Dirty South + Sweet Pad

As in, southern Chinese food. I need to start remembering to take business cards because these restaurant names are impossible to remember. It was kind of comforting to be eating somewhat more familiar southern food with Joe's industry marketing team at some restaurant across the street from Wahaha in Wudaokou. Pictured above are (clockwise from upper left) napa cabbage and mushrooms, chicken in clay pot, and braised tofu with wood-ear fungus, shiitake mushrooms, and peanuts. We also had some pineapple shrimp, some kind of oyster pancake made of egg and other gelatinous substance, bitter melon stir fried, and curry-flavored Singapore vermicelli.

And then, the crowing dish of the night, our dessert. No, it's not Pizza The Hut from the Spaceballs movie, but a gigantic (1.5 foot-high) mountain of shaved ice smothered in sweet mung bean and red bean, oozing with condensed milk, and little chewy rice-ball kind of things at the bottom. Very impressive:

I can't resist posting some pictures of my sweet pad, in hopes that someone will see it, and be compelled to come visit and stay with me here in Beijing. Here goes.

The kitchen, stocked with wok, silverware, dishware, stemware, and dishwasher!

A lovely little welcome gift that was waiting for me when I arrived.

The rather posh living room.

Plasma TV #1

Bedroom (Plasma TV #2 off to the side)

All-glass bathroom!

Look at how neatly the maid lined up my stuff! You should have seen what a mess I left in the morning...