New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Shiitake Mushrooms w/ Black Bean Sauce and Tofu
I think I say this all the time: this is one of my favorite dishes of all time. I must be a foodie. Let me go further – this is perhaps my most favorite dish of all time – as in indubitably top three. This is one of the heartiest dishes ever created and has an abundance of what the Japanese call umami. Umami is what the Japanese consider the 5th flavor along with sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. If you blindfolded a typical meat-eater and gave him a few bites the savoriness, richness, and texture could fool him or her.
It has a few simple ingredients: shiitake mushrooms, soft tofu, and covered in black bean sauce. Of course, accompanied by white rice. So incredibly mouth-watering and satisfying. If you are a vegetarian or vegan this will fill any cravings you may have had for meat or if you are ever in some dark point in the early stages of becoming one, this will help you stay on course.
Out of these dishes, this is the only dish I have found in only one restaurant and that is at Gumbo’s in Dartmouth.
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.