Restaurant: Hú Dà Yìnxiàng Ba (Changsha, Hunan)

Changsha, Hunan, CHINA — This morning, I arrived by train, hungry. There are no hostels in Changsha, at least none to be found on Hostelworld.com. Can someone sniff this opportunity and open one? We’ve checked in to a fairly clean, room that forgets to clean under four legged furniture. Huatian Inn is located on the fifth floor of the more well known Motel 168. I feel a little like I’m on the 7½th floor in Being John Malkovich .

Knowing no one in town, Adeline and I consort with our new favorite website Dianping.com. Adeline suspects Changsha locals aren’t avid users of this site as McDonalds and KFC are amongst the top 25 restaurants. I see her point. Still, Adeline manages to fish out a beautiful spot nestled in Hunan University’s forest, known best amongst lovers. Taking recommendations from Dianping’s readers, we shared the following three dishes.

Bái Luóbo (白萝卜)

I have yet to learn what makes this dish distinctly Hunanese. I assume Bái Luóbo (白萝卜), white radish boiled in pork bone broth, is a home-style favorite in many Chinese homes. My Filipina mother makes a dish almost exactly like this without the chili garnish. It’s comforting and delicious, off setting the spice of the two other dishes we ordered.

Shǒu Sī Yā (手撕鸭)

Wow! I’m used to the filleted presentation of Beijing roast duck so when Shǒu Sī Yā (手撕鸭, Hand Pulled Duck) arrived splayed out over a platter with bill still intact I was both impressed and surprised. Garlicky and spicy yet not offensively so, I found the flavor addictive. The skin was crispy, but the meat had a slight jerky pull. I don’t know if this texture is to be expected but I figure it must if this dish is one of Dianping.com’s user-favorites.

Dàmò Yáng Pái (大漠羊排)

Dàmò Yáng Pái (大漠羊排, Desert Lamb Chops) had chili with extra kick making me wonder if this is the spice I’ve been waiting to encounter in Hunan? These lamb chops had the same tug as the duck, with less meat. However, the flavor had me gnawing at the bones and piling them on my plate. I hissed, inhaling to cool my mouth and sipped my bittersweet ginseng tea.

The location is truly a romantic spot and great for dates. The campus ground is lush and green at the moment as it is raining. This was a lovely meal to start my family visits in Hunan.

Hú Dà Yìnxiàng Ba
Address: 岳麓区湖南大学松林斋(岳麓书院大门往北)
Yuelu District, Hunan University Sōnglín Zhāi (Yuelu Academy North Gate)
Changsha, Hunan
Telephone: 0731-88821246
Cuisine: 湘菜 (Hunan)

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