Spicy food helps open up your nasal passages and clears your sinuses, allowing you to breathe better. Have you ever eaten something so spicy that your nose starts to drip and your eyes begin to water? As soon as you blow your nose, your nasal passages are cleared up. Since the sense of smell is important to aid how well you taste your food, it was a must for me so that I could go out and taste all the different foods that Hui Min Jie had to offer.
Yang rou po mo is quite a simple dish to make. In fact, much of the street food on Hui Min Jie is simple peasant dishes. When I ordered the dish, the staff asked if I wanted to tear the bread myself or if I wanted the cook to do it. Of course, I chose to do it myself. I wanted the full experience. When I sat down at my table, I was brought a large bowl with two pieces of “pita” bread in it. It is a dense white bread that is fairly flavorless.
As I was tearing the bread, the owner came over and suggested that I make the pieces a bit smaller so that it wouldl be easier to eat. She also said that hand-torn bread is better than bread sliced in the kitchen, because the jagged edges created by hand tearing soaks up the rich lamb broth better, and it creates a unique texture. I guess I chose right then!
Once I was done, I fetched a member of the staff and handed her my bowl. She gestured for me to follow her – I asked the owner if it would be alright for me to watch them cook my dish so that I could take photos and she was more than happy to oblige.
In a big wok, a traditional rounded-bottom Chinese cooking pan, the cook lights a massive flame that roars. It’s quite scary, actually.
