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The Selfish Years

~ Over 200 cities, 42 countries, 6 continents and counting.

The Selfish Years

Tag Archives: Chengdu

Succumbing to Western Food in Chengdu

21 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China, Food & Drinks

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Asia, Chengdu, China, Food & Drinks, Mike's Pizza Kitchen, Peter's Tex Mex Grill, Selfish Years, Tex Mex

Mr. Selfish and I enjoyed the Sichuan cuisine in Chengdu but after a while, we started craving Western food. When I discovered that there was supposedly good Tex Mex and pizza in Chengdu, we couldn’t resist.

First, we went to Peter’s Tex-Mex Grill, which is a mini chain in China. Apparently, the first restaurant was opened in Chengdu by a Chengdu native. Mr. Selfish has been craving authentic nachos since we left the States. We’ve ordered it twice while in Thailand and both experiences left much to be desired.

Western Food 01Western Food 02

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Marveling at the Chinese Opera in Chengdu

20 Saturday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China

≈ 3 Comments

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Asia, Chengdu, China, Chinese Opera, Opera House, Selfish Years, Sichuan Opera

I adore the film “Farewell My Concubine,” which is about two Chinese opera actors prior to the victory of the Communists in 1949. Mr. Selfish didn’t watch the entire movie because he couldn’t stand the Chinese opera singing. Although I initially didn’t like it, the singing grew on me as the film progressed, and it was 171 minutes long.

When I learned that there was a highly recommended Chinese opera performance in Chengdu, I wanted to go. The Shu Feng Ya Yun Sichuan Opera in Chengdu is highly recommended. The performance starts at 8pm every night. If you arrive early, you can watch the actors and actresses putting on their makeup and costumes. Mr. Selfish and I were the only ones watching them during this process but they didn’t seem to mind.

Opera 02Opera 03Opera 04

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My Mouth is on Fire (aka Tasting Sichuan Food)

17 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China, Food & Drinks

≈ 2 Comments

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Asia, Chengdu, China, ChuanBei Famous Snacks, Hot Pot, Numbness, Selfish Years, Shujiuxiang Hot Pot Restaurant, Sichuan, Sichuan Food, Sichuan Peppercorns, Wonton

Mr. Selfish and I held a belief that we could handle spicy food. Yes, I deliberately used the past tense in that last sentence. After experiencing the Sichuan (aka Szechuan) food, I seriously doubt our ability to handle spicy food.

Sichuan food originates from the southwest of China. It is known for its bold and spicy flavor due to the liberal use of garlic, chili peppers, and the Sichuan peppercorn. This peppercorn is unlike any other peppercorn I’ve ever encountered. In fact, it is not traditionally spicy but actually causes a numbness in your mouth that sets the stage for the other hot spices used.

We decided to try Sichuan hot pot at Shujiuxiang Hot Pot Restaurant. There was a long line out front so we figured it would be good. The queue was based on a number system. Luckily, the staff figured out that we didn’t speak Chinese and tracked us down when our number was up. At that point, we didn’t know how we were going to order since nothing was in English. The staff found a huge menu with lots of photos, and we just pointed to what we wanted. We chose the spicy red hot pot and then randomly pointed at meats and veggies to cook in it.  

Sichuan Food 01Sichuan Food 02Sichuan Food 03Sichuan Food 04

The hot pot is made of metal with a metal separator. Chili oil, chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns are heated until they come to a slow boil.

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Exploring Charming Chengdu

16 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China

≈ 1 Comment

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Asia, Chengdu, China, Green Ram Temple, People's Park, Qingyang Palace, Selfish Years, Wenshu Temple

In planning our trip to China, Mr. Selfish and I chose to spend a few days in Chengdu primarily to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. We  also found the city of Chengdu itself to be quite charming.

First, we visited Wenshu Temple, which is dedicated to the Buddhist representation of wisdom, the Manjusri Bodhisatva. The temple contains more than 450 Buddha statues and other relics. Mr. Selfish and I just walked around and enjoyed the scenery.

Chengdu 02Chengdu 03Chengdu 06Chengdu 04

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How to Cuddle with a Panda in Chengdu

15 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China

≈ 37 Comments

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Asia, Chengdu, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda, China, how panda chengdu, how to cuddle with a panda in chengdu, Panda, panda chengdu

In planning our 33 days in China, I chose to go to Chengdu for four days. We stayed in the downtown area of Chengdu, which is surprisingly the fifth largest city in China with a population of over 12 million people.  But there’s really only one reason to visit Chengdu – the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda, where you can hold a baby panda.

Panda!

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Behind the Great Firewall of China

23 Saturday Mar 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China

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Asia, Chengdu, China, Panda, Selfish Years, Xi'an

Mr. Selfish and I are currently in Xi’an, China. Good news: we’re seeing the Terracotta Soldiers soon. Bad news: Internet is spotty and we aren’t able to sign into our WordPress blog. As a result, we may not be able to post daily.

Don’t despair. We are alive and well in China and will try to post more as soon as we can.

Panda Me!

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Who’s Selfish?

Mr. and Mrs. Selfish are an obsessively organized couple who sold all their junk to travel abroad for a year. Now settled in San Francisco, they have since visited over 200 cities in 44 countries over 6 continents. This site chronicles their travels.

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