Reflections On A Long And Blessed Life No. 59: Food In Hong Kong Restaurants

Already in the 1950’s and continuing until today Hong Kong has had wonderful restaurants for every taste and pocketbook. My mouth begins to water as soon as I think of some wonderful Chinese feasts. We were indeed blessed to enjoy meals at common neighborhood restaurants and at the most elaborate and expensive ones.

But before enjoying the meal we always had to go through the appropriate seating ritual. The places at the table each had its ranking in the hierarchy-both as to where the table was located and the specific seat at which one was placed. It was dictated by both Chinese and biblical mandates to seat one’s-self at the lower tables and at a seat facing away from the entrance. This would always result in the polite urging to sit up higher-which one would, of course, decline. Eventually we all got seated and course after course was served. Among my very favorites is shark’s fin soup which is no longer available because it was the very sad practice to catch the sharks, just take the fins and discard the rest of the fish. It is impossible to beat traditional Peking duck. This specialty came in courses: first the very fatty meat wrapped in a wonderful crepe and dipped in a pungent, delicious sauce. Later the meat was served in small pieces and still later in the meal came the soup made from that same duck. Roast suckling pig was exactly that-with the whole piglet presented in the middle of the table. Elaborate meals had at least two soups plus fish, pork, duck, and several vegetables.

In contrast to the practice in Mainland China, my Chinese meals in Hong Kong did not feature heavy drinking of liquor. Beer was really not considered liquor. In fact children of any age could buy beer in neighborhood stores. Wine was never on the menu at any of the Chinese dinners I ate in those days. In Hong Kong whiskey meant Scotch.

The best and most exquisite place to eat on the Kowloon side was at the Peninsula Hotel and was (and still is) called Gaddis. The service was impeccable. The place was quiet and always featured a wonderful small musical ensemble from the Philippines. It was considered very expensive and we ate there very rarely. Of course, “expensive” is/was a relative term. One could eat a complete dinner including a cocktail, soup, entre and fancy dessert for less than $15.00(US). Our family often had our Sunday noon meal at a place called Garden Bakery. We could get soup, entre and dessert for US$1.00 each! Another favorite was the Russian Restaurant. It had wonderful baked bread and it was there that I first learned of and got to appreciate borscht soup.

There were, of course, no McDonalds’s or other fast food places in HK in our day. However there was plenty of “fast food” available. There were hundreds (maybe thousands) of little noodle and rice stands. There were street vendors who wheeled their offerings into the residential neighborhoods.

As I write this BLOG in mid June 2017 I am anticipating going to Hong Kong this fall. Top reason, of course, is to reconnect with former students who are now the wonderful and successful persons who have invited me back as their guest. It will be great to see them again and that experience will be greatly enhanced by fabulous meals at Chinese restaurants, at the Deep Water Bay Golf Club, and maybe even the extravagance of another meal at The Peninsula where a simple cocktail will cost more than the entire meal did in 1956!