'MOSES'

Moses passed away suddenly but quietly yesterday, after a long and happy 12 years as a solid member of the Tang family. A baby chinchilla in a beautiful milky white coat with light mosaic patches (hence Moses, or Mosie or simply Moe) Jess and I took him home about a year before she left for Deerfield. Moses was a happy pet. He loved being with people, especially when he was wrapped with a soft blankie and held .... a classic pose with his favorite human, Jess. He was a brave soul, contesting his canine cousins over the years including Sage, Egas & Kaya at home, and of course Katz, Papagano & Jello when they visit. You should see his defiant pose, standing up in his full glory .... in his cage ..... it must be so scary for the doggies. A connoisseur, Moses would only snack on unsalted, imported almonds from Australia, and fruity mousse from Germany. Spolied? Why not, family traditions, what else is new? His all time favorite was having his neck and under belly massaged, and who would'nt? Moses may be gone but he is not far away. His final resting place is at the grounds of our home in Carolina, under a few palm trees, next to two cousins - Morgwei & Petri - Andrea's guinea pigs.

Our family is blessed by 12 wonderful years of having Moses among us. We will all miss him so very much. Moses is now at a happy place where there is eternal peace, where he can play with Leroy, Gus, Egas, Sage and all his cousins. Say a prayer for him, will you?

THE SISTERS

This fine portrait was taken yesterday at a family reunion lunch to welcome our #7 Auntie, my mother's youngest sister, who is visiting from Oregon with her daughter and grandchildren. My friends, you are looking at a cumulative age of 336 years, even more momentous is their 336 years of life experience on this planet. From the left; Auntie #3 at 85, #7 at 82, Mom at 89 & #4 at 80! Talking about 'After 80' - a recent catch phrase to capture the mood of youngsters born after 1980 in Hong Kong- this group of grannies is the real thing, and it is just marvelous.

When I retired I was introduced to a wonderful book, 'Claiming Your Place at the Fire' by Leider & Shapiro. The title depicts the time honored principle of one generation passing knowledge and experience to the next. The 'fire' refers to the meeting point, in anthropology terms, where natives gather in the evenings. The elders have the best seats ie the innermost ring around the fire, the next generation forms the middle ring, and the most junior at the outermost ring. This is the time when history is defined, leadership instated, relationships affirmed, communal values shared, but most importantly it is when wisdom is passed on. Not much has changed since that inaugural meeting around a camp fire, has it? One only has to take a peep at any Board Meeting of an organized business, voila!

Our daughters have a famous expression when they are bored with our sermons, or when they are about to lose an argument with us .... Mom & Dad, this is my life! Granted it is a fact, they do not realize how much they have missed by passing up invaluable opportunities to learn from the older generations. Girls, spend time with 'The Sisters', and discover what they can offer.

BARE ESSENTIALS

Feeling hungry on a Saturday morning? Feeling the stomach's call for re-alignment? Feeling the need for comfort food? "Sung Kee Congee" in Central is your answer. In my quest for the perfect bowl of street corner congee (since retirement) which replaces my quest for the perfect blue blazer that does not crease on long flights (before retirement) .... this eatery, per my humble palate, has a firm grip of the Oscar!

Definition of the Bare Essentials at this Shrine of Cantonese Congee :
* a congee combo, be creative, mix the ingredients, notably fish belly & bones
* a fritter aka fried dough, ideally piping hot & crispy - do ignore the oiliness
* a bowl of special dipping sauce with fine julienne of ginger, scallion, red & green chilis
* a splash of fine white pepper, the local version which carries a distinct flavor

I am sorry I cannot give you the address in Chinese, just look for Hillier Street, at the intersection of Bonham Strand. The 'liao dien' is in fact on a tiny side lane off Hillier but it has since expanded to 3-4 locations on Hillier, with identical large signs in red lettering you cannot miss. Sung Kee now offers the full range of 'cha charn teng' fares, beef brisket noodles in consomme, and even hot pots in the winter but regardless, one can always order from the congee list at all their outlets. The original shop, however, has the added value of nostalgia, the 'so this was how it all started' feel, which is well worth the wait - outside on the curb, that is. Lastly, avoid the rush hours!

