygSan Borja:

Mozart Cafe, Av. Primavera 605, San Borja,  also has a massive salad bar.

Given the rise of the Peruvian food culture, I would guess that most restaurants on my list of 100 restaurants to try can do various vegan options (You can ask, “tiene platos veganos?” or “tienes opciones para veganos?”) Let me know what you try by commenting on my blog.

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The German Butcher – Santo Domingo

M's Adventures

cyx-x2bmFSuPLKhvULzBVF0Z7e4aypsMdUNYLCfW2Cw0oktUK2GV3KlBKusza3lWdeUQPWgk66BszbDwsdIDUeZOu7cpfRM2f_cBm4P2onHmCCXUvujh2MbPfr43muE1ooKqDCiLDWiyzGdm2QB0QwVVXlvUJlAQA4W2aoB0XIG8W-CipxBshxR8AcThe larger than life Jamaican woman is the event. Sure, go for the ribs and potatoes too. Plus the German beer. But, mainly, it’s a good place to drink and carouse. Carolina, the Jamaican German who owns this place makes this one of those places where you feel welcome. (If you like fancy places, look away now.) 4IfY3rgceTBzv52wtBVsnyg1-JMDvIZU_hPoU63Yq_2YXCOoAIJvktbfLg5V6jTXmuyRxu3_-IFawD3rf61Sl8rx-9CVs6hsZOWfOvzReaKSGqj-TqI6CzznQ_zJLpii70LC7tvd3GXntrP23Z1ad4LZRKn7sC13vO39CYiVuGYEUuAY-nS-bzNo3kIt’s a self service sort of place, or rather, self order. There are various men and boys, like the baker’s son, who will deliver your food to you, but you order stuff inside. This is a place where the water is the most expensive item on the menu. A lunch plate for two of ribs and potatoes (split open like hot cross buns and soaked in chives and butter), with meatball thrown in, cost around 545 pesos ($10). The potatoes are golden mega-nuggets of comfort. dKyW3Z0F5ScYrVCE2B2_a2ZgPcuqOMqagSa4dCGyirfHzM23BSUxqVfX6ttvA2QKaROvBCtd90BnQL9Dvpish3l-W6e6HNqmpZZTDGmdabD6F7d3OEpxR4P3K_wPdEfCQbbKmzyBO27WjGYF5W0cIu0FJsYBrLJJPw3YjCeqpuXGfklwXNa2sDDDu1Carolina (great name for a lady who serves barbecue) serves grilled ribs, sausages, meatballs, and she sells them too. The addictive potatoes are the accompaniment, and when she remembers, there is sauerkraut. The only sauce is a sweet mustard, unless she remembers to make a chili sauce. When I asked for chili sauce, she brought me the tiniest chili peppers (they were under an inch in size) to chew on. I did. equF8p2QC-z4cMp90v8eGMDR2Dgrxo8KRz11pbiwraaeYdwW7z94B5Zwj4KH5bQSQDdKPi474sF8kryvDKXC-YxymlDezd6wq-u-vxxqdXzl50AHVa1yNfbfJQnhnILwYj9BsvJqGehy0KCTA6ATRcLqYboEw91fR-2AhaXSP1oWJRixdo7PyQwSOuThe location is on a street off the malecon (coast road): Calle Hermanas Mirabal, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. This place is easy to find on Google. Once you find the street, the restaurant is a few hundred yards up the street, next to another stall. The German place is quite large with a small beer garden feel. There are lots of fans and shade to keep you cool if the icy cold beer doesn’t. Inside, you order your food at the deli counter and the beers at the other corner. They will keep track on a chit and you pay when you leave. Not sure about credit cards as I paid cash. Inside, the German Baker had a table set up selling his breads. He sells pretzel bread and many other items.NVQSSpyyO7z3DETLop7Ubg-IgttbdQgqSj3oE7Xh_BItfsI35xfrtpER9AUHbdG7u2I1pYx3FSHS-4SMBFR21ZRoJZeixa8LEIz5ViokrvuRLEmX_XqGPA03Lhj2WTxaLtPtrCY5kAykAjrOm1kBjipFSKj1sr5pZVb3soqn2OROOoGHIZPq7syDMXYou can’t miss it as Carolina will be the LOUD large lady yelling and singing in Spanish, German, and English. She likes to talk dirty and flirt in a big way. If you get there before noon, she may be less racy. May. Be. She does thirsty work so we bought her many a beer and she sat with us, in between bursts of hugging, dancing, or yelling!G4O-1szHb3JClupnPexDTRYgR_SZbv1XTWS129bHm1un25vj4SecDzr8o1mjRhGgigITtTIIpJjIqQ3NL-ZcvgxXB8fFCt31VtdPxKEfueiIylnW8snOEhm6KcauhQ7Wrg07_fuC4Yg1EapsMPM7VgupIPjyf-OEBSPo9iyMKTDnd11-dNFd7Snv6mSometimes there is entertainment, other than Carolina, and that will bring about more carousing. Despite this place being “famous” — it doesn’t feel super touristy. Maybe because Anthony Bourdain hasn’t been here.gucL1lJ-qUxTveLWr4Nbitq16LLWqfQd9PwAh_DfamRlORCDVJCnp2-Vei98_2jb6M2vhzfKOPeDfqyUzUikXHvuxS9uYMVezbI_7T1dq6mJ4hYBdv78nWmUiKkvgLY18owc9MnLl0lRxXjrZcg3kINNb8XoSrHbBAnaG-FzjM5E9P7yPNMrcW_laoIf I lived here, I would probably be here every Saturday. EqHVIBHIwgvEEHOiBIeJuE72323iPlIEP3nw8hYxSKmbl-6Gg4LNYWT6IffXhm__tSe4A-NXmrUAkypUsDdF5jsvh6AaVZlD6a7MQaH9yBNGoeQvxyLyhvdlgU14t95ufZPmP2YXE2yHMqfQJC--iQaRtz__0zkEsUCjaZks5xY4u7ALbvoGksk0sE

