Homecoming Part 3: it's always about the food.

*contains photos of delicious meals.

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I write about many things personal: growing up in China and finding home in the U.S., the bittersweetness of a life between two cultures, and the stories that gave me strength along the way, from books, films, and real life.

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This is Part 3 of my Homecoming series about my first trip back home to Fuzhou, China in six years.

Update: all five parts are out now:

• Part 1: the before

• Part 2: the delightful surprises

• Part 3: it’s always about the food

• Part 4: the wedding banquet

• Part 5: the after

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Before this trip, many things were uncertain, including what our make-up wedding banquets would be like and who was even attending. But we knew one thing for sure, the food was going to be good. Not just good, but amazing, wonderful, out-of-this-world, mouth-watering, and unforgettably good.

Taipei

Our first official meal in Asia was at Taoyuan Airport for a layover to Hong Kong. It was 6:30 am and we walked into the first restaurant that opened. We ordered a bowl of meatball soup with rice noodles (贡丸米粉) and a bowl of classic beef noodle soup (牛肉面), with a side of steamed veggies and milk tea. After a few slurps down, we were fully awake. Compared to other meals we had later on, they were so simple and basic. Yet, there was something magical about the first meal that reminded us that we were very close to home.

And… there’s no more tipping from then on.

Hong Kong

With our four days in Hong Kong, we had more than enough time to explore and eat some good food. We met up with my middle school best friend, who took us to Sushiro (壽司郎), a trendy Japanese revolving sushi bar. What surprised me the most wasn’t that the sushi plates on the revolving belt were mostly for display or that you ordered from an iPad. It wasn’t even that your food arrived on a separate belt from the display plates. The real surprise was the jar of matcha powder and a mini hot water faucet at each table, allowing you to make your own tea.

I gasped, and my friend laughed. And that was pretty much how the rest of our days went in Hong Kong.

Fuzhou

Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, we are blessed with an abundance of restaurants that serve food from all over Asia. But we have never found a place serving Fuzhou dishes. Perhaps the Fuzhou diaspora here is small (unlike Flushing, NY), or the cuisine hasn’t gained the same national prominence in China as Sichuan or Cantonese food—let alone internationally.

So when we arrived in Fuzhou, we knew the food we were going to eat wouldn’t be found anywhere else in the world.

The classic Fuzhou dishes

Lao Hua (捞化) is a rice noodle soup from Fujian province. "Lao" (捞) refers to the technique of quickly cooking rice noodles in boiling water, while "Hua" (化) denotes “Xin Hua” (兴化), a region in Fujian known for producing premium rice noodles. You can choose from a wide variety of toppings to complement your noodles, all served in a seafood-based umami broth. My favorites include beef tripe, mushrooms, fresh clams, sliced meat, and vegetables.

I was not a huge fan of Lao Hua before I left China. With each visit home, it gradually became the meal that I sought out, because I can’t find it anywhere else in the world. The freshness of the ingredients and the flavorful soup make the taste both straightforward and multi-layered.

Tossed noodles (拌面 Bàn Miàn) is a popular dish in Fuzhou where noodles are tossed with flavorful sauces such as soy sauce, sesame paste, or peanut sauce. "Thin-skinned Dumplings" (扁肉 Biǎn Ròu) is a special type of wonton, specific to Fuzhou, known for its thin wrapper and delicate filling. This dish is light and smooth, offering a unique flavor experience. People always order them together, with one or two side dishes. It’s quick and simple, but quite heavenly, especially for those like me who can only taste the most authentic ones every few years.

The desserts

Meals are never complete without desserts. The most significant difference I noticed in desserts and drinks is the abundance of unique local flavors. Businesses are becoming more inventive with their offerings while integrating these local tastes. Small independent coffee shops are sprouting up in neighborhoods, serving creative drinks and espresso mocktails. All of these desserts shown in the photo below did not exist when I was last home six years ago.

I was a changed person during this visit home, and so was my city.

Left: Mille crêpes cakes Shui Xian tea flavor on the right. Right: jasmine tea flavor.

Two mocktails here on the right side, one with espresso and the other with Chinese olive juice grown locally instilled with a hint of jasmine.

Cold, refreshing summer drinks is a must. Left: salty dried Chinese plum and Chinese olive in sparkling water. Right: cold brew, but for tea.

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We knew our trip would fly by, so we savored every meal, the familiar flavors, and the new ones. We tried to memorize each scent and bite, not just with our senses, but with our hearts.

Homecoming is about speaking my mother tongue and finding clothes that fit me. It’s also about enjoying the foods that remind me of childhood and the new flavors that drew me closer.

Before this visit, Fuzhou had faded into more of a concept than an actual place after more than six years away. And now that I’ve seen it and tasted it again, I know that no matter how long I am away, it will always be there for me. The food will always be there for me.

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Thank you for reading Part 3 of my Homecoming series. Stay tuned for more! Every Tiny Thought is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, I hope you consider upgrading your subscription.

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