An Exceptional Pizza Anybody?

I recently walked some old stomping grounds in Xiaoshizi. I found a new pizza parlor just off Caijia Jie on Wenbi Jie.  The interior is quaint quaint little place. I think a lot of their business is take-out. Emma, one of the partners,  makes a fine supreme pizza with a crispy crust and a lot of Mozzeralla Cheese.

Go from Zhongshan Donglu in Xiaoshizi down Caijiajie, beside the China Construction Bank (the diagonal one) and go to Wenbi Jie. Go up the hill to the T and turn left.  It is across from the public restroom.

Call EMMA at 17585676109 for more information, and be sure to ask about any current specials. There is a Wechat scan the code below:

Won’t Eat Snakes and Bats

Considering all the Covid hoopla over the eating of snakes and bats, I have decided to ban snakes and bats from my diet, effective immediately. I think the evidence is pretty compelling that eating snakes and bats are bad for you  I have compiled all the  Covid information that I have posted to www.tourguizhou.com into one link:

Snakes and Bats 

This page has some poignant photos, commentary, links to a chronology of stories, and at the bottom there are a couple links to  videos related to the Covid situation.

Horse and Foot on the Same Day

It is not often that I get horse meat and and a foot on the same day.. In fact a couple days ago was  the first time I have eaten horse meat, and I’ve been coming to Guizhou for nineteen years.  Served with a lot of spice, it was tender and quite tasty. The chicken foot, also shown, is a staple of Guizhou cooking.  Of course it all is served with a lot of purple and red peppers. The meal with the horse on the table also included duck, chicken, and pork.

The horse meat is nearest on the plate. Also shown is duck, chicken, pork, tomatoes, and rice.

For those who favor free range chickens, you would love Guizhou.  Chickens that run around free have callouses on  their feet which are much tastier, with more meat, than the bony feet of caged chickens.

The chicken foot is on the bottom. It wasn’t as big as it looks. It is in a small bowl.

Long Li Ancient City and Jin Ping Countryside

Long Li is located about four hours southeast of Guiyang in an area of Miao and Dong minority people. The walls around the city, the water system and the fortress are all intact.  It doesn’t have the tourist pressure like some old cities closer to Guiyang. It is surrounded by the beautiful countryside of Jinping County.

San Cha You Farming

Jinping County has a new product called San Cha You, which is a cooking oil. The mountains of Jinping County are covered with these oil bearing plants. It is an incredibly beautiful sight. You can also directly drink the oil.  It is still expensive, but has been shown to be very good for high blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar diabetes conditions. It has also been shown to raise immunity to some cancers.San Cha berry trees are in great supply. The locals have actively planted and cultivated these crops for many years.

There is a new factory under construction and it is hoped that as production increases, that the price will come down and the product will be more widely known and distributed.

Jin Ping County is also famous for blueberries. There are blueberry farms in many places with very attractive prices in season, around August of each year.

 

 

 

Coffee — 好咖啡还是茶?

When I first lived in Guiyang in 2003 I had a terrible time finding coffee, and I really need coffee. Even instant coffee was rare. Yet, there were massive tea shops, with several rooms filled with tea. I was so frustrated that I used to walk into the the tea shops alone to look around. Shop owners would immediately start showing me the most expensive teas in the store, thinking that they had a rich foreigner and no Chinese interlocutor. Then I would speak one of the ten or so sentences that I knew, “You meiyou kafei?” (Do you have any coffee?). When they answered in the negative I just said bye bye and would walk out.

Finding good coffee has been a challenge, but every year things get better. I recently found Bekaduo Coffee and just love this fresh roast. I have a cool Italian Expresso pot and the fresh, locally roasted coffee is noticeably better than anything I’ve had in China over the last 14 years.

4-jpg

The coffee pot is put on an electric hot plate. At boiling temperature water in the bottom chamber is forced up through the middle chamber that holds the coffee. Coffee is collected in the top chamber. It is very fast and convenient. Ideal coffee brews at below the boiling temperature, and there is a lot to learn.

It is hoped that in the future we can do some kind of event to find out more about how to make the best coffee.

Invitation to our Holiday Party

A message from the Administrator (Jack) of this web site:

The www.tourguizhou.com website is cooperating with Shirley Gallery to create a Holiday Party on behalf of local artists. The cost is 100 RMB per person . This covers all the food, drinks, door prizes, and entertainment. The event is December 27 (Tuesday evening),  6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The location is on the river at Jian Daojie 72.   All proceeds from ticket sales are dedicated to paying the bills of the Gallery, and thereby support the art community of Guiyang. Many artists are permitted to display their work for free, and patrons are permitted to tour the gallery free of charge. The Gallery (second floor) and Restaurant (on the first floor) will be closed to the public on the 27th. This is a private party and is intended to support the artist community of Guizhou.

