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Devouring 'the dark side'

2013-10-21 11:36:13

(China Daily)

 

Edmond says about half the participants will try the food challenge items once he explains the health benefits divined by traditional medicine - whether they cleanse or nourish the body. However, the food walk's least popular dish is the turtle jelly because it tastes like medicine.

It was time for a stroll along the Temple Street night market to give us a bit of time before the next stop and to do a bit of souvenir shopping.

We also had our fortunes told by one of the many fortune-tellers who set up shop along the street each night. I was told I was not going to win any lottery jackpots and needed to get more rest. I can't say that either of these revelations were truly news to me, but it was good fun to "learn" about my future.

It was then time to eat at one of the oldest daipaidong ("big license" restaurants) on Temple Street, Hing Kee Restaurant.

Although immensely popular, we were able to get a table after a short wait because Edmond is a regular.

A few food walk favorites are clay pot minced beef on rice, clay pot Chinese sausage and chicken on rice, fried oyster pancake, and salted and chili-fried squid.

The dishes are all served piping hot and fresh from the stove. Be careful not to burn your fingers on the hot clay pots. The pots are cooked using small individual charcoal cookers, giving the dishes a distinctive flavor.

My favorite was the oyster pancake, which was served hot and crispy with tender, juicy baby oysters strewn throughout.

After all this food, there was still dessert to be eaten! We were offered a choice between two places.

Gourmet Dessert Cafe serves Western-style desserts while Yuen Kee Cha Zha serves Chinese after-dinner delights.

Unfortunately, I am not like many of my friends and do not have a separate stomach dedicated to sweets. Consequently, I didn't indulge in any of the desserts.

Still, I learned about Gourmet Dessert's most popular dishes: Baileys souffle, melted chocolate with ice cream and "burning snow mountain".

Yuen Kee Cha Zha's biggest movers are: Chazha, a sweet bean soup that can be served hot or cold; black sesame paste, another sweet soup made with ground roasted black sesame; and sweet glutinous rice and peanut dumplings.

Food walk guide Hiunam Wong tells us she usually takes foreigners on the walk, and they try to say the Cantonese words she teaches them. She, in turn, tries to say a few words in their languages.

"We all sound silly but (it's fun) and we have a good time."

That pretty well sums up this local food walk experience on the "dark side".

After all the food, fun and laughter, it was time to roll home.

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