New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Yu Hsiang (Tofu)
The version with tofu is one of my most favorite dishes of all time – it’s so good that when my daughter was growing up she always asked for it. You know something is delicious if you don’t have to twist a child’s arm to eat it. Yu hsiang is a sort of spicy garlic sauce but it also refers to a type of Sichuan cuisine – so you will find many variations of it, and utilizing a variety of meats instead of tofu.
Using a base of garlic, the sauce includes soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, vinegar, ginger, pickled chili peppers and doubanjiang – a fermented paste of broad beans and soybeans. I am pretty sure you could put this sauce on a section of old tire and it would be delicious. The typical vegetable medley consists of sweet red pepper, bamboo shoots, broccoli, scallions, snow peas, wood ears (a type of tree fungus – think tree mushroom) and comes with white rice.
Even though I had some yesterday and have leftovers in the fridge, I’m thinking about getting some tomorrow for lunch.
I’m trying to expand my diet to more exotic foods, and I appreciate your tips on how to be more explorative with Chinese food. You’re right that I, like a lot of people, tend to stick with my favorite foods and not branch out often. The Mu Shi Pork you talked about sounds amazing, though, and I’ll definitely have to give it a try next time I’m in a Chinese restaurant.
I have never heard of the Egg Foo Young dish before. What kind of dish is that? My husband is always in the market for new Chinese dishes, as that is his favorite type of cuisine. I will have to share these dishes with him, so he has something new to try the next time we go out.
I can totally relate to the part where you mentioned that you mostly order dishes that have gained positive reviews from other people. I’m not someone who would usually explore Chinese restaurants, but seeing a lot of them online makes me want to try it. It would be better if I’ll check the reviews first before ordering from a specific restaurant.