Relearning what meat is all about
It isn't always easy to notice when you're changing. Life moves in a blur sometimes and self reflection isn't always possible. So it was with with intrigue when I discovered last weekend that after three years of food blogging, I can no longer recognize meat. That's right. After trying too hard to be the first to try a new restaurant or the first to declare some unknown hole-in-the-wall as the best thing since The Rabbit, I realized that I focus too much on hype. I saw this thing on the menu that other food bloggers and food personalities had talked about. It's called Spicy & Tingly Lamb Face Salad from Xian Famous Foods. And my food blogger brain, which has been dedicated towards all the wrong things the past three years, thought that Lamb Face would look like meat.
I remember seeing this dish on Fork in the Road. Their version was already mixed. With spicy oil slicked over the ingredients of the salad, it's difficult to tell one thing from another. When you order take-out however, they pack the spicy hot oil in a plastic bag. This lets you see all the ingredients on their own. The minute I opened it, I tried to look for lamb face. What exactly is this mystery meat?
The recognizable ingredients in the salad include noodles, mung bean sprouts, cilantro, cucumbers, chili oil, and this spongy looking thing. See, the dish is called "Lamb Face Salad." So of course I realized that you know what? I don't know what that white spongy stuff is! I thought it was like some sort of textured protein that vegetarians like to eat. But then I realized... duh, that thing that taste like nothing is lamb face! There's no way the restaurant would knowingly sell me a lamb face salad without the lamb face, right? So the thing that I thought was just random protein was not just random protein. It must have been the face of a baby sheep. And it tasted not like meat because I, the clueless food blogger, no longer know what real meat taste like.
So there you have it. $9.75 for a dish that helped me see the light. Thank you Xi'an Famous Foods. I see what you did there. Good move.
(I invite you to follow me on Twitter so you can get more of my non-sense in another medium.)
Looks like they accidently gave you the wrong protein.
That spongy stuff is what comes with the Liang Pi Cold Skin Noodles. The lamb face looks more like meat, just with more cartilage. For reference, check out the pics on their website:
http://www.xianfoods.com/menu.php
Hope it doesn't keep you from going back and trying again! Get the Lamb burger or lamb pull special, too!
Btw, I live next to Xi'an in EV and get it often. Too often. The lamb face is my go to.
Peter
December 21, 2010 12:52 am
Prolly seitan. It looks like they gave you a bunch of vegetables, bread, and hot sauce. I'd be pissed too man.
Nicholas
December 21, 2010 1:06 am
I looked at the menu that Peter left. That lamb face does look like meat! From your photos, I thought it was bread. x) Shows how much I know!!
esther
December 21, 2010 11:23 am
I thought it was bread, too,
Ben
December 21, 2010 1:42 pm
@Peter,
Yea it certainly looks like they gave me the wrong protein. It's a little disappointing to discover that after traveling over 100 blocks home to realize it's not my order, even though they rang me up on the more expensive item. Oh well. Gotta be more cautious next time.
@Nicholas,
Word, probably seitan. I couldn't think of that word when writing this post though. haha. Ah.. vegetarian meals.
@esther,
It does look like bread. It's all spongy and has hole structure... tastes like some random Asian vegetable protein though. haha
@Ben,
Yea... not lamb face! grrr...
Danny
December 22, 2010 1:50 pm
you totally got the Liang Pi...
Ang
December 23, 2010 12:01 am
the spongy stuff is gluten, and it is delicious when soaked in the spicy sauce
Jamie
December 24, 2010 10:33 am