During term time, most of my life at the University of Birmingham is simple – stay in the campus to study or go to the gym, cook by myself at home or have lunch at the university canteens. In this post, however, I will recommend some Chinese restaurants in nearby Selly Oak where I like to go with my friends at weekends. I will also share some supermarkets where I usually shop and other places I find interesting.
Chinese restaurants
I am from Wuhan, China, where most people like to eat spicy food. After staying in the UK for a long time, eating potatoes, roast chicken and boiled vegetable every day, I find that I really miss Chinese food such as ShuiZhuYuPian (spicy boiled fish), MaLaXiangGuo (hot-spicy pot), HuoGuo (Hot pot) … I can hardly find a satisfying spicy taste English dish.
Luckily, there are some Chinese restaurants in Selly Oak within walking distance of the main campus. My favourite one is called KuaiLe and the spicy boiled fish sold in this restaurant is what I must order from its menu. The rich tangy scent of the Sichuan pepper and hot chili, as well as the bright colour from red chili contrasting starkly with snow-white meat, make it mouth-watering and delectable.
Apart from the restaurant I mentioned above, there are many other Chinese restaurants in the Selly Oak. The price varies from about £5 to £15 for a meal and most offer Cantonese cuisine, so people from Guangdong will not be worried about not having hometown food.
Talking about Chinese food, a phone app called ‘Hungry Panda’ must be recommended. It integrates nearly all Chinese restaurants in Birmingham, so it is easy to order food online using this app.
Supermarkets
There are shops near the campus – from local supermarkets to Chinese supermarkets. Small local shops such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Aldi are located in Selly Oak on the same street as those Chinese restaurants and they are very convenient to get some groceries and daily food. The big Sainsbury’s near Selly Oak’s park is also a good place to hang out for an hour.
The Chinese supermarket is another place when you really miss your home. When tired of cereals and spaghetti, grab a bag of Luosifen (river snails rice noodle) or the hot pot condiments to make a home-made hotpot with friends. You can also find various kinds of Chinese sauce in Chinese supermarkets.
Afternoon tea and a garden walk
A good place to relax and have afternoon tea is Winterbourne House and Garden which is right next to the University campus. Admission is free for University of Birmingham students. Walking around the garden after sitting in the library for the whole morning is really enjoyable for me!
Yangyi