To be Fair

Breakfast Hong Kong style

Am starting a project in Hong Kong. My hotel is located at Lockhart Street . This is busy street with night clubs, small local eateries, expensive restaurants and traditional shops selling cements and sands. Every morning I walk past this 24 hour night clubs to head towards my congee shop for breakfast. Loud music blasts without discretion at the busy pedestrians. Sometimes one or two customers seen limping out of the pubs with shirts tucked out and a senseless smile. Some of the ladies of the night are seen going home as the morning shifts begin.

The small congee shop at the end of the block is bustled with activities. Office going crowds lined up at the front of the shops purchasing “cheong fun” packed in styrofoam bowls. The shop is run by several older men and their waitresses are not exactly young either. The older women are grand masters of multi-tasks shuffling between welcoming customers, wiping tables, giving changes and shouting orders. One younger men however were seen mending the hot wok transforming white soft dough to crispy golden fried “ yao char kwai”. At the other side of the shop another younger men whipping up bowls after bowls of congee. He was so focused that he hardly looked up. The ladder in his hand moved like octopus arm dipping in a large hot steaming pot and out a bowl of steamy yummy pork and century egg congee.

Both younger men shared the same facial features as the older men and women in the shops and I suspect this could be a family business of two older brothers. The younger men could be their sons. In a small with size less than my apartment, it is packed with people. I always have to negotiate my way in and count myself lucky if I have the small table to myself. In Hong Kong it is customary to share your small table with strangers.

I tried the “char leong”, yao char kwai wrapped in steaming cheong-fun, and dressed up with generous squirts of light soy sauce and generous dashes of sesame. Here is the picture of the “char leong”

posted by Vegie @ 8:42 PM