THREE DISHES, SOUP, AND A TODDLER

He recognized me as I was stuffing my face with fatty pork, and came hurrying over, happy to see me. Now, this wasn't perfect host behaviour on his part -- though a member of the family that runs the place, he is not involved with the restaurant in a professional capacity -- but joy that I had returned. The last time he saw me was over a month ago, when the two bright young ladies had been drooling over him.
At that time he was preoccupied.
I can respect that.


三餸一湯

In addition to lean pork and preserved egg jook, fabulous with one of their yautiu, they also offer a lunch deal of three dishes from the steam table plus rice and soup, for a very affordable price. The sign mentioning this is in Chinese, because they cater exclusively to a local audience. And really, who wants to explain (in English!) that that there meat is five-layer fatty pork stewed with a little soy sauce and red-in-snow, something that we all love but which will give diet-conscious suburbanite fattaboolas a heart-attack, or that the vegetable is crunchy baby mustard stalks briefly blanched then stir-fried? Trust me, it has EXACTLY the same appeal as asparagus, but a more delicate flavour, truly delicious! As well as the perfect texture to the teeth. But many people who are not from here have never tried it, and will probably turn up their long long noses. Because it isn't called "Imperial Concubine Jade Treasure", and it doesn't have a strong gloopy sauce composed of brown, chili, and sugar. The rest is equally unknown.
Everything on the steam table is equally decent.
Very Cantonese, very simple.
Very nice.

The soup is lou fo tong. Broth, watercress, a few meat bits.
To moisten the meal and wash it down.
Good for you.


[In addition to lean pork and preserved egg jook (皮蛋瘦肉粥 'pei dan sau yiuk juk'), they also serve dried fish and fried peanuts rice porridge (柴魚花生粥 'tsai-yu faa-sang juk') and fish curls rice porridge (魚片粥 'yü pin juk'), Their fried dough stick (油條 'yau tiu') is excellent. There are also various dim sum to choose from.]


He's starting to talk now, albeit with far more enthusiasm than skill. And he's quite nearly unintelligible as yet. But easy enough to comprehend. A very likable little fellow, absolutely adorable. Because we have so little vocabulary in common -- he doesn't actually have much of one -- after the conversation lagged I entertained him by scuttling my left hand across the edge of the table, precisely like a dog or an anteater rooting around in the forest, middle finger (head) sniffing around. Then the hand-beast would jump over obstacles (his hands) and sniff at him, or wheel around and lift a hind-leg (pinkie) in order to mark its territory. Sound effect: pzzzzzzz.
Okay, maybe anteaters don't actually do that.
No need to tell him that datum yet.
He'll find out on his own.

My right hand, meanwhile, dabbed some of the fatty pork into a puddle of hot sauce, or forked a mustard stalk mouthwards. Plus rice. Or lifted the soup bowl and slurped a mouthful.

It was a very good lunch. Delicious food, great company.

The anteating hound also enjoyed himself.

After I had finished eating, I explained that "this is a pipe (煙斗 'yin tau'), and this is tobacco (煙葉 'yin yip'), which I am putting inside.
I shall go outside and smoke soon."

Then I bade him adieu.

I expect that when we meet again, he'll be more vocal.
And have a much larger vocabulary.


I relish communicating.




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