The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
April 26 - Dining in Xi'an
We allowed plenty of time to get through traffic, but it never really materialized so we had several hours to wait once we got to the airport. As we walked along "restaurant row" on the lower level of the terminal, we could see that one of the operations was holding a pre-shift meeting. Now I have done a lot of these -- and sat in on many more -- and I can honestly say that I have never seen one that looked like this (outside of the military!) Chinese businesses of all types are very big on uniforms.
Along the old city wall, in the area between the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower, are a lot of restaurants, many of them huge affairs. They are not shy about tooting their own horns, either. Lest there be any doubt that "The Legendary De Fa Chang Restaurant Is Renowned For Its Superior Delicious Dumplings," they remind you on their sign. What are you famous for? How are you reminding people of it?
Along that line (reminding folks about why they patronize you), we passed up De Fa Chang in favor of the Prosperity & Fortune Restaurant, another multi-floored operation. This one proudly displays its credentials at the door, creating one more reason to choose them over one of their competitors.
This place, at least on the main floor, is a no-frills sort of operation with tables pushed together to increase the seating density ... and it was packed! They are known for a local Xi'an type of soup that starts with the diners tearing up a special bread into small pieces. This proved to be surprisingly tiring work, but it is a Xi'an thing I guess. The staff takes the bowl of bread away and brings it back later filled with lamb broth, cellophane noodles and varoious veggies. The soup is really about the bread, not the lamb, and it is quite tasty.
The proximity of the tables effectively makes a group of four into a group of eight. Here are the newcomers to our dinner group. By the time I took these shots, they had polished off a liter of Moutai liquor (very nasty stuff) in addition to numerous liters of draft beer and were feeling no pain at all! We didn't have much in common as far as language went, but we traded toasts like we were old friends! Chance encounters like this are part of what makes travel such a wonderful adventure. It is always about the people!
© 2008 Restaurant Doctor
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