THE MISSING DINNER

One of the dishes that I haven't had in around four years is Baked Portuguese Chicken Rice. Which should be cooked chicken with mild coconut curry sauce, and preferably a large piece or two of pan-gilded Linguiça plus potato chunks, on a bed of egg fried rice, bunged under the broiler and served piping hot in the oven-proof dish. It's a balance.
And totally great with Sriracha or sambal oelek.

There may be some melted cheese on top.

It isn't pretentious, but it's good chachanteng chow. Problem is that the few chachantengs in this part of the city do not do it. At least not anything like how it's supposed to be done.

焗葡國雞飯

A chachanteng is the kind of place that local neighborhood folks go to where they can be themselves, get a quick comforting meal, swill Hong Kong milk tea, read the racing page, and not worry about appearances. Flip flops totally can.

Also, it's kind of noisy. And there might be eccentrics. Or kids.
It's a guarantee that there is Spam on the premises.

Having worked in restaurants, I have my own ideas about fine places to eat. So it's probably a darn good thing that I'm not dating anyone, because on Valentine's Day (yesterday) I'd take them to a neighborhood place where the food is good albeit somewhat pedestrian, the staff is engaging and businesslike, the tables are clean, the lighting is bright rather than mood or romantic, and there is hot sauce on every table. Not. A. Single. Red. Rose. In. Sight.

At a chachanteng you do not have to jump through hoops to get a reservation for Valentine's Day or any other holiday. They don't take reservations. Show up, inform them however many people you are (幾位？), and get whatever you want on the menu. If you wish to propose to her on bended knee, that's entirely up to you, but everyone else there will look at you funny. And if you show up with a giant bunch of red, red roses, both of you dressed to impress, the other customers may assume that you missed out on a much more pretentious expensive restaurant due to bad planning, or that you are goofy as well as cheap.

A good woman likes her tucker. As well as a cup of milk tea.

There is no champagne. You want bubbles? Boba.


The true romantic and perfect lover thinks that his woman is absolutely adorable slurping a frosty tapioca ball drink. If that's what she want to do. Trust me. Adorable.

As you can tell, I really miss Portuguese chicken rice.



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