THE CHAIRMAN

One of my retirement past-time is to help Dora and our girls at DMLC - DOORS Method Learning Centre - on the management of the business. For this 'exceptional sacrifice' I am addressed as Chairman, even though most of the time it is in jest. To the girls and our son-in-law, the Chairman's pre-birthday dinner should take place at none other than 'The Chairman'. This new establishment at Kau U Fong in Central is so popular we are talking about 4+ weeks for dinner reservations. It is billed as 'the best new Cantonese restaurant in town', a claim that I can fully appreciate after a sumptuous treat by our children last night. I learned the following formula from top chefs at Le Cordon Bleu ie .... the most fresh ingredients, simply prepared with attention, plainly but appetizingly presented with love = the best dishes any decent cook can produce. Well, I guess this is precisely what The Chairman is targetting.

To name a few of their House Specials :

* minced pork & preserved/salted fish cakes
* pork kaffir lime cakes
* deep fried 'Lion Fish'
* 10-beans broth
* braised bean curd skin rolls in morel sauce
* satay prawns
* ribs in plum sauce
* steamed crabs in wine sauce with 'Chen Tsuen Noodles'
* braised pork belly in 'Mui Choi' soaked in red date juice
* 18-taste chicken
* plain congee with ginko nuts
* home made 'Ge Tze' or 'Ginger' flavored ice cream

One real delight is their service, which is excellent! The staff is friendly and engaging, they smile and they think ahead as they serve. I always like to quote Jimmy Lai aka Fei Lo Lai, Chairman of the Next Group who redefines 'service' when he launced Giordano. His famous words '.... service is not a technical skill, it is one's attitude on life .... '

The Chairman is definitely on our 'revisit' list which, of late, has become horrifyingly long. Whether it is the low standards of my threshold due to greed, or the high standards of these new eateries I can never be sure, suffice to say that if you have not been to The Chairman,you ought to. One last comment, goodness comes with a price tag.

Thank you Terri, Andrea, Jess & Fergus for introducing us to such a perfect meal!

LUK YU

This building on Stanley Street in Central has witnessed the history of at least 4 generations of Hong Kong belongers, since the early 1900s. My grandparents, parents, me and my kids have all had the privilege of association. Luk Yu is a household name and for years it is the equivalent of a '3-star Michelin' or 'Best in Hong Kong' as oldtimers would attest. Times have changed and her following is no longer as sacrosanct as it used to be. The grandparent generation was long gone, the parent generation no longer partake in her fares, our geneartion has far too many choices and the generation that follows us is simply not in possession of, among other things; the taste buds, the curiosity, the patience, the culinary depth and lastly the $ .... to appreciate what made Cantonese cooking the most refined among all Chinese cuisine. One would understand the description 'faded glory' when one walks into the restaurant these days. While it still occupies 3 whole storeys, the vibes of yester years, the humming of a market leader, the feel of the power lunch - Luk Yu could well challenge the Jackson Room of the Hong Kong Club in the 30' & 40's - are just not there anymore. In its place there is a hint of melancholy, it is particularly obvious for me, who grew up with Luk Yu. Loyalty is rewarded by privilege as tables are automatically reserved for regulars, we are talking about the multiple of a decade as 'Loyalty Units' here. Good luck Luk Yu, may you live as long as our beloved home town will live.


Dora and I had breakfast with my old RRA colleagues and dear friends Deborah & Reginia at Luk Yu this morning. I was so touched when they handed me a scarf and a vest, which they hand-knitted jointly, for my upcoming birthday. Our friendship is as strong as Luk Yu, if not stronger. We let ourselves out of the diet cages and splurged. For me it means Pork Liver Siao Mai ..... this is not served at most restaurants, in part because of the conspiracy theory that liver, especially from swine, is bad for one's health. I am not a believer, as you must have surmised. In addition we ordered half a dozen more 'breakfast classics' which, by the way, are identical to the 'lunch, afternoon tea, and even late night supper classics' if you ask any bona fide yum-cha aficionado in Hong Kong. Where is the creativity? Nowhere, is the answer. We Cantonese are simple souls and we eat the same dim-sums when the HSI was 8000, and I am sure we will still be eating the same dim-sums at every meal, except dinner, when the HSI hits 80,000!

STYLISH VIETNAMESE BAGUETTES

Those of you who have been to Vietnam, be it Saigon (sorry Ho Chi Min City) or Hanoi must remember those super delicious baquette sandwiches one can get almost anywhere off the street. They are classic Vietnamese 'Small Eats' which, in my book, make Macdonalds & Burger King eating dust from miles behind. While the baquettes are French, what goes into them is haven for culinary creativity.

