BootsnAll Travel Network



Chinese takeaways

By Rach, who is trying to make sure everyone eats enough veges
Xi-an, China

At home to eat Chinese (unless you cook it yourself) usually means chow mein or chop suey with a choice of black bean beef, chilli lemon chicken or sweet-n-sour pork. And it costs about $8 a takeaway container.

In China it’s altogether a different story, and while I’m sure you COULD pay top dollar in a swish restaurant, our budget limits us to more modest establishments.

  1. Steamed pau: 8 little ones for less than a dollar or a big one for 30 cents
  2. A plate big enough to be shared between two for lunch full of noodles and vegetables for $1.25

    All this, with a good dollop of chilli paste, is eaten in the crisp air down a wee alley at a grubby table shared by other locals, mainly workers from a nearby construction site. Complimentary brewed-in-the-bowl tea is thrown in too (or should I say brewed-in-the-plastic-bag?)

  3. Bread disks at 50 cents a pop

  4. Half a papaya: $1
    Oh how this made us remember the wonderful tropical fruit further south.
  5. Filled rolls: less than 30 cents each
    The rolls sit waiting on a slow-burning fire, staying warm and crispy. When you order one, the lady slits it open and fills it with spicy chickpeas and sweetcorn and a range of vegetables, fermented and otherwise, or fungi – you choose.

  6. Dumplings: ten for a dollar or free at the hostel’s Wednesday night dumpling party

           
                      
                      

  7. Big plate of fried rice = 5 yuan
    Big plate of vegetables = 3.5 yuan
    In other words, dinner for 11 people = $17.71

We could buy a McDonalds combo for $4.84, but apart from the food-factor, I think you can see why we won’t be in China!

prices in NZ$ – pretty much halve it for US$ or Euros



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One response to “Chinese takeaways”

  1. Gran and Pa says:

    We were thinking of you when we had chinese for dinner on Friday night. White rice with chow mein for Gran and white rice with black bean beef for Grandpa. Ours probably tasted diferent as well.

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