I'm Only Here for the Food!

This lovely spread is from a restaurant that is owned by one of Mark's good friends from his first stay in Dalian 18 years ago. Early in the day, another good friend, Hongbo, took us out for a day trip to the coast, and I was still full from the huge Korean meal we'd eaten for lunch. I didn't know we were going to end up at this nice restaurant, and was embarrassed that I wasn't going to be able to eat very much. Once I tried the food, my full belly didn't stop me. Everything on the table was very spicy and made with high quality ingredients. I think at least 50 large chili peppers were sacrificed for this meal! Starting at the top and going clockwise: foie gras (I don't see the hype), a cousin of the crayfish, fried potatoes, pig's feet, a mushroom dish, boiled peanuts, vegetables with tofu, fish soup, pea dish, two pickled vegetables dishes. It the copper wok in the center of the table, two different courses were served. This one was fresh crab. Even though it was spicier than anything they'd tried, the kids still ate it. It was so flavorful, I could have just sucked on the shell and been blissfully happy! The last course of the meal was a spicy soup that they heated on the burner underneath. The kids really couldn't eat much on the table, but were each served a bowl of noodles or wonton soup.