As I mentioned in a previous post, the Missus' cousin lived in Jianyang, about 80 kilometers outside of Chengdu. And while he and his family really weren't "foodies" he went out of his way asking friends and acquaintances for recommendations. We really appreciated his efforts. On our first evening, he took us to have what is Jianyang's signature dish, Jianyang Mutton Soup. Located down a dusty side street, this little shop was doing some major business....though the customers seemed overwhelmingly male.
This restaurant was supposed to be the "original" Jianyang mutton soup shop............
There were a few side dishes ordered and it seemed like there were two standard condiments for the dish that came out. The first was simply salt and ground chilies. The second was lamb consomme with chilies.
The broth of the mutton soup seems to made from rapidly boiled bones, creating a milky white appearance, a process that leaches all of the nutrients from the bones. When the Missus used to get sick as a child, Her parents used to make bone soup to nurse Her back to health, so it is something appreciates.
The actual broth was very mild, thus the condiments. The meat was slightly gamey, some of it rather chewy, but not as "wild" tasting some mutton/lamb I've had, and some of it had a slight sweetness to it as well. It was milder than much of the mutton/lamb/venison that I've had.
Do you notice something about the soup? If you've read our little blog long enough, you'd know that one of the items that I'm not a big fan of is jellied blood and this soup is teeming with cubes of blood. Being the guest, the Missus cousin made me the first bowl and I was honored, but it was full of cubes of blood. I looked at the Missus and shrugged, what could I do? I had to eat it.......
And it was delicious....sweet, without that livery-iodine flavor that I don't enjoy. In fact, it was the best thing about the soup. After returning to San Diego, I immediately went to a couple of my favorite Vetinamese restaurants and decided to have the cubed blood again...gaaack, sorry to say, it ain't the same.
The side dishes were very tasty. The minced meat with celery was well executed. The meat in this was rather rich so the celery and tomato helped to cut the flavor.
The second dish, consisting of some pretty fatty and greasy looking meat was amazingly mild as well.
It was a very hearty meal which made both the Missus and I quite sleepy.
The Missus cousin had put us up in a very nice looking hotel.......
Which overlooked the main city park.
There's not much happening here during the day....it's very quiet and tranquil.
But much like the rest of China, after the work days ends, the park is full of people getting their exercise, watching a movie on the big screen over the park, dancing, or just plain socializing.
As for the "sort of"......the Missus hadn't read or even noticed the sign of the restaurant when we ate there. After we returned I asked the Missus to translate the sign and all She could say was "oh my"......
Oh my indeed.......
Holy sh**! I feel a bit ill...
Posted by: Carol | Saturday, 10 December 2011 at 08:30 PM
cubed blood, dunno that I could eat that, everything else looked good though.
Posted by: kat | Sunday, 11 December 2011 at 12:10 AM
OK -- I'm missing something.
Explain for us clueless ones who can't read Chinese. Oh my what??
Posted by: ed (from Yuma) | Sunday, 11 December 2011 at 01:11 PM
Hi Carol - It was quite a surprise for us too!
Hi Kat - I really enjoyed the blood.
Hi Ed - You'll just have to wait for the answer.
Posted by: Kirk | Sunday, 11 December 2011 at 03:42 PM
Oh dear. It all looked so tasty until you put the sign at the end!
Posted by: SK | Sunday, 11 December 2011 at 06:22 PM
Hi SK - We didn't even know until I had the Missus translate the sign from my photo!
Posted by: Kirk | Sunday, 11 December 2011 at 06:39 PM
I don't think I need a translation, I figured it out on my own. As soon as you said "sweet" I thought OH OH!
Posted by: AZ | Sunday, 11 December 2011 at 09:13 PM
Just wondering that broth looks really milky more so than when I make milkbone soup is it all just from the bones or do they add something else like soymilk?
Posted by: grey | Monday, 12 December 2011 at 02:03 AM
Okay, was it goat, dog...or human being?!?
Posted by: Fat Fudge | Monday, 12 December 2011 at 06:05 AM
Hi AZ - LOL!
Hi Grey - I don't think they added milk. The broth was very mild, though.
Hi FF - As the song goes..."two out of three ain't bad".
Posted by: Kirk | Monday, 12 December 2011 at 06:40 AM