PRODUCTIVE DAWDLE

Yesterday's dinner was pretty spectacular. No, not the food itself. The people watching opportunities. The restaurant is small and clean, and caters largely to a transplanted Hong Kong and Canton City clientele, and their American-born children. The food is simple, mostly Canto, not pretentious, but good. Quite good. And not expensive.

It's the kind of food you would want the cafe on the groundfloor of your apartment building in Mongkok or Yau Ma tei to have, so that you would hardly ever have to cook. Per arrangement with the owners, kids go there for a hot meal after Chinese school. Elderly codgers of either gender stop in for a bite. Harried moms have a bowl of wonton noodles, local people place orders to take out rather than hurrying home to cook full meals, couples have dinner together, teenagers come in for some chau min or ho fan .....


When I sat down at the long table there were two children eating rice plate specials nearby, an adult woman watched teevee on a handheld device further on, and an elderly man waited for his to-go food at the end. A young couple dined at a table along the wall, and two middle-aged ladies were chatting with the counter woman about food.

By the time my food came the two children at the long table had finished, and packed up their schoolbooks to go home. A white businessman took the table opposite and ordered fried noodles, and two hard-hat gentlemen from the metro digs up the street sat one over, and after scoping out the menu placed their orders, including "those things that look like small brains".
Which, I clarified for the counter woman, meant wontons.

Three girls came in and occupied the far end of the long table. Two of them were maybe fourth or fifth grade, the third may have already been in her twenties. Diverse plates of fried noodles ensued.

While I was there, several people came to order food, left to do errands, then returned to pick food up. And converse with the counter woman.


People watching, you probably understand, involves observing faces and noticing the thoughts and emotions that expressively come and go.
As well as listening in. While seeming not to.



After finishing my meal, I had some more tea.




It's the kind of place where everyone is naturally well-behaved, but not self-consciously so. A neighborhood place, with a customer base that feels comfortable there. It has a family folks vibe.




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