Koller – My Butcher in Bogota

M's Adventures

The Koller butchery in Bogota.
The Koller butchery in Bogota.

As an expat, it can take a while to venture out and find all the “bare necessities” like bacon. My go-to place for meat is a butcher shop called “Koller” and it’s located near the corner of Carrera 15 and Calle 95 (not sure what the exact address is but it’s easier to remember 15 and 95). The building’s facade is blue so it’s easy to find once you know where it is. Also, usually there’s a avocado cart outside, but this doesn’t distinguish it from other street corners.

I use Koller's beef when I serve bulgogi at home.
I use Koller’s beef when I make bulgogi although the meat doesn’t really need marinating.

When you go inside, it’s so sort of like shopping in Ye Olde Europe. Shopping is a three stage process. There are chairs in the center of the shop for those who are not actively shopping. Right inside the door is a red number dispenser (just like in Europe) and once your number is called or is visible on the flashing sign, you go round the butcher shop’s meat counters from right to left. First is the counter with cuts of beef. Then, as you move to your left, with the butcher lady mirroring your move on the other side of the counter, you reach the pork, deli meats, sausages, hotdogs, bacon, pates, and so on. All the meats are prepared by Koller and other grocery stores and restaurants advertise that they carry Koller brand hotdogs or ham. The butcher lady puts all your meat in a plastic basin. When you move to the sandwich stand and checkout, another person will ring you up. Then you take the chit from that person over to the cashier which completes the circle around the room. Once you’ve paid (you can pay by credit card), you go back to the checkout and get your (now) bagged meat. The security guard offered to help carry my bag to my car.

I find the prices at Koller to be slightly less than in the U.S. as I’ve bought three pound filet for about $30. The shop is very clean and the only part that is a big strange is that you can’t buy just a part of the tenderloin. All or nothing. They do have pre-cut pieces so I guess one could buy those. I just buy the whole thing and cut them myself. The bacon is almost without fat so it cooks up really fast. It’s more like Danish bacon or pancetta.

This is where I get my chiles.