Food is everything in Wuhan, so I needed to serve 'Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner' because those noodles needed to be enjoyed! Wuhan took me by the hand, revisiting those flavours and taking in new ones, I considered myself at home once again! Fish soup? Yes, after brushing shoulders with the new 'CBD', I made that taste test happen! Truly, I felt satisfied with it all! More, please?
I am having trouble getting my words out because those 热干面 tasted lovely, it was like Wuhan had crafted me my own 'love letter'. I kept things simple because within that Guanggu Square area things had changed a lot since the time I had visited in 2018 and even more since I had called that Hubei city, home. I very rarely entertain noodles for breakfast but Wuhan has always been a true charmer. Those savoury peanut flavor noodles can be enjoyed any time of the day or night! For breakfast with some soy milk, well it was like a party in my mouth! I had worried too much, after scouring the internet for a suitable breakfast hangout in Wuhan for that first morning wasn't meant to be. I came to terms that I wouldn't get to eat any '面窩/Mian Wo' but in the grand scheme of things I got over that fact! The chain restaurant around the corner from my hotel would suffice and that would just have to do! Breakfast never tasted so good! I wasn't going to take any chat from McDonald's nor KFC because a true Wuhan breakfast won! Exactly!
Ordering my noodles and soy milk felt natural, the lady behind the counter spooned the different components over the already cooked noodles with the same speed. Oh, my soy milk was an after thought because I decided against getting some '豆皮/Dou Pi'. It was a like winding the hands of time back to 2015, those noodles tasted just the same as they had done back in the day! That breakfast moment felt natural, returning to Wuhan for those noodles alone was worth it and then some, no mistakes had been made! I loved those noodles like no other in China and that is a bold statement but I will always stand by that declaration. You already know that I enjoyed one final portion of 'Hot Dry Noodles' at Wuhan Railway Station before I left the city for my next destination. Nothing beats those Wuhan made noodles, for breakfast alone, of course I was in food heaven! With breakfast enjoyed, my next meal looked more like a 'working progress!' From Paris to Hong Kong, it's all about Wuhan now! CBD, who? 什么? Who was she?!
Lunch? Honestly speaking, I had no time for lunch! Wuhan Metro Lines 2 & 7 transported me from 'Hankou Railway Station/汉口火车站' down to 'Wuhan Business District/武汉商务区' with the quickness! Still, I was getting to grips with how much that mass rapid transit system had grown since my last visit in 2018. Getting used to those newer lines had me reminiscing when Wuhan only just had four lines, serious progress has been made in such a short space of time! Before I left Wuhan in August 2017, I saw that a certain 'CBD' had literally just broken ground. Of course, that 2018 return was pure chaos, I never made it anywhere near that growing yet-to-be 'Wuhan Business District' because I did the most! 2023 saw me exiting from that domed metro station, I was expecting a bustling scene with business types speed walking from point to point. Did I see such a scene play out before me? No, I did not! Surrounded by that ghost town situation, I kept an open mind because Wuhan had a plan for me! Wuhan Center? Let's get it, B!
No, I wasn't expecting to receive a guided tour around Wuhan Center because I was being realistic. I scanned a rental bike because I wanted to bike around the around to check out what that suspiciously quiet corner served from the outside in. I saw that the towering glass structure rose up to a serious height, I didn't require such numerical figures because I was impressed by the modern look. Biking around the whole area allowed me to see an equally new side of the 'CBD' but with more life going on. Sure, from a distance the sun glistened on the Wuhan Center for all of the immediate district to marvel at. From the former site of Wuhan's former 'Wangjiadun Airport', it felt correct to see a different part of that Wuhan area because the lake and bars weren't on my list during that afternoon. With my lunch served up in the form of a peculiar looking 'CBD', I embraced every second of that developing Wuhan space. Forget dinner, I say tea! Still, I wanted fish soup! Noodles done, CBD clocked, so I wanted to wrap things up!
One of Wuhan's many signature dishes has to be 'Steamed Fish Soup/蒸鱼汤'. I can still remember when I went to Wuhan's Huangpi District during August 2016, I was fortunate enough to try some Wuchang fish soup. The fish soup during that 2016 time tasted lovely but the bones really concerned me, that's why I aired caution ordering that serving of fish soup in Wuhan during 2023. My fears were for nothing, I had ordered one of the less spicy soups and not a bone was in sight! Honestly, that serving of fish soup was absolutely delicious, it tasted amazing with the right amount of flavor because Wuhan food doesn't play! I had found that simple eatery on the way back to the train, I spotted that restaurant at the 'Wuhan Business District' station without even realising any food places would be present. It was that kind of surprise that kept me going, no complaints would be found with that large portion of soupy goodness! Damn right, Wuhan served my taste-buds like no other city in China could ever! Oh!
My fish soup moment allowed me to keep things simple, I picked away at my fish as the tasty broth bubbled away on the hot plate like table. Yes, those tables had their own hot plates installed, quite like induction hobs they were. I loved my free bottle of water because I wasn't about to complain about that! I had a free bowl of steamed rice served up with my soup, of that I didn't eat the entire contents of the bowl because the soup was enough. Those soft and deliciously tasting pieces of fish had me in foodie state of mind, I was completely in the zone! Please don't ask me how much my soup cost me, I can't remember the exact figure but I can remember being extra shocked by how cheap everything was! 'Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner' in Wuhan, China had been amazing for many reasons, no final conclusion feels right to express. From beginning to end, my experience in Wuhan within this blog publication was delicious, I have no negative points. Let's take things across the Yellow Sea to Seoul, South Korea next? Yes!
Noodles For Days!
Desperately Seeking Adventure