Day 5 : A Mushroom Hot Pot

After climbing the 999 steps up Tianmen Cave .... and another 999 steps down, we had depleted all our energy, and it was time to replenish with dinner.

Tonight's dinner was special, as we were having a hot pot. A mushroom hot pot. And yes, in the HOT summer! It was crazy as we would be bathing in sweat by the end of the meal, but then again, it was one of the best dinners of the entire trip.

Wow .... the spread of food which greeted us upon our arrival ...

Right, let's begin with ..... 

Each person was served a bowl of assorted mushrooms, cooked in the hot pot before we even arrived; the broth was dark in colour and it tasted of a robust flavour of mushrooms ... 

The waitress then came by when we were seated, and cooked for us some greens and wheat noodles in the hot pot; they were delicious in the mushroom broth

Besides the hot pot, there were other side dishes for us to eat .... 

Scallion pancake

I loved this pancake which was savoury and fragrant with the generous use of scallions ... The pastry was crispy and yet chewy. I ate one slice, and immediately wanted more!  

Mushroom, Cucumber and Pork Stirfry
Another of my favourite dish. First up, the green and red bits of chilli and scallions not only flavoured the dish, they made it look appetising. Then, there textures were also wonderful, with the pork and mushrooms being chewy and the cucumbers crunchy. What I liked the most of all, was the cucumbers which added a refreshing edge to the whole dish. Absolutely a delight.

Glass noodle and cabbage Stirfry

This was also tasty, the chillies spicing things up. 

Egg Omelette

This was done right every time .... :P

French Fries & Deep-fried Chicken Strips

The chicken was very dry and tough ... and there wasn't much flavour to it. But I loved the fries. I think it was made from fresh cut potatoes. Hence, each string was much substance to it. Dip the fries in the ketchup and enjoy the flavour of the fresh powdery potatoes in your mouth. 

Dessert 

This was a large doughnut-like pastry ... The texture of the bread was soft and fluffy; tasted slightly sweet and with a faint hint of mlik. The deep-fried sesame seed crust, however was crispy and fragrant. We all loved the dessert.

For me - someone who was used to eating one-dish dinners, the meals here were so elaborate. We could not finish everything that were served ... it was such a waste indeed. After dinner, it was off to watch the Tianmen Fairy Fox musical.