GOOD FOR WHAT AILS

At tea time I headed into C'town for a late lunch. Actually it was a long delayed breakfast, and given that I hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon, I should have been ravenous. Not so. Mildly peckish, yes.
The best thing for an appetite is the presence of a charming woman to share a meal, which you probably realize is the one thing most markedly missing in my otherwise "very full" life.
A nice person with whom to eat makes food taste much better!
Heck, it might even lead to THREE meals a day.
Instead of one every 24 hours or so.
Just not hungry much.


RIVER NOODLE SOUP

Ended up at the San Sun Restaurant, where the owner happily recognized me. Since it relocated from the building on Stockton Street it has become one of my favourite places to eat, largely because of the food. Affordable, and considering the sheer quality of their dishes, as well as the cleanliness of place, it is quite a bargain.
A lovely bowl of broad rice stick noodles in a clean broth, with beansprouts, chopped scallion, cilantro, and a sprinkle of crispy fried onion shreds for garnish. Plus a plate of thin grilled pork, with that marvelous slightly sooty fatty taste.
And milk tea over ice.

[San Sun Restaurant: 三陽咖啡餐屋 (saam-yeung kafei tsan-ok), 848 Washington Street, San Francisco, CA 94108. It's between Grant and Stockton, on the corner of Ross Alley. Rice stick noodles in broth with grilled pork: 燒猪肉河粉 (siu chü yiuk ho fan). Grilled pork: 燒猪肉 (siu chü yiuk). Broad rice stick noodles: 河粉 (ho fan: "river noodles"). Iced milk tea: 凍紅茶奶 (tung hong cha nai).]

I scoped out the other customers who were reflected in the mirrors lining the walls.
Two animated white women, one of whom demonstrated awkward dexterity with her chopsticks. A table with South Americans joyously scarfing huge mounds of shrimp-fried rice and chowmein. A junior HK goomba and his moll. A sweet young couple at another table, both obviously ABC.
A gentle elderly white gentleman and his Cantonese wife. Some Mandarin speakers. Plus a European tourist family happily chowing down on stuff that from that distance I could not identify.
I'm sure it was food, though.

Afterwards, I headed around the corner into the alley, lighting up in front of the 南海同鄉會. I'm not sure exactly where Naam Hoi (南海) district is in Canton Province, but guessing by the location of their association hall it cannot be very important here in SF. All the big associations are on Grant Avenue or Waverly.
Ross Alley is not, strictly speaking, the epicentre of high status.

Opposite the other end of the alley on Jackson, a little down the street, is a small enterprise which may not be even noticed by outsiders.
The items in their window are not identified with name tags, and the name of the place is listed only in Chinese, on the awning and on the old-fashioned black and gold sign hung inside: 容記糕粉.
There is no English name.
It's next to Tung Shing Trading Co., in case you're wondering.


YONG KEE RICE NOODLE COMPANY

They make various dumplings, cookies, and dim sum items. And while they are very well known for their large and tasty chicken buns, for me the main draw is the best 鹹蛋酥 (haahm dan so) in Chinatown. Haahm dan so are small dome shaped pastries with a crumbly sweet crust, enclosing a salted egg yolk held in place by lotus seed paste. They are absolutely superlative with a cup of hot milk tea.
Because Yong Kee does not have tables, you have to buy them to take home.
I purchased six. I don't think my roommate has ever had one. She'll probably enjoy one or two of them for breakfast tomorrow.
Think of haahm dan so as similar to mooncakes. But more delicious, less refined. And available all year round.

[容記糕粉店 (yong gei gou fan diem), 732 Jackson Street, San Francisco, CA 94133. 415-986-3759. ]


Tasty food, a caffeinated beverage, delicious pastries, and a pipe.
Not a substitute for love, but a darn good cure for a headache.



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