Funny thing happened on the way to dinner:

What was it? Well...it was the mafia.

There's this street in Wuhan that we call 'Corruption Alley.' I've never asked before why it is called that--I guessed that it was a funny chinglish semi-translation. Typical. I've been hooked for the past few weeks on a soup that my Uighur friends introduced to me on Corruption Alley. (Uighur is a minority predominant in the Xinjiang province of China--a province that borders Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and others--and with a culture that reflects the people's central role as traders on the ancient Silk Road that runs through it. The language, culture, religion and food are drastically unique from traditional Han Chinese.)

Anyway--this soup is delicious. Many soups in China are really watery and without much flavor--but not this. Spelled to the best of my phonetic ability it is called s-yook aush. It's heavenly. It has a tomato-based broth, it's savory, includes small pieces of Muslim noodles freshly made, lamb, celery, peppers and all other sorts of deliciousness. It's almost like a savory, middle eastern minestrone. 

So--on a rainy evening I traveled far and wide up to Corruption Alley to meet the twins for some soup. They met me at the door. "We should not eat here," Yultuz said. She then explained that her professor informed her that the restaurants in the area were in league with the 'mafia' and that perhaps it was dangerous to go there. Apparently, many of these shops use their restaurants as a cover for drug dealing and other criminal activities...turns out: Corruption Alley is actually corrupt.

Being the naive American girl that I am--I asked, desperate for this soup, "Well, but--they won't do anything to us, will they? I mean...we just want the soup! That's all!" 

Apparently it's a risk we shouldn't take.

As I hopped into a taxi to head to the new dinner destination--it occured to me: the Mafia just changed my dinner plans! I am living a life where my plans are changed because of...the Mafia. No big deal really....except that...you know...that's weird. Surreal. Something.

So anyway--the evening ended with a lovely meal at a hot-pot restaurant that was really tasty in its own way. Hot pot is a favorite of many here in Wuhan--and this was probably the best I've had. It didn't, however, erase that pervasive craving for my s'yuk aush (another attempt at spelling). Here's hoping I can find another Uighur restaurant somewhere in the city that is not under the influence of the Mob. We'll see...

Pics from dinner:

a Hot Pot

Yultuz

Me, Tina, and Kunduz at hot pot

My delicious lunches these days: oranges, pomegranate, sweet potato, toast with butter (found at the import store) and diet coke withOUT lemon (for the past year and two months, the only diet coke available in Wuhan was w/lemon. I jumped up and down in the supermarket when I found it sans citrus!)

What I eat when I don't want to worry about corruption or mafia...yummm. We feast on life in China!