Joe introduced me to this tiny nest in North Point, behind the AIA Tower. When you past the AIA bison on your left, look ahead and focus, lest you will miss the shop. Does it have a name? Yes ... Aborigine Vietnamese Baquette House, and this is their first and only in Hong Kong. Etiology? An entreprising young man studying in Australia became concurrently amoured with the bush culture, as well as the increasingly popular Vietnamese culinary scene. Voila! Tiny it may be but this outlet offers an incredible menu, plus a few Vietnamese groceries. The staff of two is very gracious and helful, offering to deliver for a order of more than 10 sandwiches.

The baquettes come in 3 tastes; orignal, black malt & bamboo charcoal. The basic stuffing already has; pate, sausage slices, finely shredded carrots, plus the house dressing. The add-on list is made up by; pork - juicy belly really, which was what we had - chicken, shredded dry pork, sardines, plus a veggie version of oyster mushrooms. Believe it or not, the management's pick or the 'absolute must try' is sardines with melted cheese! If you need Vietnamese provisions whilst there you are in luck; famous brand fish sauces, beautiful pickled whole red chillis, and instant pho with a choice of 6 soup bases, that cook in 3 minutes. What a quick ride to nirvana!

Shop 9 #2-12 Wang On Road, Fortress Hill, North Point

QUOTABLE QUOTE

I normally do not watch a lot of made-in-Hong Kong romance films. If there is a choice I would tune to Cantonese speaking action films about the triad, cops vs robbers, or black vs white ie movies that gave Hong Kong its name in the industry. Moving into the service apartment has changed that a bit. Dora and I now shared a small communal space, at the center is a flat screen TV to keep us company. The following line came from a drama this evening.

Two men, competing for the affection of the same women, were at the bar. One told the other, " ... you know, the difference between you and me is .... I AM WHAT I AM, BUT YOU, YOU JUST WANT TO BE ME!"

How do script-writers come up with lines like this, don't you just love Cantonese soap?

SMALL EATS HKG STYLE

Joe Spitzer is my brother-in-law who hails from New York City more than 25 years ago. We became 'blood brothers' not only via marriage, but in our preferences in food, and in eating. Like me he is a big fan of small, local eateries ie our answer to Taipei's 'Small Eats'. We recently decided to rediscover this particular universe in Hong Kong and conducted our first 'recce'. It was essentially a trial run of logistics on what might become an extremely interesting project.

Today our target neigborhood is at the intersection of Leighton & Caroline Hill Road in CWB, directly across the street from the fancy Agnis B restaurant. (1) Danish Bakery at #106 Leighton is right at that busy corner with Caroline Hill. It carries with pride a 42 year pedigree! One cannot miss it as the original decoration, though dusty and fading, is still intact. While they still sell bread and cakes the key products these days are snack foods like hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled chicken legs, pork chop buns ie all time favorites of students from nearby schools such as St Paul's Convent where our eldest daughter attended. A Hot Dog is $7, a Hamburger also $7 (!!!) and a Coffee $9 .... We had a ball, snacking while chatting up the owners on what must be a glorious history. Behind 'the grill' is the walking definition of a short order cook, flipping burgers and poaching weiners. This chef has style, so much so he can be beamed to Manhatten by Scottie and no one will notice the difference. To put things in perspective, imagine the generations of students in unform he must have met and served? (2) Paris & Taipei Cafe at #13 Caroline Hill Road, a 2-minute walk from the Danish Bakery. Managed by Wing's Catering - shown in pamphlet - it belongs to a chain of 5 small eateries whose claim to fame is 'marinated & grilled cutlets of chicken'. We shared the House Special ie an afternoon tea set of a cutlet sandwich & a hot lemon tea, for $26 .... The cutlet is juicy, and the sauce flavorful. I toured the 300 sq ft premise, and found cutlets on every table, as everyone chewing away with vigor. What amazes us is how these venues are able to build a multi-faceted menu around one item. We will definitely revisit, with an empty stomach, in order to give it a fair hearing via a 'tasting menu'. BTW the place is well run, by young folks, with a single waitress who is every restaurant owner's dream. Go meet her at Paris & Taipei Cafe and while there please help us solve the mystery. We can undersatnd 'Taipei' from the menu, but where is 'Paris' in the equation?

