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It's our last day in Shantou, and we didn't get out of bed as early as originally planned. BUT we learned our lesson yesterday so we went out for coffee before breakfast. We went back to my new favorite
Pickles and Coffee (咸菜咖啡) for another hit, only this time I didn't order the namesake drink again.
Yashi cold brew with osmanthus (桂花鸭屎香冷萃) - with cold brew made with single origin coffee beans from Yunnan (雲南), Yashi (鴨屎香) tea, osmanthus syrup from Morin, dried osmanthus flowers, and garnished with a piece of osmanthus candy. This was, effectively, the Chiuchow version of
yuenyeung (鴛鴦) - but an elegant, high-end version. I love osmanthus flowers and the fragrance they leave in one's mouth.
We were supposed to have arrived at
Xinghua Wu Ji (杏花吴记) shortly after they opened at 9:30 a.m. so that we could have beef hot pot for
breakfast and fit in a lunch somewhere else. That didn't happen, unfortunately, and we ony got there around 11 a.m. So a second lunch was out of the question...
There was already a horde of people waiting to be seated, and larger groups were standing outside the restaurant waiting for their number to be called. Thankfully we did not have to do that, as parties of two could walk straight upstairs and get in a shorter line. We were seated in just a few minutes, sharing a room with another couple.
Chaoshan cuisine is famous for their fresh beef hot pot, so we decided to order up rare cuts we don't often see in Hong Kong. We each get our own pot with a pretty clear broth.
Beef tenderloin (吊龙) - this is a prized cut when it comes to Chaoshan beef, and of course we had to have some. Each cut of meat comes with a plate showing the name of the cut as well as the recommended cooking time.
Tt was always going to be nice and tender. However, it's a cut we already know, so there were no surprises.
Top blade (匙柄) - my first time coming across this cut in hot pot.
The texture was very nice, in that the cut was thick enough to deliver a nice bounce, while remaining very tender.
Hind shank (五花趾) - the pattern easily distinguishes this as beef shank, but the "five flower toe" comes from the hind legs.
Very crunchy texture because of the tendons.
Sternum cartilage (胸口油) - there was never any question of ordering this, as we both love it and don't see this often enough.
Very crunchy as expected, and the collagen melts during cooking and ends up coating our lips and tongue.
Fried tofu skin (响铃) - it is traditional to dunk these into the pot, but the truth is the oil in these tasted a little rancid...
Beef tendon balls (牛筋丸) - can't leave without getting some balls...
Love the crunchy bits of tendon inside.
Chuck flap (匙仁) - another cut we've never seen before.
The cut here is thinner than the top blade. The texture was also pretty nice.
Obviously the 8 seconds printed on the plate was just a guidance. this slice looked done in less than 6 seconds.
Tsingdao Original 13° (青島啤酒原漿) - Foursheets noted that they serve my favorite beer, so of course we took it. Perfect for hot pot.
We went downstairs to buy some frozen goodies to bring home, and the lobby was just a mob... with even more people outside on the sidewalks waiting to get in. We enjoyed our lunch, but it would have been better to come with a bigger group. Next time!
We have one more stop to make before leaving Shantou, and we crossed town yet again to do some shopping at
Kitchen Cooking (厨房煮料). It was recommended by a friend who knows their stuff, and we couldn't believe there was this huge shop selling all these gourmet ingredients... with neatly-arranged shelves and stations, and wide aisles making shopping such a pleasant experience. No, we didn't buy anything expensive like spiny sea cucumbers or fish maw, but I managed to pick up a few jars of Chaoshan specialties to bring home.
We doubled back to the western side of town to pick up our luggage, and crossed to the eastern end once again to board our train at Shantou Station. We've really enjoyed our weekend in Shantou, and look forward to coming back with friends.
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