Sunday in Hong Kong

It was past noon by the time we headed out and the first place we headed for was the Australian Dairy Company. But no matter how hungry you are, you have to wait your turn in line.

With military precision, you are shown to your space – a table shared with other parties of people.

Two? Three? Five? One? The place swallows you quickly and spits you out. First seatings, second seatings, how about bazillion seatings?

Here, you do not pause when ordering. Have a question about the menu? Do not ask. Any doubts about what you’re having, and the waiter says he’s going to get another order. Order something off the menu and the person who orders gets a telling off that only stuff on the menu is served.

S is afraid to order the Egg Milk custard – I can’t find the photo – because she doesn’t know how to order it. Fortunately, someone else orders it and she learns what it is and sneaks it into an order as a waiter walks past.

Also, we asked for sunny side up egg and it came scrambled and S was too scared to ask for a swap.

Now I’m not sure if it is military precision or prison-like precision.

Luckily, the couple seated across from us wanted scrambled eggs and so we swapped for his over easy eggs.

Boy, was I glad to get rid of the overdone scrambled eggs. The fast food chain Cafe de Coral did a better job on the scrambled eggs.

When the food comes, everything is lukewarm and oily. I expected the eggs to be a little more freshly done. The bread was nice and soft. The macaroni and ham had this thick earthy broth of thick chicken stock cube taste and ham. I think they fried the meat or ham used in the stock as it as this burnt flavour to it that was quite interesting. If it had been served warmer, I think that flavour would have truly come to life.

This, is key to moving people out fast. Lukewarm food. They can gobble and run. They’re only hampered by the really hot milk tea, and the ultra smooth Egg Milk Custard. The Egg Milk Custard (my name for it) is ultra smooth but too milky and sweet for me. Still, I had more spoonfuls than I should have because it was so smooth and I regretted it after that.

I think everything is okay in taste and quality, but the Egg Milk Custard is worth waiting in line for.

28HKD a set breakfast meal, it was fast and it lasted me for quite a bit. Outside, as we were pushed out, the line continued on… around 20 people waiting out there to pay at least 28HKD per person. Good money.

I am again I’m questioning myself why I continue to do what I do.

We headed on to Sham Shui Po station where I go visit the Golden Computer Centre/Arcade – I’m not sure which building. It all seems to be the same. Small cramped shops. A collection of suffocating fire hazards. There were a great deal more brands and little stuff that we can’t find in Singapore. However, I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, and in these sort of conditions, it’s best to hit the shops running, knowing what you want.

S & S take me to a fishing village called Sai Kung in the New Territories. It was an MTR and a mini bus 1A ride. And this is where the heat became oppressive. We were to learn later of a typhoon headed Hong Kong’s way. So this is what low pressure means. The air was still, nothing moved. Except the beads of sweat rolling down my forehead, thick with salt, stinging my eyes so bad, I stopped moving and kept them shut.

People come to Sai Kung to buy fish from fishermen in boats at the pier. You negotiate prices by yelling to each other, and when the deal is made, they clean, pack the fish for you, put it in a long arm basket and hand it to you. As you take the plastic bag of seafood, you place the money into the net.

I never saw coins used and I never saw change being given. So I think you pay in the exact change and you are never quoted with cents.

There were many types of crabs and shrimp in all sorts of colours and sizes. I heard the fisherman call one variety Sleeping Shrimp.

Some have wives who stay up on the pier to negotiate.

This fisherman appeared to be single. S & S’s favourite. They were watching him most of the time.

Prepping sting ray. That thing was still moving as she cut it up. That’s fresh. I can only imagine how tasty she must’ve been.

Before we headed off, we stopped for high tea at this restaurant called Fiesta Fiesta. It’s only 5 months old and they were trying out their high tea menu for the first time. Everything is handmade by the Filipino chef, who, with her Dutch husband started the restaurant. The standard is pretty good, and because of that, I wish the business well. But sometimes, good food is not enough to sustain a business.

It’s a good place to visit, Sai Kung.

Then we headed back into town in the Mongkok area, where I got a camera bag, visited Ladies Market at Tung Choi Street and then had roast goose for dinner near Langham Place. I also ordered some char siew with it. The food was good and reasonable. I didn’t even have the plum sauce. The ice lemon tea was particularly good.

It was another full day and we returned slightly earlier than midnight. Was super exhausted. Although I felt bad taking up so much of their weekend and thinking about them having to go to work the next day, I think S & S could’ve gone on.