Mmm Fancy Restaurants

Yesterday I went and researched the different types of tea China has to offer at a local tea shop. It was partly for class, but I really do need to learn this stuff so I can show my mother the best tea places in China when she gets here and sound like I know my stuff. I am still trying to find White Tea for Dan, it is rather rare here as well, the lady at the tea shop has ordered some for me to try, so I need to wait a few days on that. Bought a whole heap of tea to add to my collection, including all the fun types that bloom into giant flowers and such when placed in tea. I've got herbal tea, floral tea, black tea, everything. I will be the tea master when I get back, even if I still don't really like the taste at all.

Today, after giving my report on tea, I went back to the New Century Hotel Nikko to meet with the infamous hotel man and get a room for my mother and aunt to stay in come October. This time I came prepared, dressed nicely and expecting a much larger even than merely showing off hotel rooms.

I am glad I prepared. He took me around and showed me off to different people, for 15 minutes we basically walked around the hotel showing off the amazing Chinese speaking white man, I am glad I made him proud. We took a look at different rooms, some of them frighteningly nice, and according to the brochure frighteningly expensive, but due to our long friendship I was told not to look at those prices. In the end I settled on the standard room, which although is standard is called the 'deluxe room' and is normally in the 2300 RMB range. I got it for 630. Connections baby, connections.

Following the show and tell and the room decision, we went to eat in yet another restaurant in that the hotel has. I have no idea how many restaurants are hidden in there but it seems ridiculous, I think every floor has a fancy and different restaurant. We ate some gloriously delicious things. First we had a soup that was both sweet and spicy, I couldn't quite figure out how but the combination blew my mind. We had this meat that I am convinced is the best of western and asian cuisine blending. It was basically beef as tender as a fillet mignon covered with onions and a sauce with a very distinct Asian flavor. It was fantastic, and only beaten by the excellent 肉饼, which is basically this fantastic concoction with a layer of bread, then meat, then bread, then meat, then bread. I can't really describe it without using Chinese. This is a bad sign. The place was ridiculously fancy though, so I am excited for those two to hurry up and get here.