Daniel's Microcosm

It’s been raining heavily again these few days, and I was tired of going out in the rain to get food, so I decided to try the food delivery service. In general, delivery for orders of 10 RMB (~S$2) and above is free, so I ordered a Grilled Chicken Wrap set (wrap + salad + drink) for 13.50 RMB (~S$2.70) from one of the shops downstairs. (They are rather active in distributing pamphlets so I’ve collected a few over time.) It took about half an hour to arrive, with the wrap still warm. I was feeling rather sorry for the delivery guy who looked completely drenched despite holding an umbrella, that I merely glanced into the plastic bag of food before paying. It was not until I had sat down and started to eat, that I realised there was a straw but no drink in the plastic bag! By then it was too late to catch hold of the delivery guy, and I didn’t want to call the shop and fuss over a 3 RMB drink, so I guess water is all that I’ll be having this meal. Or maybe I should make the cup of instant Lipton Chocolate Milk Tea in my little food/drink stash…

It was time once again for my non-visa run, so I went about looking for places to go in Hong Kong. It boiled down to a decision between Yuen Long (again) and Lamma Island, and I finally opted for the more convenient and closer one. After all, it felt like I had only skimmed the surface of Yuen Long the last time round, and there seemed to be plenty more to explore there.

Food tasting was undoubtedly my highest priority, so here’s the list of what I ate/bought in my 8 hours there:

1. 水饺面 (dumpling noodles) from 好到底面家 (Ho To Tai Noodle Shop) – At 23 HKD (~S$4), it felt rather pricey, given that the size of the bowl is that of a rice bowl. The noodles were incredibly springy though.

2. Siew mai from 妙舒 (Miu Shu) – At 7 HKD (~S$1) for 4 pieces, this was well worth it.

3. 3 HKD (~S$0.50) egg tart from a random bakery – Don’t know why but I think that anything eggy/custardy from Hong Kong is delicious.

4. Plastic bag cold noodles & honey peach slush at Kingswood Richly Plaza – There were all these youngsters standing around eating noodles out from plastic bags that I had to try one too. It’s like ordering Yong Tau Foo, except that the various food ranging from seaweed to ham to corn to oysters to crabstick to fish skin to meat pieces to noodles come in tiny little packets that cost 2 HKD each, so you just pick as many packets as you want and put them in a little basket. The pre-cooked contents then get mixed with some sauce using an electric food mixer, and voilà, your meal is ready to eat. At 12 HKD (~S$2) for both noodles and drink, it was a great snack indeed!

5. Beef brisket noodles from 学记面家 (Hok Kee Noodle Shop) – At 20 HKD (~S$3.35) a bowl, this was a let down as the portion was small (rice bowl size), with very little beef. Didn’t look appetising enough for a photo even. The noodles were once again incredibly springy, and I conclude (after a very small sample size of 2), that noodles in Yuen Long and maybe even Hong Kong are all done and served like that.

6. Mango sago dessert from 泛后甜品 (Fan Hau Dessert) – Despite costing 24 HKD (~S$4), which is more expensive than the two bowls of noodles I had earlier, I enjoyed this dessert immensely, with the slightly tart mango pieces contrasting beautifully with the sweet rich sago syrup. Perhaps I just have a soft spot for mango desserts… 8)

7. Peanut candy from 港澳冠环球食脯专家 (Kun Van Kau Food Company) – 10 HKD (~S$1.65) for 16 small pieces of peanut candy, in 3 different types. This shop sells several other made-on-the-spot foodstuff like bak kwa, muah chee, etc.

8. Hang Heung lau po bing and mini lotus paste puffs with egg yolk – Having too much of a good thing can backfire, so I decided to buy back 2 of each of these, when I usually get 6 lau po bing in a box. Each item cost 5 HKD (~S$1).

Did I do anything other than eat?? Yes, I did the short but interesting Ping Shan Heritage Trail, and explored the big Kingswood Richly Plaza at Tin Shui Wai which is like an air-con “Chinatown” with many shops selling all kinds of things including food. Prices can easily rival that of Dongmen in Shenzhen. I also tried to see if there’s anything fascinating in Yuen Long Old Market, and can safely conclude that there isn’t. Oh, and I bought a Magic Wiper with 50 cloth wipes (for cleaning the floor) for just 33.90 HKD (~S$5.65).

That about sums up my half-day trip to Hong Kong. It amazes me how I managed to spend more in the eight hours than I do in one week in Shenzhen, but that’s the thing about going “overseas” right? Besides, it all added up to less than S$30, which might be the cost of just one meal in Singapore. 🙂