Mandarin Immersion (Part 19)

This entry is part 19 of 40 in the series Mandarin Immersion

June 2, 2023

Mandarin Immersion (Part 19)

By Simon J. Lau

I visited Xiaguan, Dali’s modern city center, where I explored Erhai Park and Erhai Lake. The park is massive, featuring a sizable amusement park within its grounds, while the lake is the second-largest highland lake in China. After spending several hours exploring these areas, I was ready to head back. However, I found myself short on bus fare. Unlike in the US, Chinese buses don’t offer free transfers (especially if you’re paying cash), and I could only afford one leg of the trip. This is what poverty feels like! 😅

The walk to the start of my second leg added an hour to my journey. Needless to say, I was famished when I got back. I had already decided to try this local cuisine that uses a stone grill to barbecue (石板烧). It kind of reminds me of Korean BBQ. Instead of waiting to try it for dinner, I had it for lunch. It was a massive meal.

One of my two favorite items was the beer. This is a local Chinese beer made with grapes (玫瑰酿), similar to rose. It was a little sweet, but it had a distinctive taste. I loved it!

The second item I enjoyed was the shrimp. 🍤🍤🍤 This is the last thing served, and they grill it for you in quite a grand show. I genuinely enjoyed this meal, and I hope that I can find a place that serves it again in America.

That said, I totally misunderstood how to order. I thought it was all-you-can-eat, but it was not. The bill came out much higher than I expected at $45 USD (but not bad for San Francisco standards). At least it was a unique experience and a fun one!