NOT ONLY A HOTBED OF FUJIANESE GANGSTERISM

This past summer angry protesters went to Tsuen Wan to taunt the local pro-mainland Fukkienese who live there, which was not a very wise move. Several of them got their donkey handed to them on a platter. There were confrontations involving bricks, bottles, and bamboo staves. Despite the dozens of people injured, by Hong Kong standards it was "peaceful".
And absolutely peaceloving.
Because "peace" is what Hong Kong is all about.
Oh, good food too. Mustn't forget that.
And shopping madness.

But mostly, peace.

Erm.

Tsuen Wan is a vibrant city to the north west of Kowloon, and has since the sixties grown enormously. Home to small manufacturing, as well as thousands of people who commute to Kowloon and Hong Kong. Along with a Bank of China (Hong Kong) branch office which was torched last weekend.

It's not on the normal tourist route.


荃灣
TSUEN WAN

To quote a good friend: "the siu yiuk is calling me, we have to back". She sounded frantic. Myself, I couldn't keep my face out of the roast duck (燒鴨 'siu ngaap'), which was deliciously geasy salty juicy scrumptious. Duck is my favourite. But in the end I couldn't stay away from the siu yiuk (燒肉) either. Which was inspired. There's nothing more heavenly than a good siu mei dim (燒味店 roast meats shop). Unfortunately, this wasn't in Tsuen Wan, as the satelite communities in the new territories, especially one where Fujianese and Shanghainese refugees settled, are not known for something so earthy, honest, and "local", as roast meats. That's more of a Cantonese thing, and a bit too low class by foreign standards. Foreign being other Chinese, of course.


Tsuen Wan does have good Chinese, Viet, Indian, and Taiwan restaurants. As well as bubble tea and Seattle-style coffee. Plus a remarkable diversity of hot pot restaurants of various kinds. As well as pizza and pretty decent Shanghainese food. It's a modern city, and the local eateries know they have a jaded customer base, many of whom may have had noodles, meats, street eats for lunch already that day, and want something other than that when they come home.

So there are burger joints, and tea restaurants (茶餐廳) which stay open late. Plus bakeries (麵包店). And "cheese toast" (*). Cheese toast?!?

The number of Japanese restaurants is altogether surprising.

Including some places with Japanese curry.


* Cheese toast is basically grilled cheese sandwiches in various flavours. The concept is rather baffling -- all you really need is sourdough, sambal, and Northern California Gouda -- but the novelty factor is a draw.


The same friend who was frantic for siu yiuk also, at one point, said: "milk usually doesn't have crunchy bits". This pursuant European Bubble Tea.





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