CHINA

Country Overview:

“Love the food, hate the government”

I arrived in China in May 2013 and left August 2020. I taught English for awhile, did my master’s of politics & foreign policy at Tsinghua University, worked for a year at China Today, and then two years at Xinhua News Agency. I spent most of my time in Beijing, but also traveled to Shanghai, Wuhan, Inner Mongolia, Shenzhen, Panjin, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Qingdao, Xi’an, Sanya, Macau, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.


Degen Hill Degen Hill

Noodles. A staple in many Chinese dishes, and often served as a main course, have always been an important aspect of Chinese cuisine

So, on a smoggy Wednesday my buddy tells me that he knows the best noodle place in Beijing. After stumbling upon it while drunk, he claims that this is the end all of noodle joints and that we HAVE to go. So on the outskirts of the hutongs we find it, a small place that seats maybe 25 people and smells of garlic, vinegar, and cigarettes. He orders for us, winking while he says, “Extra meat, like it’s a choice…” We pay the $7.50 grand total and casually take our seats as we are stared at for being the only foreigners in the place. We’re used to it. We watch the guy in the back masterfully work the dough as he strings it out and begins to boil our noodles. Served in a semi-spicy broth, these were hands down the best noodles I have eaten in Beijing. Shoutout goes to Jarrod for sharing this treasure of a restaurant.

Read More