chapter 4 - bakeries in china?

They spent that day exploring The Bund, Alyssa captivated by the skyline across the river in Pudong. For lunch they went to a noodle shop where they were served massive bowels of cut noodles and pork for just a couple of dollars American each.

Alyssa was feeling the effects of jet lag, so they stopped by the convenience store, she picked out a couple of Chinese beers, and went back to the hostel for a nap. Even during the day when most people were out and about it was hard to sleep but she did manage an hour or so.

That evening, Austin met her down in the cafe area again and asked if she would like to try a sit down Chinese restaurant. He told her there was a good one near by. When they arrived, they were quickly seated at a large table with a lazy susan in the middle. Austin explained that in China, food was usually served family style. The menu was entirely in Chinese so Alyssa left the ordering up to Austin. He ordered an assortment of food that was delivered as it was prepared in large bowels placed on the lazy susan. They would just spin it around to try the different foods. Alyssa especially enjoyed the rich fatty pork belly and the fried rice (which was by far the best she had ever had). They ordered a couple of rounds of beers (large beer bottles, served room temperature), and Alyssa finished off the big bowel of pork belly. "That was so good, nothing like American Chinese food and so much better. Do they have any kind of dessert?" Austin replied, "No, not here. most restaurants in China don't serve desserts. We can go to a bakery though". That surprised Alyssa "They have bakeries in China?". "Yes, they do, the country is full of them", Austin replied.

They paid, the meal was the most expensive they had had in China at 90 yuan, or 45 yuan each. Alyssa then followed Austin to a huge bakery. They walked in and found shelf after shelf of various pastries and cakes. Austin grabbed a tray and put a couple of large buns on it, one stuffed with cream, the other with pineapple cream, a box of egg tarts, some "wife cakes", and some almond cookies. They paid, 40 rmb for all of it, and walked back to the hostel stopping to pick up some more beers on the way.

When they got back to the hostel, that sat down at a table in the Cafe area, Austin opened them a couple of beers and said "You have to try all of these, they are different than American bakeries, but so good". They did look good to Alyssa "I am feeling full from dinner, but I have a taste for something sweet" and she opened the large cream bun. "Wow that is good, not quite as sweet as American stuff, but its really good". Once she finished that bun, she opened the pineapple one, enjoying it even more. Then she tried the egg tarts, they were so good with the caramelized sugar on top of them. Then she tried wife cakes, they were unlike anything she had ever had before, but sweet, dense, and good. "I am so full" she said, feeling her stomach bulging against her jeans. She finished her beer, drank the second one and headed back up to her room still feeling tired and jet lagged.

She had been eating nearly constantly all day for a total of around 20 dollars American. It didn't feel like it, but it amounted to about 6000 calories.