Upon arrival to Hong Kong, the second day is definitely one of I cant sleep and wake up at 5am days. And again off I trotter with Grandma in the heat to yum cha at 8:30am in the morning after seeing my cousins off to school. Cute kids. Totally adorable!
This is what I like about HK, the feeling of being exclusive. Instead of walking up the stairs through the main entrance, my ultra cool granny (and believe me she is cool) has a key to the door of the side (or back) entrance so we can take the lift. Now, how cool is that?!?! And we were quickly shown to a table settled down with 3 pots of different tea, I just love HK.
There’s a ritual when tea-ing in HK, first step is washing all the cutlery you’re about to use. This doesn’t mean the restaurant hasn’t washed the dishes properly, but granny tells me it’s because they haven’t rinse the soapoff properly. It’s just so nostalgic watching the dishes being wash, I felt like a little kid once again accompanying my grandma every morning for yum cha.
I have a little soft spot for the honey glazed char siu bao here, known as chan bao, the pastry is soft and sweet the filling is also sweet. It sounds sickly but there is something that capture me about that bun, what ,is something I can’t quite pinpoint yet.
Yum cha in HK usually means bustling familiar faces everyday, friendly waiters/waitresses who seem to know your family inside out. The waitress recognised I wasn’t the normal grandchildren accompanying my grandma and asked me when I got back………..I think this is why the older generation like yum cha so much, its the chance to chat/socialise with thepeople around you bearing in mind some of them may live alone. What is nicer than have someone remember you, ask you how you are, ask questions about your family and talking to you.
I think I am use to HK already.
(p.s photos will be uploaded soon, need to find cable first.)
June 13, 2009 at 6:13 pm |
How cool is your granny? This really describes the true essence of dim sum or going for yum cha, the social aspect of it, and as you said, particularly for elderly people. You might sit next to the same people for years if you go to the same restaurant. I remember my grandfather taking me for dim sum in HK when I visited him as a 7 year old. It was very special because it was just the two of us…