PLEASANT CHINATOWN INTERLUDE

The period between Christmas and New Year was lovely.
Short days at the office, followed by a relaxed lunch, and a pipe.
Only a few minor cloud whisps in the sky.....


Monday the 26th.
Had bitter-melon chicken over rice (凉瓜雞球飯 leung-gwa kai-kau fan) at Joy Hing Barbecue Noodle House (再興黄毛雞粉 Tsoi Hing wong-mo kai fan) on Kearny Street. Tasty, but it could have been better. They cut the bittermelon straight across rather than at a slant (which is a more exciting cut, cooking-wise), and used more salted black bean (豆豉 dausi) than I would have added. Normally I will simply have rice-stick noodles (河粉 ho-fan; 'river noodles') in soup at Joy Hing, but I was feeling adventurous. Why stick with the tried and true? And I am very fond of bitter melon.
I discovered that the patient waitress with the nice smile has cousins who work during lunch time on weekdays.
She herself doesn't.
So I should probably only go there evenings or weekends.
Service excellent at all times, drip coffee likewise splendid also.


Tuesday the 27th.
Wonton noodle soup (雲吞湯麵 wantan tong mien) at Hon's (洪記麵家 Hung Gei Mien Ga) on Kearny.
Tasty. Shrimp and pork mince in tender dough skins, al dente fresh noodles, stock made with dried flounder as part of the fond.
This place is odd because half of the people who work there are Mandarin-speakers, the others are elderly Cantonese. The northerners perfectly represent what everyone always finds mildly unfortunate about them, namely that they are larger than normal, and have meatier features. This does not detract in any way from the experience.
Darn fine wonton.


Wednesday the 28th.
Washington Street, grilled pork and river noodles in broth (燒猪肉河粉 siu chü yiuk ho fan) at San Sun Restaurant (三陽咖啡餐屋 saam yeung kafei tsan-ok) on Washington.
Yummy. Scrumptious. Orgasmic. Especially with hot sauce.
Followed by Vietnamese coffee (越南咖啡 YuetNaam kafei).


Thursday the 29th.
Nah, ain't gonna mention where I ate. Reason being that it was not up to par. An "educational" experience at a crowded and well-known place.
Poached chicken and roast duck with rice, Hong Kong style milk-tea. The food was barely okay, the milk-tea with extra condensed milk was good..... but had its very own wading pool. Harried waitresses and an atmosphere of chaotic frustration.
One of the people at the next table was falling asleep into the cold remains of his iron-plate steak dinner, most of the other customers were having noodle soup or spaghetti.

Why do I see a large mound of potato salad over there?
It looks seriously past its due-date.
Came with the steak dinner.

Overmuch absurd.


Friday the 30th.
Back to Joy Hing. Yellow-fuzz chicken and river noodles in broth (黄毛雞粉 wong-mo-kai fan). Plus, of course, Vietnamese coffee.
Superlative as usual. Heaven itself, twixt a warm bowl and a cold glass.
Listened to two gruff Mandarin-speaking male customers and a limp noodle of a woman at the next table seriously discussing San Francisco - which baffles them - as well as a taped Cantonese comedy show from Kuala Lumpur filled with hysterical laughter and zaniness. Perhaps the studio audience was told they'd all be slaughtered if they didn't make pronto with the giddy noise?
I hope they turn that crap off in the evening when I intend to be there again, because it really isn't an improvement.


Saturday the 31st. and Sunday the 1st.
Snackipoos Saturday, 肉鬆包 and 蛋撻 for breakfast on Sunday, and a late lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant overlooking the park.
Basically three different places for coffee (咖啡) and eaties.
At the Viet place you can add an egg to everything.
Each time, food was followed by a pipefull.

I smell lovely -- you will please follow the pleasant aroma of pipe tobacco to find the foxy Dutch-American.


Monday the 2nd.
Darn. The charming small woman with the beautiful hands is off on Mondays!
Woe!
Oh well, the steamed pork cake with salt fish (鹹魚肉餅 haahm yu yiuk bing) is nevertheless delicious, and both 'aunties' are kinda flabbergasted that I'm eating it with evident enjoyment. How strange!
The other two customers in the place are a serious Chinese Christian fundamentalist who doesn't remember me thank heavens and his potential long-suffering life-mate the poor dear. Other than their humourless demeanor, there isn't much interesting about them.
Loaded up my pipe and waltzed out feeling on top of the world.


By my standards, it was a very productive week.


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