New Entry: Han Dynasty

I revisited Han Dynasty this month.

http://www.wonderbirmingham.co.uk/birmingham/handynasty3_en.html



Unfortunately, this visit wasn't as good as the previous ones for the reasons I explained in the review, but it was not as bad as to make me stop visiting.

How much do you pay for a dinner out?

I had a very confusing experience tonight (yes, about just a couple of hours ago).

A friend and I met up for a drink after work. She said we should go dinner before Christmas, and after come considerations and happenings, we decided to go actually tonight. She suggested Michelle La Bastille, but I opposed as 1) it should be Christmas dinner season, and 2) I did not like the food when I ate there 3 years ago (the food now might be well different, but might not).

So I suggested to go to Chinese and took her to Han Dynasty, which I like very much and consider as a good-value (not cheap, but get better fare for what I pay) restaurant.

It was absolutely heaving, but luckily enough we managed to get a table which has just liberated.

But, when she saw the menu, she started to complain, saying "Expensive!", "It should be more than £15", "Does this price include rice?" And in the end, "I don't want to pay more than £5". So we left.

What I did not understand is if her budget was £5, why did she bother to ask me to dine out in Christmas season. She isn't foreigner. She was born here and close to 50 years old.

Outside the restaurant, she tried to explain how she could eat at Michelle's under a tenner. Listening her, I said to myself: "So what? I ate at Han Dynasty under a tenner a few days ago". I did not tell her, but I did point out that there is no way you could do the same at Michelle's during the Christmas dinner season.

£5 a pop category, the best I like is Tung Lok, but it was closed. Arcadian Palace was closed as well. So we ended up in New Sum Ye.

She ordered one of the cheapest chicken and rice dish (£4.50), and I got Stir-Fried Ho Fun with Beef (£4.80) plus Chinese tea for 70p.



Food was fine for the price and the portion was generous, but it wasn't a quite the same thing as what I would eat at Han Dynasty or at Red 'N Hot.

The good thing is that I finished the obligation to go to dinner with her. I hope it won't happen ever again. It is so difficult to dine out with someone else. I really should keep on dining-out alone.

New Entry: Shangri-La 香鍋里辣

Went back to Shangri-La, Szechuan restaurant in Station Street, behind New Street Station, after 8 months or so and wrote an update.

http://www.wonderbirmingham.co.uk/birmingham/shangrila1_en.html




Well, actually, there was nothing much to up-date; the food and service are still good and even the price remains the same! They seem to resist the temptation to sell Chinese Hot Pot, which I don't care very much. In food wise, I prefer some other places, but if I have to take people who are not particularly familiar with 'authentic' Chinese food, I might come here for good service and approachable food.

Return of the Wokmania

Walking in Chinatown Friday evening, I picked up a flier.

Surprise surprise. It was a flier of Wokmania. Yes, that Chinese buffet restaurant in Hurst street, closed down earlier this year. For a while there was a poster promising opening of an "Exciting New Restaurant" on the window.

Now, the new restaurant turned out to be the old Wokmania. This photo was taken today (16 Nov. 2008, Sun.)



A friend walking with me Friday night warned me off as she had not eaten well in the old Wokmania, but, checking the food through the glass wall today, it did not look particulary unappetising comparing other Chinese buffet places. Or, rather, it looked rather good and plenty. [NOTE: please don't take me wrong; I am speaking within the category of cheapo Chinese buffet places].

As I got the flier, I can even tell you how much it costs.

Lunch: noon-5:00, £6.99 (Mon-Sat), choice of over 50 dishes
Dinner: 5:00-23:00, £12.99, choice of over 70 dishes
Sunday buffet: noon-22:00, £8.99, choice of over 70 dishes

There is a significant reduction for children. Under 4 eat free, between 4 and 11 £2.99, between 12 and 16, £4.99. Students with student ID also get better deal: lunch & Sunday buffet for £6 and dinner for £10.

I have an impression that the price has increased by £1 (correct me if I am wrong), but if the quality measures up, people won't complain.

New entry: Red 'N Hot

As I wrote in the last post, Red 'N Hot in Hurst Street has removed its signage. I went there to see what was going on. Didn't actually bother to ask, but it should be part of the refurbishment and rebranding project.

