First meal, and it is Taiwanese!

I arrived into Shanghai late on Wednesday night, around 11pm. I met Max there, a friend from the US who is joining this segment of the adventure. We were greeted by our friend V*, who lives here in Shanghai and has graciously offered to show us around a little bit.

And the first thing on our minds, of course, is food! Even though it's getting on 1am by the time we get settled at our hotel, we decide to grab a bit. We head to Charmont, a Taiwanese place open until at least 4am. And this is the middle of the week!

The first two things to arrive at the table are beer in a can and some mango sorbet. Apparently, the sorbet is both a great appetizer and a fantastic palate cleanser as the meal progresses. Both hit the spot, especially the cool and refreshing sorbet, after a 5 hour plus flight.

Then our substantial dishes made it. First up, three flavor chicken. This stir fry uses three traditional flavoring sauces to bring nuance to the bite size hunks of chicken. The chicken was hot, on the bone, and full of richness. The soy was evident as was a hint of sesame, plus some still unidentified flavors.

Second, we had beef in sizzling iron pot. True to its name, this was still cooking when it reached the table. The mixture of the beef, peppers, and onions rendered this into a Taiwanese fajita plate. Pretty good, though not the standout.

The final dish was pork and tofu in claypot. The tofu chunks were big and well-sauced. The pork was good as well, adding a helpful meat flavor to the dish.

Though perhaps a little one note, with lots of protein, it was a rich and warm end to our evening and start to the eating in China.

*Name hidden to protect the innocent.