anhui ennui
Let me guess more Hot Pots!!!
You must be a psychic! 
just because something’s authentic…
Damn, never got to try the Anhui place, and never made it to the OG Daw Yee, either. This update was a bit of a bummer to read…
Kind of like Wuhan-style, perhaps? 
Guess I’ll never able to eat at Hot Red Bus now.
I didn’t think it was that good (not worth driving out from Westside to eat, nor the Valley). It was OK, but places like Connie & Ted’s, Golden State and BatterFish were more enjoyable for us (and at least they’re still around).
didn’t/don’t have much affinity for wuhan myself.
I thought that’s what you were referring to above, that perhaps you were comparing the “authentic” Anhui-style with Wuhan-style, which I know is not one of your favorites.
I really didn’t take to Hot Red Bus. For some reason, their batter tasted off to me. I did like their chips, however.
But man, that location. The front entrance made the Batcave entrance seem like the front door to the White House.
i’m curious: those of you who’re noting your preferences for/against wuhan or anhui cuisines, how much of either type have you actually had? have there been a lot of restaurants featuring these cuisines in the sgv?
Most of the people who’ve been expressing their opinions about Hui or Wuhan generally have not.
yeah. it’s the flip side of placing a priority on ethnic authenticity. i like to think that i’m less provincial than most when it comes to ethnic cuisine, but there’s some stuff that just doesn’t appeal to me even though i may be able to appreciate intellectually what was accomplished using the limited range of ingredients, spices or cooking technique, (which is something i really appreciate about street vendor food) etc. in some cases i’d rather eat orange chicken. if that makes me somehow less than a purist, i can live with that. especially when it comes to icelandic fermented shark.
i’m not that big a fan of szechuan cuisine either. i much prefer shanghai regional cuisine, and since i’m a big noodle fan, shaanxi and shanxi, the latter in particular since i tend to undersalt dishes when i cook and i appreciate how shanxi cuisine uses vinegar & its acidity to mitigate the saltiness of certain dishes. but i can also appreciate less nuanced fare like the cumin chicken bones in dongbei cuisine and simple fare like cantonese/toisan minced steamed pork with salted egg or chinese sausage. oddly enough, while cumin blasted lamb skewers are quite tasty, i tend to avoid ordering them when available preferring to try something different on the menu. everyone has their own set of sensibilities when it comes to palate.
i was impressed at first until i learned that the moistness of the fish was due to their using swai. i have no objection to swai but i was disappointed that the moistness wasn’t due to technique.
yes, i’m just curious as to whether what you really mean to say is “i have not liked very much the very limited encounters i’ve had with these cuisines”. your comments above gave the impression of judgments made from much greater experience, and if so, i’m wondering where in the sgv one might go to obtain that experience (which i would assume would encompass more than a small handful of restaurants).
Re: Hot Red Bus. I liked it. It was good for what it was, a fish & chips place in the SGV. I liked that it was British-style, yet with a bit of British Indian influence. That might have been what made the batter seem “off”, as he used a small amount of some Indian spices in the batter mix (at least early on). And also, at least earlier on, they had an option of fish other than swai. I’ll admit it wasn’t as good on my last visit as it was on my earlier ones. When the owner/operator was there, he was more hands on and it was a pretty good little place. It definitely was unique for the SGV.
There have only been a few restaurants in the SGV that featured these cuisines. There are currently two Wuhan-style restaurants in the SGV - sister restaurants - and there were 3 at the maximum. That still means more than anywhere else in the country and I’m only aware of one other dedicated Wuhan-style restaurant (in San Diego, and I believe affiliated with the 2 SGV restaurants). As far as Hui (Anhui), the recently closed China Taste is the first I’m aware of in the SGV.
For the record, I’ve liked the Wuhan-style items I’ve had, though I have to admit I’m not likely to crave them or seek them out often. Everyone probably has a ranking of favorite to least favorite of all types of cuisines.
sure. but, as i said, i think some people–and i don’t mean you–give the impression of far greater experience behind their preferences.
I prefer the affordability of street food in Beijing but it can’t compare to the depth of offerings found in Shanghai.
Note: I’ve never been to China.