Read my review here: Red 'n Hot

Now the interior decor is much improved and the English translation of the menu has been totally rewritten. Positive move!

Two Signages on Hurst Street

This Sunday, I was in Chinatown to eat my lovely noodles. Passing in front of Red 'n Hot restaurant, I could not fail to notice they stripped off their signage.



It used to look like this.



The former signage looked doing its job, although it iwasn't particularly elegant. Why did the removed it? Weird.


Also Maharaja on the same Hurst Street changed it.

This is new one.



And this is how it used to look.



This old one was pretty new, and I don't think it last more than a year.

What is happening?

Chinese Roast Duck

As it happened last Saturday, we could not go out to have lunch in Chinatown because of rain this Saturday either. Damn!

But, eventually, we went out and, being quite unable to eat something Chinese, I decided to take out a Chinese roast from one of Cantonese places in Chinatown.

I am not particularly keen on the spices used for the Chinese roast, but today I wanted to eat duck, so I compromised.

I ordered half a duck for £8.50.

I looked carefully how the cook chop up the duck (you can buy it un-cut, but as it is quite boney, it is better have it cut). He separated the brest from the leg, and threw away some pieces of fat. Oh my God! It was such a fatty bird!

This is a close-up.





Do you see the white fat under the crispy skin? Yes, that is what I am talkin' about! When you bite into it, the liquid fat fills your mouth.

Mmmmmm. Heaven...

And don't forget the meat. They say that for the Peking (Beijing) duck, all you can eat is the skin and the meat is for dogs. It is not the case for this type of roast. The meat is perfectly moist and tasty. Mmmmmmmmm again.

The smell of the Chinese spices wasn't overpowering either. It was a subtle, complex flavour.

Although it is super-good, I cannot eat it in big quantity (which is a normal portion for other people) and take-away looks to be the best solution. Buy a portion and eat it in some installments. How clever I am! Ha ha ha!

Coconut & Sago Drink @ Chinatown Noodle Bar

With alternating rain and sunshine, we decided not to go out at lunch time yesterday giving up idea of enjoying usual Chinese meal in Birmingham Chinatown.

We went out in the afternoon instead, and went to Chinatown all the same to buy this.



This is Sago (=tapioca) and coconut drink. Some Cantonese cafes of this area sell it, and this one is from Chinatown Noodle Bar. £1.50 for a small cup (the one in the photo) and £3 for a large cup. You can either eat in or take out for the same price.

The girl at the counter said there was only L size as they ran out of small cups, but I was not confident to be able to finish a large cupful. The girl, seeing me almost leaving, decided to look for a small cup, and rather predictably, she found one. I don't think she was trying to cheat, but they were rather busy at that moment and she did not want to lose time in searching for small cups.



Unfortunately, the small cup is not transparent, so you cannot see tapioca. There are small opaque tapioca mixed with thick and sweet coconut drink. It is a very popular dessert/drink in South East Asia (pudding version contains more tapioca and less coconut liquid).

It was as good as I expected, and filling as well; I would not have finished, if I had bought a large cup.

If you like sweet, coconuty stuff, and have never tried this, I recommend you to look our for one, when you happen to be in Chinatown.

Cakes from a Chinese bakery

The other day, I bought some cakes from the China Court Bakery in Birmingham Chinatown, as there was something to celebrate. I had bought bread from them but this is the first time I bought sweets.

They sell cakes by slices as well as whole. There were about 10 types to choose from, and I got a cheese cake (left) and a mango cake (right)



This is how it looks like from the side.




There are layers of mango mousse and slices sponge cake. They tasted fresh and were very light. For £1.80 a slice it does not come cheap, but not too steep either.

I saw also blue cream cakes. Interesting.

I bought also these pies. £3 for 4 pieces, they are rather expensive.



The label said it contained "custard", but it actually contained something we would call egg york paste.



There was also another version with lotus seed paste for the same price. They were also fine, and I thought they would keep a good company to green tea.

And I bought also Chinese egg tarts. 6 pieces for £3, they were bargain.



I gave them all to other people and they said that they enjoyed them. I need to try them by myself.