A ROCKING START!

The best way to start the day is with a jolt of lightening. Strong caffeinated beverages, and tastes that conquer sleepy buds. The buds need a kick, they aren't really awake yet. Normally I eschew breakfast. But, you see, there was some fatty pork product winking at me. As well as left-over udon.


黑椒雞炒烏冬面


The black pepper chicken stir-fried crow winter face ('haak chiu gai chaau wu dung min'). Which was okay when I ordered it, but became excellent fried with pork, curry paste, and chili peppers, for breakfast!

Breakfast is a flexible concept. Normally I do not eat anything early in the morning, preferring instead to glower at the world with a jaundiced eye, blearily wobbling my jowls and harrumphing, before retiring to the wash-room with my cup of coffee and some cigarillos.


I think my father managed that with considerably more grace, probably because of the war and his training as a pilot. Grumbling and drag-assing are not appreciated when one must bomb Jerry right now.

He maintained an equitable and calm temperament from the start of day till late at night, no matter a fluctuating caffeine and blood-sugar level.

But I am not him. Don't bug me till after my bath.
Even then don't; it takes a while.


I do not know what the old man would have made of these noodles. "Son", he might have said, "why are you snarfing Italian food at the very crack of dawn?" These aren't Italian, they are Japanese - Hong Kong Chinese - Viet and Thai dinner grub. Ce repas est très moderne!

"Boy, you are a little weird. How is it?"

They are good. Exceedingly good.

"Fine. Bomb someone."

Okay.




Udon is written in kanji as 饂飩 ('wan tan'), but this makes no sense in Chinese, hence the Cantonese nomen 烏冬 ('wu-tung'; "crow" "winter"), which makes scarcely any more. Pasta is often written as 面 ('min'; face) which has the same pronunciation and phonetic element as 麵 ('min'; wheat noodle). Udon are thick wheat flour strands that rather look like spaghetti but are softer and easier to cook, taking far less time than the Italian product, and can be stir-fried with all manner of things.

Tanuki udon has not made into Chinese yet.
Garnished with tempura fragments.
Cucumber and sliced egg.
Plus chives.



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