HONG KONG SWEETIE

There is tea there, and they do have toast. One cannot smoke a pipe there, but after I have had my tea and possibly some toast, I shall light up outside and enjoy the brisk temperature and smoggy air outside. Smoggy, because of wildfires to the north. Brisk, because the weather has changed, and we have entered the season when it is necessary to fire up the heater in the bathroom, so that one doesn't go into thermic shock and accidentally cut oneself while shaving. This is not a problem my apartment faces on any regular basis, but I bet she's damn' glad there is a unit in in the loo.
She used to be more cold-sensitive than I ever was.

Anyhow. Tea, toast, and perhaps even a lamb chop. Or pork foot rice. What they list in English as "Fried Pork Risotto Rice" in Chinese shows as 炸豬扒飯 ('jaa jyu baa faan'), which means that the pork chop has probably been battered and plunged in hot oil, then plated alongside a mound of cooked rice with some broccoli or other green things.


They also have 炸雞亦飯 ('jaa gai yik faan'), which literally translates as "fried chicken also, too, and even, cooked rice", but the astute reader will instantly recognize that 亦 ('yik'; also, too, even) stands in for 翼 ('yik'; wing, conceal). Just like 脾 ('pei'; spleen, temper) must really mean 髀 ('pei'; thigh, groin, buttocks, thigh bone), contextually a hunk of chicken leg, as in 秘制雞脾 '('bei jai gai pei'), which does NOT get you "abstruse system chicken spleens", but likely refers to chicken thighs marinated in Swiss juice (瑞士汁 'seui si jap') then grilled. Swiss juice contains sugar, soy sauce, caramel, and oyster extractives.
It's connection with Switzerland is less than minimal.

One might get 燒味雙拼飯 ('siu mei seung ping faan'); Roasted Duck & B.B.Q. Pork Rice. The quick Hong Kong ravenous man's lunch.

Bottles of Sriracha and ketchup on every table.


地鐵站奶茶

The place specializes in desserts and Hong Kong style sweet snacks. The menu section entitled "Stew" has typical juicy treats like longan and lotus seed soup, papaya almond snow fungus, and coconut with peach resin.
And, for the ladies, swallows nest braised with milk.
Very good for a radiant complexion.
Sin naai duen yin wo.
鮮奶燉燕窩。


I'm going for there for a hot beverage. I've been there a couple of times in late afternoon or early evenings already, and I like their Hong Kong style milk tea, as well as the people watching opportunities. The name of the place celebrates the as yet far from completed subway station in Chinatown (optimism, I suppose), and they are near some of my other haunts.

No hot scones or Devonshire clotted cream.
Nor any fresh fruit preserves.
Those would be nice.
With milk tea.


A man cannot have everything.


有冇其他啲？

Taiwanese Taro Balls? You've always yearned for Taiwanese Taro Balls.
Life, this whole world, without Taiwanese Taro Balls (台式芋圓 'toi sik wu yuen') would be meaningless and incomplete! Admit it. Admit it!
Grass jelly, mango soup, or coconut milk and sago.
With your serving of Taiwanese Taro Balls.

Mmm. Taiwanese. Taro. Balls.




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