SOME RATHER NICE BUNS

After shopping for supplies I ended up at a familiar bakery for tea time. Arizona Man arrived soon afterwards (I temporarily cannot remember his name, for which I apologize), and once the grandad and the two very small little girls left, we happily occupied their table. The little girls must have already been eight or nine -- they were busy reading books with complete texts -- but if one compared them to Caucasian children of their age they were tiny, and extremely well behaved. Mature little people.

Again, I'm comparing them to the same age Caucasian children.
Who are usually screaming little troglodytes.
Real world experience.

Two other gentlemen arrived shortly afterwards. Discussion of rehearsals, then Hong Kong trips later in the year. After one of them left the subject of buns came up, not the buns at the bakery but steamed filled buns. Fond memories as well as comparisons.


Barbecue pork buns (叉燒包 'chaa siu baau') almost automatically deviated into chicken buns (雞包 'gai baau') -- especially the big Taishanese chicken bun (台山大包 'toi saan daai baau') which also has a hard boiled egg, black mushroom, lap cheung, and chicken meat in it, a meal by itself -- followed by vegetable and pork buns (菜肉包 'choi yiuk baau').

The rest of China has many other kinds of steamed buns. But specifically these four have fond associations for Cantonese people, particularly in C'town. Dim sum places, a food counter on Stockton near the tunnel which closed 5 years ago, a bakery on Grant Avenue which used to have lunch counter, several small take-out joints on Jackson or Broadway over the years, and gone but by no means forgotten, Yong Kee (容記糕粉) on Jackson where generations of locals picked up snackies and dim sum type items. They shut down over a decade ago; there was no one to take over the business, and it was time to retire.


The neighborhood is changing. Which does not please me, but it was always like that; I just don't like change when it happens. It takes me a while to be comfortable with that. But there will always be financial services and insurance companies, hair salons, herbalists, fresh vegetable markets and grocery stores, and good things to eat. And far fewer freaks and weirdoes than the rest of the city. I've happily gone there for many reasons for years.
Haircuts, bank, shopping, tea time and other eating.
It's a safe zone.


And there are buns.



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