For Your Eyes Only: Finding Roger Moore

The district of Tongshan, where I live and work, seems to lie in a wide valley surrounded by rolling hills and small mountain ranges.  Roads leading from both sides of the main thoroughfare around here head towards these hills, and so I decided to do some urban exploring this past weekend.  I walked up the south road of the university, to the south gate and checked out the little restaurant area opposite. The dumpling restaurant I was interested in didn't appear to be serving at that time, being mid afternoon. Most places were closed as well, including some dubious looking hot dog stand.  Not finding anything for brunch that I liked, I kept walking up the street, past some huge institutes or other organisations to the end where the street formed a a tiny T-junction with shops everywhere and of course lots of scooters.  

I turned right, strolling past endless restaurants and tea shops, then made a left down an alley.  This alley was also filled with even more tiny stores, including one that said 'Ciabatta Hi Girls, Hi Boys' out the front.  I kept walking uphill, before the alley came to a dead end at a hotel.  Trails led off around the sides into the hills.  I walked back down, stopping at a cookie place and got two sesame cookies that were very crumbly and disintegrated immediately, but tasted good.  I went back past the T-junction, and saw a couple of hamburger places, which both seemed very out of place, given the overall village atmosphere of this area.  It actually reminded me of an old village of which a modern city has expanded around.  When the shops were no more, I turned around, and then I saw it - a picture on a store of what I'd been craving since I arrived, rou jia mo!

I used to eat these delicacies all the time when living here last. Essentially they're a round flat bread, filled with chopped up beef and green capsicum that has been cooked on a hot plate.  A delicious street food costing next to nothing.  Given the pronunciation is not unlike Roger Moore, I remember a colleague once out on the English testing circuit, asking for 2 "Roger Moores" and the vendor understood exactly.  I ordered mine, trying to pronounce it more correctly.  When it arrived, it was piping hot and juicy, although beefier than what I'd remembered.  

I made my way back down the University South Road, feeling like a boss, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the warmth and deliciousness of the juicy Roger Moore.  I'm sure Roger would have approved!