TAIWAN EXPORTS

Come to think of it Taiwan's food culture already has a strong impact on ours. The photo shows yet another addition to the intensely competitive special drinks market, with a catchy but funny name, 'Come Buy'. Some years ago the 'Pearl Milk Tea', a unique Taiwanese creation has built a following in Hong Kong. Whoever thought of adding large sago 'pearls' to give a chewy texture to regular English breakfast tea, with milk, and served with crushed ice, should be given a culinary medal. What follows are copy cats, ad nauseum, the ultimate form of flattery. Go to Mongkok and count how many such outlets there are on on each block. In a recent news documentary it was reported a 400 sq ft retail outlet, standing room only, in prime Mongkok commands HK$100,000 per month these days. A young entrepreneur was interviewed and I quote ' ... we have to sell 6000+ per month just to pay rent ....' and he was talking about one shop, his own! These are staggering consumption statistics if we total sales from all such outlets around town. If this is not making an impact on our food (or at least drinks) culture, what is? BTW if you insist on proof at the food front, how about Din Tai Fung Dumplings, which is a global brand now. I took my LCB classmates for dinner in their Sydney branch and I was very impressed by their standards and quality service which would make their 'lao dian' in Taipei extremely proud. If you are still not convinced what about the many flavored Taiwanese style sausages, served as appetizers and in sandwiches?

3 cheers for Taiwanese food culture which I, for one, crave!

LOST & FOUND

My dear wife came up with this card of Lung Kee, which I thought I have lost, and now found .... explore and enjoy.

BTW another classy nouveau eatery is Dian Shui Lou, which is a chain of 5 around the city. They describe themselves as 'Cuisine Shanghai Authentique a la Taipei' ... quite a mouthful. The one we went to is literally across the street from the Shangri-la lobby. Bring a small torchlight if you need to order from the menu, and you must try their creative fried rice recipes, delish!

LUNG KEE @ TAIPEI

I am so sorry there is no photo attached with this blog as I left my camera in the hotel. We were introduced to Lung Kee in Taipei which, arguably, is the 'most traditional' Shanhainese meal I had yet, and that includes the many I visited in Shanghai. The tell-tale is in the sauces, if you would allow this amatuer to make a statement. Sugar and vinegar make the difference, especially in the brasied dishes. I may be Cantonese but my food upbringing during childhood years was influenced by Shanghainese cooking because the maternal side of my family, though Cantonese, grew up in Beijing & Shanghai, before moving to Hong Kong, hence our eating habits.

Located in an older Taipei neigborhood near Chung Hwa Lu, Taipei's answer to Nathan Road back in the 50s-60s, Lung Kee occupies a most unassuming two-story house in a back alley of Yen Ping Nan Lu, a stone throw from Sun Yat San Hall. The exact address is #1 Alley 101 Yen Ping Nan Lu, Taipei.

As for what to order, what can I say, eveything! Rule (1) be greedy, very greedy, starting with the 'appetizer cabinet' at the entrance. You will find an ample display of mouth-watering classics, notably the heavily roed 'yellow fish' beautifully braised in caramalized spring onions, served cold. Rule (2) be traditional ie order dishes that make Shanghainese food famous. They are not banquet fare like abalone and sharks fin, but dishes everyone makes and eats at home, without ceremony. They are the best!

Our generous hosts, indigenous Taiwanese and bona fide Taipei belongers now, showered us with more than a dozen classics. I will let you find out, in vitro, what we had ... all you have to do is to comb the 4-page menu, and follow your greed. Do not let Lung Kee slip away on your next visit. This old lady has been around, since 1952 ie 58 years ago, almost as old as I am. She survived for very good reasons, and she is an absolute must. One last thing, do expect 'grouchy matrons' but that said, no one seems to mind, smiles are all around still as the spread on the table more than makes up for bad service. Bon appetite!

EATING IN TAIPEI

This is the bar of a trendy restaurant across the street from the Far East Shangri-la in Taipei. The best description is probably 'a creative way to give Taipei (not necessarily Taiwanese per se) fare its modern interpretation'. What amazes me is how ambience, setting and style have won places in Taipei dining which, for years, has been dominated by 'Small Eats' and traditional presentations of provincial Chinese cooking, at their best, I should add. I am still a genuine fan, and an avid explorer of the 'Small Eats' universe whenever I get to visit this city, which I happen to love. To me they are quintessential Taipei, something my staunch KMT uncles, aunties and cousins taught me back in the late '50s to early '60s when Hong Kong residents did not get visas easily, for fear of espionage. I will never forget those large red banners that spanned across the entire width of Chung Shan Bei Lu ..... 'spies who turn themselves in will not be prosecuted ....' How times have changed!