Huasheng Jiang Quan Hotel
After four and a half years in China’s hinterland, surrounded by factories and cornfields, it is still shocking to come across what are for me apparent mismatches, like the surprising numbers of Porsche Cayenne SUVs and high-end BMWs rolling down the street next to pony carts. One forgets that those very factories in these small cities like Linyi are producing new millionaires left and right and flashy cars are but one side effect of the new materialism. Last Friday the DH and I experienced another apparent mismatch: an enormous, marble covered five-star hotel twenty minutes out of Linyi, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, but in fact in the middle of a newly built district.
While enjoying some refreshing beverages on the roof of Ruins Pub, Linyi’s best waterfront spot, a friend suggested we try out a new Italian restaurant for dinner. My ears perked right up. A new Italian place? Linyi’s best western food is served at McDonald’s, so I was a little bewildered. When did a new Italian place open up? And better yet, how did I not know about it? I consider myself to be a connoisseur of Linyi cuisine, but I was clearly out of the loop on this place. The new Italian place is inside of a new five-star hotel and since I’d never even heard of the hotel, I knew my days as Linyi expert were over.
We piled into a taxi and drove and drove and drove… Most everything in Linyi is within a five minute drive, but when we kept going right on out into the outer districts, I was confused. Then I saw it. A 35-story beacon of light surrounded by faux Roman gods perched on white columns. Did I mention that the new millionaires love things just a wee bit gaudy?
Huasheng Jiang Quan Hotel & Town, (yes, that’s right “& Town”), has an identity problem. It stands tall in rural Shandong Province when it should really be in Macau. How else do you explain wall-to-wall marble? The grand staircases? The Chihuly inspired chandelier? Strangest of all, it seems to have been properly constructed with everything holding together. It is overwhelming.
Hotel Lobby
We found the Italian restaurant on the second floor, at the end of a long hallway. While the lobby was bright and open and marble, the hallway was calm salmon with soft and bouncy carpets. I was seriously tempted to perform a snazzy gymnastic floor exercise on one of these babies:
Bouncy carpets on second floor
The Italian restaurant was full of surprises, too. We had close to zero expectations, something you can’t help but develop when you’ve been repeatedly served “spaghetti” that tastes of watery tomatoes and sugar. These low expectations were exceeded in every possible way. First, the staff spoke to us in perfect English, and filled our water glasses with cold water almost as soon as we’d sat down. Then, a chef appeared at our table to share the specials with us. He spoke in American English without any trace of an accent. I wanted to jump up and hug him right then because I knew the food was going to be good. I ordered minestrone soup and spaghetti carbonara. The DH went for a set menu with lobster salad, pumpkin soup, veal cutlets and chocolate mousse dessert. Our friends ordered lamb chops and penne pesto.
It wasn’t until the waiter set the bread basket on the table that the debauchery began. Bread, glorious bread. Small, warm sourdough breads, studded with herbs and melt-in-your-mouth wonderful. I ate so many of them I could feel a carb coma coming on. Then the garlic bread appeared. Good Lord. You have no idea how bread-deprived we are here in Linyi. I wanted to cry.
Bread Goodness
Unbelievably Good Garlic Bread
These pictures are far from great and they do absolutely no justice to the bread, but since I could barely stop stuffing my mouth to take a picture… I should admit here that the bread might not have been nearly as good as I am making it out to be. But when you never get good bread, well, you’ll swoon over anything remotely tasty.
Now I should probably also admit at this point that in addition to bread-lovin’, the tsingtaos were freely flowing. Freely flowing to the count of 21 bottles. Yup. We were on a serious bread and beer high. With all that beer on board, I needed to make a trip to the ladies’, something that is often fraught with trepidation when in a Chinese restaurant. What I discovered, however, was a place I’d gladly move into. That bathroom was a zillion times more beautiful (and cleaner!) than my own home. Seriously.
My minestrone soup and spaghetti were perfect. The DH’s food was also delicious and he was kind enough to share it all with me and our friends. The whole dinner was so unexpected. I’m still kind of in awe. We had impeccable service, good food, efficient payment process and not too expensive either… things you can’t take for granted here. All of this in a completely over the top locale. Just another one of those surreal, Fellini-esque moments we experience from time to time in China.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Gosh, I get excited when I see a bottle of syrup, a jar of peanut butter, or a bag of dried cranberries – and I’m only in Spain! I can only imagine your excitement when happening upon the yummy, freshly baked bread. I’d stuff myself silly too!
When I was in Spain I really missed the most random American foods. I tried to buy some instant oatmeal one time and I was sent to a health food store. Everyone I asked thought I was crazy to want animal food. My Suegra has a big jar of peanut butter in her pantry from god-knows-when. I ate a spoonful one day not caring how old it was!
And you could leave this behind?
Seriously, this made me sob. We have one of those self-described “Western-Style” restaurants out here like you were probably expecting. It’s Western re-interpreted and re-imagined for the local palate. They don’t even serve rolls. *Sigh*
Oh yes, “Western-Style” is exactly what I was imagining. So I really am going to have to come visit you in Changping just to see if it really is Linyi-lite.
I take it there was more than two of you for 21 bottles!
Haha Yes, we were 4!
4.5 years in Linyi? I’m impressed!!!
I only lasted 6 months in 2004, but I did marry a local girl & now we live in Sydney, Australia. I was last there in 2008. Linyi certainly has some contrasts! eg. Expensive cars & donkey carts in the same street.
You’re now in Beijing? – enjoy!
Hi Mark, thanks for leaving a comment. We actually spent 3.5 years in Linyi and 1 year at the Shijiazhuang airport. Beijing is amazing after all that time in those relatively rural areas. However, I do occasionally see pony carts on the streets here, usually selling fruit, and they always make me smile.