I told Ryan before I left for Hungary that there were no Chinese restaurants in Pécs. He said impossible. Well, almost, but as it turns out, he was correct. I found one on a side street wandering around the city. There is also an Asia Buffet in the mall – but I don’t count that as a restaurant – and I generally don’t count anything in the mall as part of the City.
Today I decided to have lunch at the Golden Rivers restaurant. I figure each country has its own version of Mexican or Chinese food. After all, American Mexican restaurants don’t serve traditional Mexican food, but our Americanized version of it. Well, I think the menu at the Golden Rivers had many items that would be standards in our Chinese restaurants – sweet and sour chicken, typical versions of spicy chicken, pork, duck, beef, and shrimp. But I’m not sure you’d find duck liver – a whole section of duck liver dishes –in a Chinese restaurant, maybe I’m misinformed. There was also venison and turkey, something called cuttlefish, and a dish on the Chief’s Specials called squirrel carp. The dessert section had Fried banana, apple or pineapple and ice cream boiled in oil. I’m not sure if these are Chinese.
I ordered a safe choice from the lunch menu – sweet and sour chicken which did turn out to be similar to what I might get at home: breaded chicken pieces in a sweetened sauce with pieces of carrots and peas, served with white rice. It came with a spicy egg drop soup. I would say the quality of the food was a step down from the Hen House deli – very average.
As far as restaurants here, the inside was pretty fancy really. A gold and maroon theme and lots of Asian details: carved dragon chair backs, Japanese geisha placemats, Asian theme tablecloths, hanging lanterns, a pagoda style roof over the bar, real bamboo in a vase at the table. And, what’s this? the music, was that Eminem? singing about wonder why I dress like Elvis? And then Estelle singing American Boy – with Kanye West. How odd that the whole restaurant is full of Asian things, but the music is in English.
Anyway, I was too full to try the ice cream boiled in oil – but I must go back and see if that is like our Fried Ice Cream. Here's a pic of the sweet/sour chicken. I never did figure out what that black thing was - looked like greens, collards, but was definitely not - maybe some type of seaweed.
Cuttlefish is a fish sorta like an octopus or squid. Did you ever have a parakeet or other caged bird? Remember that white oval cuttle bone you had to keep attached to the cage bars for the parakeet to peck on for calcium or to wear down the beak or something or other? That comes from the cuttlefish! I was watching Nature or something and learned this and then felt bad for all the little cuttlefish that die and have their cuttle bones in all these cages all over the country. Now I at least know someone is eating all those fish! Georgia
ReplyDeleteWow, I did not know that - I remember those little white ovals in the parakeet cages, but had no idea it was the bone of something once living
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