Dim Sum Action

On Thursday, we had dim sum with Helen's Aunt and her two sons. As I expected, the food was solid, as Vince would say. Notably, the dumpling sizes aren't has big as we are used to in Vancouver, but I will say that in some ways, the quality is slightly better here in HK. We lined up all the usual suspects (Har Gow, Sui Mai, spring rolls, sticky rice, chicken feet, rice rolls, etc.). Consistently the dumplings in any variation were loosely packed and delightfully falls apart in your mouth as you take your first bite. This makes otherwise heavy dishes seem light and airy. All deep fried dishes were served hot and crispy, including the Ham Sui Gok (deep fried pork dumpling). Most of the time that I've had this dish at home, it's dense, chewy and greasy... even so, I always enjoy it. But this time, the dumpling was audibly crispy on the outside, soft and just slightly elastic on the inside, giving way to a savoury pork mix filling. De-freaking-licious. Lastly, the chicken feet and cow stomach were cooked to tender perfection. For an average dim sum restaurant, this was top notch. There are places in HK that have garnered the coveted Michelin star. One such place is considered by many to be the absolute best for dim sum while costing not much more than $1 USD per dish. Despite not having eaten there, I still feel satisfied to have had great dim sum at an average joint, and the opportunity to meet more of Helen's family.

Sorry no pictures! Nothing really looked all that different than what we know. It just tasted better :)

Afterwards, we took a stroll down Nathan Road.

Along the way, we passed by a stand that sold Guy Dan Juys (literally translated as "little chicken eggs"). I remember having these when I visited HK at six or seven years old. We can now get them at the Richmond Night Market, but there is some authenicity to having them on the streets of Hong Kong. Imagine, if you will, crepe batter that's been cooked and toasted into little ping-pong ball sized puffs until golden brown. They're stuffed into a paper bag, and it smells like an entire pastry shop. Plucking one out of the bag, I bite into a crispy shell that leads into a soft and moist inner shell. The rest of the puffy ball is just sweet air. Here I am, washing these down with a Fanta slushy float from McDonald's. As far as combos go, PB&J has just met its match. And, I will now proclaim that Fanta slushy is the new Orange Crush Slurpee. Sorry 7-11! McD's upped their game!