Renee, where to next?

Where and what I ate while in Sanya.

Getting to Sanya from Wuhan took only one direct flight. Before any flight a Covid test is required either 24 or 48 hours. Depending on the province’s requirements. So let’s set the scene. It’s travel day and I’m all packed and ready. To get to the airport I hop on the metro which is a little over an hour away. And in my mind the timing of my departure is on time. So it’s all going well check in was easy all Covid documentation approved, bags handed in, boarding passes in hand and ready to go. Then security holds me in the line scanning and rescanning my bags! After the mad dash to the gate the door is closed and I’ve missed the flight by two minutes. Yes folks I stood there and watched as the door closed and the gate detached.

Luckily after calming down and going back to the check in counter, the problem was solved fairly easy. We were able to apply for a refund for our tickets with the help of customer service and book another flight an hour later. In the end it all worked out with surprisingly a full refund. Yes, God is good all the time!

So let’s get back on track from part one of the Sanya blog. We have two remaining categories to explore: food and activities/excursions. Let’s dig into some tantalizing food shall we?

Food options I tried

Staying in Yalong Bay is very relaxing and gives all the perks of a real get away from the hustle and bustle life. However, restaurants and nightlife are about 25 minutes away in Dadonghai. And that’s where my first restaurant stop was, Whitehouse. The ambiance gives elevated chill rooftop vibes with a live band and singers. The aesthetic setup is modern with orange and white color theme and also orange up lighting.

I began the night with the Coconut Pumpkin Soup. It was delectable. Smooth and with the perfect balance of coconut and pumpkin taste. In China you generally can’t go wrong when ordering pumpkin soup and again they delivered. Next up was the first entrée. I must admit I’m a pasta lover so maybe 80 to per cent of the time I’ll select a pasta from the menu. I’ve never seen this pasta on a menu in China since I’ve been here so I had to try it. Ribeye Beef Tomato Spaghetti. The flavor was balanced in my opinion. Balances but it didn’t wow me. Nevertheless I enjoyed it.

White House also had some interesting tales on some popular menu items and one that stood out for me was the French Vanilla Lamb Chops. Now, I am what you call a vanilla stan account. And that is one thing I’d never forgive myself for not trying. So you must understand my excitement when seeing that flavor pairing. The lamb was tender and while the flavor was something new. The vanilla wasn’t overpowering at all it was subtle, maybe even a little too subtle. But I’m my opinion worth the try.

The final dinner item was devine. And was probably a favorite of the night. Charcoal-grilled Pork with Honey. Pork is one of my favorite protein options and as a Jamaican who is used to having jerked pork or stewed pork, I genuinely enjoy trying it in different ways. Pork in itself normally lends itself to a sweet taste and I think the balance between the honey and smoke from the grill worked really well. We topped off dinner with a bottle of Rosé wine that was just yummy. Overall, the meal totaled about RMB500 which would be about USD$70.

After dinner we headed for drinks at what I would call a supper lounge or an elevated lounge. I’ve also been to a branch in my city, Wuhan, so seeing one in Sanya was interesting. This one was a masterpiece. It had both indoor and outdoor seating, unlike the one in Wuhan it was a two storey building and even had a pool outside. There are various Djs throughout the night and the music is mostly hip hop or a mixture of EDM and techno. Service is also higher as most patrons depending on table size and purchase will have a personal waiter, who will attend to all your needs. And for all the shisha/hookah smokers they also offer this service. Not the best but it can suffice.

One thing to keep in mind when visiting this lounge is it can get really packed. The venue is pretty big but trust me it does fill up. It’s located right next to a super club and man begging their nights at Tao before heading over to the club that’s right next door.

Sanya is home to many foreign expats. Most from Russia. As a result of this most street signs and other public information on display is also translated into Russian. This leads me to our next location, Dolphin. A true western style sports bar, with most patrons being foreigners. The atmosphere reminds me of something similar to an American or British sports bar. The menu offers a variety of bar food as well as full entrees like pasta, lamb, and different rice dishes.

The pasta were tasty and came in a large portion. On the other hand the lamb was over done, seemed to have been sitting in the kitchen because it was on the cold side when served. It looked good but really left me disappointed. I’m not sure if it was because the bar was packed that night but service was slow. The drinks there were also just OK. Nothing to rave about. But I’d go back to try other things, maybe something else is better than what I ordered that night.

On my last day in Yalong Bay, we decided to visit a restaurant we saw while on the beach the day before. So before our transfer to our second hotel we went for a brunch/ early lunch. Let’s just say we were the first customers that day, because when we got there they were still cleaning up and arranging the restaurant. But we were welcomed to find a place to we would like to sit and to scan the QR code to look at the menu.

