Had a traditional Chinese dinner at Lao Beijing, my first time there I think. It’s really ornately decorated inside, and so authentic that the people working there can’t even speak English! Food was delish, but we severely over-ordered as usual 😉 It’s just too hard to restrain when everything on the menu sounds so enticing!

We were happily chowing down on our food when suddenly there was a *GONGGGGGG* and another *GONGGGGG* and we looked up, confuddled. Was it some sort of weird dramatic music? Was a big TV suddenly turned on? We were trying to figure out what the heck was going on when suddenly a man decked on in orange appeared! He held fans and had a mask over his face, and was dancing to the very cool Chinese music.

ameelia explained that it’s a traditional Chinese mask-swap dance.. an artform where the guy swaps the mask (you can tell as each is a different vivid colour) in a fraction of a second – so quick you can’t even see him change it! It’s basically just like magic – one second the mask is bright red, and a millisecond later it’s black! SO EXCITING!! It was just some impromptu show but was the highlight of the whole dinner 😀

Lao Beijing

Very cool menu with drawings of old Chinese culture

My tee says “You’ve Got Great Taste”!

Bored at dad taking blurry pics

Pickles. Too weird.

Homemade noodles with mince pork and cucumber. Love it!

All stirred up

Steamed fish. Very smooth and tasty

Fried pastry with mince pork and chives. Mmmm

Cold marinated beef. So weird!

Xiao Long Bao. PERFECTION. OMGGGGGGGGGG

Glutinous rice with pork ribs.

Fried dumplings. They weren’t fried crisp enough though.

The mask dance. TOO COOL!!!!!