Vignettes of the World
The Stories of Food
Islam Food in Kowloon City has a long-standing presence as one of the few Islam dining establishments in Hong Kong. I finally had a chance to visit it for some of its famous dishes. And I would certainly go back for more. Some Basics about …
Hong Kong is “a dining heaven,” and the people of Hong Kong are natural epicureans. From the very basic to the very upscale, the food scene of Hong Kong is one of abundance. There is a king choice for every edible and non-edible category you …
Kowloon City is an old area in Hong Kong. Besides the famous heritage sites of the Kowloon Walled City, the Stonehouse Family Garden and the Hau Wong Temple, the area is also blessed with many long-standing businesses that have seen through the best of times …
Update as of February 2024 I have recently passed by the former site of Ka Lai Yuen and with some complicated feelings discovered that the restaurant has now reopened its doors since its disgraceful and abrupt closure in April 2023. I have not had a …
The fish intestines! You know the cost of the water that goes into cleaning them would end up more than that of the intestines themselves! The owner of Yixin Restaurant jested about this traditional Cantonese dish on the radio food show, The Golden Plaque. A …
A young Vietnamese woman came to pick me up in her motorbike. She had nice long flowy hair, perfect skin and a round face that said friendliness all over. She also spoke perfect English. I liked her immediately. Mandy was my guide for the day. …
I like visiting the local wet markets of Vietnam. The colors and smells of fresh produce in the markets are always so stimulating. Busy scenes of vendors selling food to morning shoppers are the best show of Vietnam’s vibrant street life. So on this free …
With more than 70 years of history on its back, the Better ‘Ole is a rare gem in the New Territories. It is the oldest British pub with continuous operation in the New Territories, and perhaps in Hong Kong. It certainly was the first in …
I dug in, as soon as the waiter set down the steamed meatloaf. Man Sing Bing Sutt’s Food What is Hong Kong without its Bing Sutt’s? In Chinese, “bing sutt” means “ice room,” named as such because these establishments were the first in Hong Kong …
An entry on Hong Kong’s historic restaurants is long overdue. This day I went to La Taverna, Hong Kong’s original Italian restaurant, for lunch. Established in 1969, La Taverna was the first traditional Italian restaurant in Hong Kong. The original owners of the restaurant were …