In London I usually only eat out once a week. I love to cook, and enjoy cooking dinner and eating in with friends and family。
However, in Beijing I eat out much more frequently – usually four or five times a week. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, my kitchen in Beijing does not have an oven. Whilst many Chinese dishes are fried, steamed or boiled, for most western recipes I know an oven is essential. Secondly, I love Chinese food and I like to try different restaurants and different styles of Chinese cooking。
So what’s my favourite Chinese food?
Of course, I love the local speciality – Beijing roast duck. I am always amazed by how skillfully and quickly a trained chef can cut the duck once it is cooked. However, my favourite kind of Chinese food is not from Beijing, but from the Sichuan province. There are lots of Sichuan restaurants in Beijing, so I’ve had plenty of chances to try good Sichuan food. I love the fiery spice of Sichuan chillies, and the numb flavour of the peppercorn。
There is one kind of food that I don’t like to eat anywhere in the world - western fast food. In Beijing there are a lot of McDonalds and KFC fast food restaurants. Some Chinese people have told me that they think these are very popular western foods. However, in Britain fast food is becoming less and less popular, because many people believe it is very bad for your health. In fact, I think they are more popular in Beijing than in London – in Beijing there are 80 McDonalds, but in London only 48!
If I want fast food or a snack, there are plenty of tasty Chinese options that are also healthier. I especially like pork dumplings, and often eat them for a quick snack when I am at work. However, I don’t like the skewers of fried fish that are sold by many street vendors. They seem very popular with people in Beijing, but I don’t understand why!
Glossaryeat out/eating out – (v。) to eat at a restaurant, or somebody else’s home. The opposite is ‘eating in’ – this means to eat a meal at home。
fiery – (adj。) describes food which causes a strong burning feeling in the mouth。
numb – (adj。) If a part of your body is numb, you are unable to feel it, usually for a short time. In this case, I find that the peppercorns used in Sichuan cooking make my tongue feel numb。
peppercorn – (n。) the small dried seed that is crushed to produce pepper。
fast food – (n。) a type of meal that is prepared and served quickly. Usually it refers to food with low quality preparation and low nutritional value。
skewers (n。) – a thin metal or wooden rod used to hold food during cooking
street vendor – (n。) someone who is selling something on the side of the street。
责任编辑：虫虫
