ROAST DUCK RICE

Yesterday afternoon I ventured into a place I haven't visited in years.
It is well-known among a certain population group for its roast duck and roast pork and charsiu and soy sauce chicken and white-poached chicken and stewed pigs tongue with tseet gwa.....
But five years ago, after my relationship with Savage Kitten went down the skids, I put that place off-limits once she started hanging around with Wheelie Boy and took him there. For a while it just had too many bad associations. Even when I started to get over it all, I didn't feel inspired to go there. There were other places, that she didn't know about.

Didn't want to run into them supping together.

Fortunately, that will not happen there, ever.

Wheelie Boy is abnormally sensitive to salt.

And, at times, a trial to eat with in public.


Whahahahaahahahahaahahahhahhaha!


Okay, that felt good. Truth be told, the main reason I hadn't gone there for years is also because the fat guy with the cleaver who worked behind the counter always chuckled at my accent. I'm self-conscious about sounding clumsy when speaking Cantonese, and no one likes to be someone else's free theatre.
Especially when the amused person responds in Toishanese.
But that was several years further back, and in addition to my speech in Cantonese having improved a bit since then, I have concluded that as long as my goofy gibberish establishes me as being on an equal footing with all the other knowledgeable diners, everything will be perfectly fine.
I communicate exactly what I want; that's all that matters.
And let us not forget that I read it from the menu.
That's not bad at all for a white boy.


招牌燒鴨飯，唔該。


Well, perhaps referring to myself as a white boy is a bit self-serving. Haven't been a teenager in several years. But I still feel profoundly boyish, albeit not as energetic. Nor as crazy as I used to be.
The occasional bout of arthritis has a dampening effect.
It kinda forces one to act more mature.
Creaking... it's a wake-up.

But dammit, I am not old!


So, like a typical carefree young college student, I went tripping in and ordered the chiu pai siu ngaap fan. Before the food came, the waitress brought me a bowl of lou fo tong. It as a wonderful meal. Yes, their siu ngaap is still delicious! I think the staff has changed quite a bit over the years, as none of them were recognizable. But their roast meats look as good as ever, the neighborhood folks still start crowding in once the second batch of siu ngaap and charsiu is brought out, and they still speak country-side Toishanese, rather than Cantonese. Heck, I was probably the only person there who did not speak Toishanese.
I'll go there more often, now that the dam is broken.
Roast duck rice is powerfully tempting.


CAVOLINI DI BRUXELLES ARROSTO CON PANCETTA AFFUMICATA

For those who don't know, Savage Kitten WAS my girl-friend for several years, and IS my roommate. Despite no longer being "involved", we still get along rather well -- she voices for all the stuffed animals also living in the apartment, most of whom enjoy mouthing off at me and try to steal my wallet when I'm not looking -- and we trust each other to a very great degree. She's got her room, I have mine.

No, she never brought Wheelie Boy to this neighborhood.
He is, at times, a bit trying to be around.

Last night she spent hours in the kitchen experimenting with Brussels Sprouts (球芽甘藍). Which I know are 'kau ngaa gam laam' in Cantonese, though I've never seen them in Chinatown. Hanging around with me exposed her to a whole world of white food.

That's why she also knows about herring and gehakte leber.....

I am not difficult to dine with in public.

Also, not old.


烤球芽甘蓝 would be go great with 燒鴨。
But I'm not goint to tell her that.
It wouldn't be proper.




==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================