Indian at the Cross

I know everyone is dying to know about our eating options in China, especially considering we need to find food for the kids. We were never much for eating out; it was always a challenge to find a someplace to eat with them. They were always kind of, how to put it gently….finicky when choosing a place to eat. It was more about the change of options than anything else. Even then, we never strayed far from fast food, a pizza joint or perhaps really reached out with (gasp) Olive Garden. I know, pretty sad isn’t it? It’s the way it was for us while we were in the US; it was easier to just eat at home rather than go out and deal with the anxiety and stress. “What do they have?” “Why do we have to go there?” “Do they have anything else?” “I don’t like Italian (or insert any other food type in this spot).” So it was probably more stressful for Tammy and I as we had to try and push the kids to try something outside of the chicken nuggets and/or mac–n-cheese genre. The kicker… Jacob will eat at Taco Bell but he won’t walk into a Mexican place….you figure that out. Just to be clear, the kids exposure to Chinese food prior to this trip was limited to Panda Express (I know, pretty extreme right….we’re quite the trend setters!) and Jacob wouldn’t eat there although the frozen Kung Pao chicken meal from Wal-Mart was acceptable.

So the move incorporates so many changes/challenges rolled into one with the language barrier, the lack of many basics we’re accustomed to and of course….the food. It’s not like you can run to the local supermarket and just pick up some chicken nuggets and french fries for dinner. First of all, there’s no oven in the apartment but that’s not the biggest challenge. Try and find chicken nuggets and french fries at the market (go ahead….I dare you). It isn’t there (and you’re going to have to trust me on this one), chicken nuggets aren’t a staple for the local kids. Chicken feet….no problem, which flavor would you like? Chicken nuggets…you mean chicken pieces (with bones), right over there in the “pieces/parts section”. Hmmm, I think I’ll keep looking thanks.

So anyhow, going out to eat has become a more common occurrence since making the move. We will usually try the food via Sherpa’s (a delivery service for over 100 local restaurants…guys on scooters, gotta love it) first and if we can find stuff they can eat, then it’s time to make plans to head to the local establishment. Friday night we headed to Indian at the Cross, an Indian restaurant (duh). After we dealt with the feeble attempts to divert us from our mission (and you can guess that Tammy and I have become more immune to these pleas to go somewhere else), we jumped in a cab and headed out. The cabbie gave us a very “fun” ride when traffic became nearly standstill and he had enough of waiting for traffic to move. He did his best action movie hero stunt and went up on the sidewalk with his horn sounding to keep those foolish pedestrians at bay. Some scooters actually would pass us on the sidewalk as were “weaving” through the crowds. One cyclist headed in our direction appeared to be a new hood ornament before veering out of the path of the taxi driver being “forced” to drive like a maniac to make the white devil family happy (or I’m sure that is the thoughts of those on the sidewalk staring at us as we narrowly avoided hitting them with the cab).

So we make it and would’ve kissed the ground after getting out the cab but I have a hard enough time not soaking my shoes in bleach after walking around. We walk in the door and get the look from the kid’s (it stinks in here….you know just the curry smell) but sit down and take a look at the menu to figure out our options. We order 3 kinds of Nan bread, Madras chicken curry, Chicken Tikka, Chicken Birani and the Vegetable Spring Roll. It was all excellent!!! They ate so much that we decided against walking around afterwards and we’d just go to the corner and grab a cab. The image below captures the moment. In the middle is the Chicken Tikka. From that spot at 2 o’clock is the Nan bread. 6 o’clock is the Chicken Biryani, 8 o’clock is the Madras Curry and then at 9 o’clock is the Spring Roll. The Chicken Tikka comes out from the kitchen on a sizzling platter like Fajitas and the rest comes out as they are ready. If you don’t think you like Indian food because it’s too spicy or whatever; I would urge you to check around and find a place to give it a try. I had never really eaten Indian before arriving in China and neither had Tammy so we all have had to try new things with this move.

So, since we’ve been here the kids have eaten more variety of cuisines than we ever had “back in the States”. Indian, Italian, Tex-Mex (yes, that’s right a Tex-Mex place that is frequented by all Westerners), and of course, Chinese. They have really surprised me by their ability to adapt to this move. They have been here for 8 weeks and it really has gone better than I expected. The next big thing is school. They start tomorrow morning (Monday) so keep checking in this week to “read all about it”.