The Marrow Spoon

This was a fancy seafood dinner.

Napa is like another world. Really.

Especially when you have lived, like I have, in an authentic, inexpensive ethnic food laden area of the South Bay. The South Bay-an embarrassment of riches: pan chan, taco trucks and halal kababs for miles....that isn't even the begining. I couldn't possibly name it all.

Sigh.

As much as I miss it terribly, I have, however, realized the joy of eating chicken feet, with my hands, after a long day of presenting haute cuisine to the quite well off. Really, you must try it. It is a uniquely satisfying nightcap.

In case you haven't been there, you should know that Napa has a couple of taco trucks and a Chinese restaurant. Upscale CalItal and CalGal applenty, but no kimchee or preserved lemon anywhere. Fortunately, I think I am closer to the Berkeley Bowl and all of its 25 choices of bulk seaweed than I used to be. Phew!

OK, one more thing. Since I am not a journalist, (obviamente,) I fear that I have been less than articulate in my efforts to convert you all to grass finished, grass fed, all grass beef. Thank the NYT for Michael Pollan!

He's got it all explained in a convenient top- selling book: The Omnivore's Dilemma

What happens if you leave an artichoke on the plant and allow it to bloom? Voila!

In 2003, Glenfiddich conducted a poll, and named The World of Susie Wong Club as the best bar in Beijing.

In 2006, I went there and proclaimed The World of Susie Wong the official Marrow Spoon Best Bar in the Whole World. Sure, you can't drink the water there, but I don't take ice in my drinks anyway. The entertainment, the decor, the menu, is all very cool.

Don't leave Beijing without visiting it. If you are female, go on Wedesnday for ladies night. Somehow there are drinks and flowers and attentive hosts a-plenty, for free. My companions and I chickened out and left before the "show" happened, but still it was a very good place to start an evening.

Aqua is a hip place with a posh website on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong. At 1 Peking Road, it offers a lovely view of the famous Central skyline at night.

As you can see here, the website is fabulous. Unfortch, the restaurant itself is not as fabulous as the website. It is beautiful, and the food was lovely, but somehow the website made it seem bigger and hipper than in was in real life. In real life, it was small, and the servers were, well, mortal. And apparently, the sound system on my computer is better than the one at the restaurant.

Still, the view is worth it. If you time it right, you can't beat it as a perfect venue to see the skyline light show with a cocktail.

The Aquatini comes with gold flakes and lychee. Sparkly, but very sweet (not as good as the World of Susie Wong bar in Beijing - and not as free). Strawberry mojitos were packed with fresh fruit and mint. Very nice. And as you can see, the sushi was artfully presented and very tasty.

OK, I have to admit, I didn't try these beautiful specialty hams of Zhouzhang. I was so full from lunch I could barely walk! But they looked and smelled fantastic.

So far, everything I thought was unusual or unique to China is actually pretty easy to find in the SF Bay Area, so I hope to have another chance.

This is in the touristy part of Zhouzhang, which I am told is something like Venice, Italy, for its charming canals.

Like a lot of places in China, if someone invites you in off the street to have a cup of tea or a beer, do not go! It will cost about 100 times what it should. Well, if you must, at least ask how much before you order. Duo xiao? "dew-oh sha-ow" or how much? We paid $30 US for green tea! Don't let it happen to you.

In China, it seems like the most frightening things are good for you. Take this snake wine, for example. In some way the tour guide and lady serving the snake wine was too busy laughing at me to explain, it is supposed to be good for ladies. They have some other blends with legged animals infused, but those are for men. They put hair on your chest, or something. Anyway, it was not advised for moi.

Of course, I didn't go halfway around the world so that I could tell you all just about how McDonalds is the same everywhere, so I tried this in order to report from the fringes of adventure. But I have to say, it wasn't so strange. It did make me feel rather powerful, though. And I can report that I was able to drink more and sleep less in China than I can in the US. In Japan, whole garlic and pickles fermented with fish heads kept me going. It seems that the problem of fitting various social engagements and physical needs for sleep into the same busy schedule is universal.

The flavor of the goji berries (wolf berries) imparts more to the liquor than the snake does. I will keep trying to delight and amaze, but I am running out of places to look for new foods.

On a hot day at the Great Wall of China, there is a vast array of frozen treats to tempt you away from your hard-earned RMB. You can choose ice cream bars in corn, pea, soy bean and taro root, as well as the general strawberry and vanilla flavors you'd see here at home. Pictured here? Taro, a purple root vegetable that is something like a sweet potato. In ice cream, it is wonderful, subtle and not very easy to describe. Not like potato, but vaguely maple-y is the best I can say. Anyway, if you have the opportunity do try it.

Oh, I shouldn't say so. I didn't try it, so perhaps it is magically delicious. I am happy to report that the filet-o-fish continues to be the same everywhere.