Thanksgiving Eve

Every Thanksgiving Eve as a kid, we would eat Chinese Food with my grandparents and extended family at the Five Happiness Restaurant in New Orleans. It was awesome - we always fought over who got to eat the meat on a stick appetizer that you roasted over the fire. I feel like house fried rice is still one of my favorite sides (everything tastes good mixed with it)!

Thinking about Chinese food, got me thinking about the Chinese food I ate when I was in China. I was there with 25 other students. Here is a typical meal (this one in Urumqi) - always way more food than we could possibly eat! Yes that is plates stacked on other plates full of food - and this is at the END of the meal.

Some of the food was less recognizable... I think I see an egg white?

But all of it (when it wasn't too spicy) was pretty good - I particularly loved this pork dish (cooked under a layer of fat). Seriously delicious (this meal was in Chengdu).

Some of it was funny - like chicken feet flavored chips (look closely at the image on the bag). I tried it and think I will pass on future chicken feet flavored things.

Some tables were covered in plastic grocery bag material. Easy clean up?

And others were super fancy - like this place where you each got a pot of boiling water and could dip raw meat or veggies in to cook it table side. Like Chinese meat fondue! It was awesome - I love a meal with a lot of sauce options.

The favorite food of the meal? Soup dumplings - hands down delicious! I have no pictures because I ate them too fast. Kevin has taken me to a place near where we work and if I remember I will share the name (warning there is no English menu that I saw).

Anyway, I think I may try to find a way to eat Chinese food tonight in my grandparent's memory. I rarely eat Chinese food these days - Indian food and Mexican food are my absolute favorite cuisines right now (if you count Chipotle as Mexican of course). Do you have any favorite Chinese restaurants in the Peninsula or South Bay? Maybe ones that deliver?