Offbeat Chinese food anyone?

[Waldo]

BEIJING - Fancy a seahorse kebab, deep-fried scorpion, or maybe duck liver paste shaped as a table tennis bat?

Beijing, a city known for its culinary diversity, is offering everything from the bizarre to the beautiful when it comes to food during the August 8-24 Olympics with visitors urged to be adventurous and not put off by the unusual.

Some of the city's estimated 40,000 restaurants have added sporting twists to menus in keeping with the Chinese tradition of marking special occasions with unique culinary creations.

The Quanjude, a well-known Peking duck restaurant, has a range of dishes with an Olympic theme such as abalone shaped like a rowing boat with asparagus oars, baby corn baseball bats, and noodle baskets shaped like the Olympic "Bird's Nest" stadium.

Sports bars around the city were hoping the influx of seven million visitors for the Games would benefit them, such as the W Restaurant and Bar in the popular Sanlitun area that is co-owned by former Swedish table tennis champion Jan-Ove Waldner.

"Everyone is going to be thinking sports all the time and we will have the Olympics showing all the time," said Chris Lee, chief executive of W Restaurant that has a table tennis table in the dining area for diners needing some exercise.

Even though dog meat has officially been taken off the menu for the Olympic Games so as not to offend foreign visitors, tourists can still find a wide range of unusual delicacies.

Think I'll stick to chicken chow mein!!

[Mike]

Are you sure its chicken?

[Waldo]

Now don't go putting me off - that's just mean!

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Waldo

Now don't go putting me off - that's just mean!

Sorry

[kazthorn]

I saw a report the other day from a restaurant in Beijing which only serves different animals penis' (I know I'm making you guys cringe again). The reporter said that of the ox, the sheep and the donkey (all of which he struggled to swallow and was both hilarious and sickening to watch) that the donkey was the best by far.

I think I'll take his word for it .

[Mike]

Erm, I'll pass on that

[Waldo]

A friend of mine always calls sausages "Donkey Dick" - he is rather strange though

[Cookie]

Thanks, but will stay where I am - don't eat those starnge foods just thinkinga bout it makes me all.....