The ambiance both inside and outside the restaurant was different from any restaurant I’ve ever been to. Inside looked like a cross between a restaurant and a club. The outdoor seating had several variations that overlooked the beach. Each seating area outside looked different and some even had private bubble dining options. Very ‘Instagramable’. But it was way too hot for me to dine outside.

Now let’s move on to the food. Overall, I would say the ambiance was better than the food. It was quite mid in my opinion. Nothing wowed me or set my tastebuds into delight. Even the basic quesadilla was lackluster. The Fried Pork Short Ribs, were something I’d never had before, so I opted to try them. And I could have done without trying them to be honest. The flavor game across more on the bland side. Maybe with a little dust of spice at the end would have given the flavor pump it needed.

The best thing I had that day was the Beef Black Pepper Spaghetti. It had the perfect level of spice and the beef was tender. I enjoyed the fact that the beef was not minced but rather sliced. I also had the Chef’s Salad, not the best salad I’d ever had. In all honesty the ingredients didn’t scream fresh or crisp. And that was the major downfall for the salad for me.

I topped my meal of with a refreshing Strawberry Mojito mocktail. It was just to early and too hot for alcohol. Too much of a light weight to start drinking before midday. I’ll leave that to the professionals! Over all, I’d rate See Sea Again a 6/10 for food and a 8.5/10 for ambiance. Would I return? Yes, for the ambiance and club feel at night!

Next we move on to my favorite location while in Sanya. I loved this location so much. I felt transported to an entirely different country. I must say while driving to this location I felt like I was doing like a country run in Jamaica. Like I literally felt like I was driving to Ocho Rios or something. If not for the Chinese road signs I would’ve never thought I was still in China.

But now welcome to what many call the Greek Village of Sanya. To get here you just put in Hello Yello in DiDi. Hello Yello is a very small café spot that’s apart of a boutique hotel. So many people come here just to take photos and for the view of the beach. After the very long day I had it was so good to just sit and relax and enjoy the view. It’s perfect to unwind after a long day. The entire strip provides great views of the sunset also.

The café has a small menu, with tea, coffee and yogurt bowl options. It really just provides a refresher if you’ve been out and about all day. And at that point of my day that’s what was needed before we headed to dinner. I had a yogurt and granola bowl and orange oolong tea. Both totaled about RMB50 (about USD$7).

Next up is a restaurant with such a magnificent view. We were so lucky to get there before it was full and got pretty good seating. This was the perfect sunset dinner location. I was in awe. The name of this restaurant was Hello Musae, which is a Greek inspired restaurant located along the beach.

The restaurant is also connected to a boutique hotel and also has a small café above the restaurant. Everything I tried on the menu was a first for me and it was my second time having Greek cuisine. The food was so good, that I know for sure if I return to Sanya I will for sure go back to this restaurant.

I began with the Pindar Grilled Cheese. Which was just chilli pepper baked with Feta cheese, Parmesan cheese and mozzarella, with a side of bread. I am an ultimate cheese lover and I could never see this on a menu and not order it. Slightly spicy but mostly cheesy is how I’d describe the flavor. It’s simple and a perfect appetizer for a cheese lover. The meal was finished off with Chicken Gyros and Zeus chicken fillets and a bottle of cider to wash it all down.

At the end of this meal I had the feeling of such relaxation. I legitimately get at peace. With a full stomach of delectable food who wouldn’t feel this way? Then we add the ocean breeze and the stunning sunset. Yes, I was immensely pleased and really just felt happy to be able to have experienced this.

Total meal cost was about RMB250 which would be about USD$35.

Our Final food stop is like a social media famous spot called Lady Q. Getting here was not difficult at all as it was located close to our hotel, less than 10 minutes away. The restaurant was located in like a residential building (I forgot what floor oops). It gives rooftop vibes and is suitable for taking pictures for the gram!

I wasn’t very hungry when we went so I only got a Classic Caesar Salad (RMB58 – USD$8) and a drink. To be honest we came here because it was popular online and I wanted to get pictures here. The food was mediocre in my opinion and I think this spot is suitable for chill night vibes and for having drinks. But the ambiance I would give a 8/10. To get here you just type in Lady Q into DiDi and once you get into the building you’ll see a sign to your right with the location of the bar/restaurant.

This ended up being our last real day out because little did we know a Covid outbreak was brewing in Sanya while we were out having the time of our lives! But stay tuned for the final leg of this Sanya blog series where I get into all the activities I did while in beautiful Sanya. Can’t wait to see where to next!

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