We will have grape wine, beer, soft drinks, coffee, and tea to drink. Here are some examples of the food to expect:

We are providing a Wechat link so you can buy your tickets online through Wechat. This is new for us, so we need your patience. You will have to scan the Wechat link. This is Diana’s account, so if you are not Diana’s Friend, then you must first become a Friend, then we can compete the transaction.531440729684275769  After you are a Friend, you enter your Name, Phone Number,  and how many tickets, with names of guests. Diana will respond with the amount needed, and then you send the payment. Finally she will respond with “Got”. Then you will be registered.

If anybody has trouble buying tickets online, please send an email to me at tourguizhou@gmail.com, or just call me at 13158092660 . I will find a way to get your payment. We need all tickets sold in advance so we can cover the cost of the event. Please respond by this Friday.

This is going to be the best event of the year for our new little website. There are links below to show something about the Gallery. If you miss this event, you are really going to regret it !  🙂

The Shirley Private Gallery

Art of Yin Shilong

Many Faces of Yin Shilong

 

(If you have already responded and have already bought your ticket, don’t worry, you are already registered.)

 

 

Monkey King: Spirit of the Craftsman

20161217_154030

By: Diana
When I heard of the Monkey King, I thought it was the God of Wars in our Chinese ancient fairy tales. It is, in fact, a “fresh beer bar” name. It is run by a lady and her  family. It’s not common for an older lady to run a beer business in Guizhou and I was moved by her spirit.

20161215_011852

Ms Kang said that when her son introduced her to fresh beer several years ago, she fell in love with it. What great taste. First she tried all kinds of fruits and vegetables to get more flavors. Then she traveled and began to learn how to make fresh beer in other cities outside of Guizhou Province. She was a successful business woman prior to the bar business and she did her own research with her own money.20161215_011719

A Guiyang native, she respected the Spirit of the Craftsman inspired by Japan and Germany in their writings. That’s why I felt so very comfortable when I first went there. Later she explained to me: “Whether you are rich or poor, you are my guest. My first priority is to make good beer and then give good service.” It isn’t about the money. It’s more about family, service and lifestyle.

When I took my friend Jack there, he commented on the nice variety of western music — rock, blues and country.  Jack drank the “wheat” beer and quickly ordered a second glass.

The brewing vats are all behind glass and are impressive to look at.Those vats kind of makes a statement: “We are craftsmen.” You can see it in Ms. Kang’s twinkling eyes. You can call the bar at 18684100081 for reservations or they can talk to your taxi driver.

Monkey King Bar has a variety of delicious foods, always fresh. For example, the Baby Squid is shown in the first picture. It’s fresh and has a special sauce. The Ji Rou Bing (Chicken Meat Pie) is like an improved burrito, with a special sauce. The spaghetti, pizza, and other dishes also have something special about them. Ms. Kang needs reservations for the fresh food because she doesn’t keep fresh product over night. Also shown above is the “Wheat Beer”.

Monkey King Bar
Nanming Area, Shinan Road
Jiu Jia Alley, Number 28
Get off the bus at Yi Tian Chen (ESTEE Shopping Center), continue along the road past the shopping center about 100 meters, turn right down the alley, about 20 meters and take another right. Go down the hill and you will find it by the parking lot.

Bekaduo Coffee Shop

This coffee shop is more than just a coffee shop. This coffee company sells coffee machines, coffee beans, and has a good ambiance for just sitting and talking.

This location is near Pantaogong, NE from the intersection of Dusi Lu and Baoshan Beilu. Walk down the hill to the east from the intersection to the bottom and turn left (N)..

The sign is at the entrance to the shop, telling it's history.

The sign is at the entrance to the shop, telling it’s history.

 

 

Bekaduo Coffee Shop is dedicated to promoting the coffee culture in all it’s forms. In addition to selling coffee, they have cheesecake, wild fruit syrups, as well as pizza.

 

This is a service area where people can watch the process.

This is a service area where people can watch the process.

 

The facility is designed as a coffee training area. Mr. Yin trains coffee shop owners in how to get in business and do a good job. Bekaduo delivers coffee to locations all over Guizhou Province as well as other cities outside of Guizhou.

Italian Restauant – FoodArt

20161011_192538

Simone Giacomozzi came to Guiyang almost four years ago and opened his first restaurant in China. He is 37 and worked as a chef in  kitchens all over Italy. He brings world class Italian Cuisine to Guiyang.

His place is called FoodArt and is located beside the Starbucks and McDonalds at Zhilingan. That is at the intersection of Yanan Lu and Ruijin Lu.(southwest corner, just below the pedestrian overpass that crosses Yanan Lu. It’s two blocks west of the fountain (Pensuichi). The current subway construction has made a mess of the neighborhood, but will soon make access very convenient. It is located in the building beside Starbucks, in the lower level, very near McDonalds.

Simone has a Foodart group on Wechat, and information about all food, and special dishes at FoodArt are listed.

127194949547686938