Chongqing BBQ on the Riverbank: Unlimited Meat, Seafood, and Riverside Leisure – Perfect for a Wonderful Spring Day
The weather in March and April in Chongqing is when the flowers are blooming and the grass is turning green. A busy week followed by a weekend feels especially wonderful, and it's even better with sunshine – enjoying it with family and friends by the river is a truly blissful experience!
Chongqing, embraced by two rivers, is a great place to find. For a lazy person like me, it's best to find a place with all the necessary equipment, and self-BBQ is the best option. Chongqing North Shore BBQ is perfectly suited for this.
Following the navigation, we arrived at the bridge, which became a natural 'shelter'. It was amazing to find such a little world underneath the bridge, while enjoying the flowing river scenery, a barbecue party was in full swing. There were also various leisure activities like mahjong, billiards, and video games.
When we arrived, it was almost 12 o'clock, so we quickly confirmed the seat with the boss. The morning was overcast, but only with scattered rain, and the seats were still facing the river. The difference was that some had no booths or shielding, allowing for 360-degree panoramic views, while others had simple partitioned rooms, keeping things separate and still able to see the river while blocking the wind.
We chose a 'small booth' near the ingredients, and combined two tables, which was enough for ten of us to display our barbecue skills.
The store's chefs had already prepared the fire, and we officially started to barbecue. The most important thing about self-barbecue is having a partner who knows how to barbecue, and we were very lucky because most of us were quite good at it, so we didn't have to worry about the taste of the barbecue. We ate and grilled together – it was so satisfying!
Just as we prepared the ingredients, everyone rushed to the icebox to 'purchase' their favorite ingredients. Meat-loving people bought a large tray of meat, with bones and meat skewers, chicken skin, squid, snails, and crispy bones... In addition to these, there were also many oysters and clams, with various side dishes.
We were grilling various meat skewers, while oysters and clams were placed on the table. At first, our technique was a bit clumsy, and we forgot to put salt on the oysters and clams. Fortunately, we found the trick later and added a thick layer of garlic sauce, salt, and flavor, which finally brought the taste closer to that of a barbecue stall.
The taste of the meat skewers is always stable. We joked that someone could set up a stall at the entrance of the neighborhood and sell barbecue – it would definitely not be bad. Like the barbecue masters outside, we would take out a lot of skewers at once, and once a skewer was finished, it would be quickly divided. It was very popular.
The most popular was squid – we kept taking and taking, and we took four or five times, the soft squid was delicious, with a uniform flavor. It's no exaggeration to say it's as good as the squid at a snack street!
In addition to the ingredients in the icebox, there were also 'specially prepared' dishes. We ordered two sheets of tin foil fish, with the fish pre-marinated with spices. We just had to wait for it. The fish with pepper sauce was just the right size, and the fish meat was very tender, and the pepper sauce entered the meat, with a hint of meat flavor. The evaluation was quite high.
Eating barbecue can't be without beans and (tízi pí - sweet potato starch noodles). Here, the beans are thick, and the (tízi pí - sweet potato starch noodles) is thin and soft, combined with scallions and pickled vegetables, and it's really like the taste I had at a barbecue stall as a child. One skewer per person, very satisfying.
A barbecue lasted for two hours. We were tired, so we rested for a while. We'll continue later. After eating and drinking enough, we started playing 'PUBG' (Apex Legends). Some of us went to the swings to rest.
Everyone was full, and the mahjong table became a hot spot. Several people played mahjong, and several people played video games. Some people were tired and went to the swings to rest. Time passed so quickly.
Surprisingly, as we were eating barbecue, the sun suddenly came out from the clouds, dispelling the gloom of the morning. The sudden sunshine made the river scenery even more beautiful, and it also made the afternoon even better.
Around 5 pm, the evening rush began, and another wave of customers arrived to start their evening barbecue party. At night, you can also see the beautiful night scenery of Chongqing. I think that's another experience.
