Messages from the Trams

Advertisement was once limited to printed matters and billboards only. Since who know when, it was brought on to moving vehicles that revolutionised both the advertisement and transportation industries. The advertisements became mobile, and the vehicles changed from a singular outlook to colourful faces.

The King of Tarts

After we had breakfast with the giant fritters at Wai Kee Congee Shop, we headed to Lyndhurst Terrace to continue on our food race. We were three hungry jacks who were never full. Even if we were full, there were still levels of 'very full' to 'exploding' when we sensed and spotted good food!

This time round, we were looking for the last British Governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten's favourite egg tarts, which have been nick-named "Fei-Paang egg tarts" that literally means "Fat Patten's Egg Tart" (肥彭蛋撻).

Tai Cheong Bakery (泰昌饼家) is a very old establishment that used to occupy the shop opposite the existing shop. When the landlord decided to increase the rental by two folds, the shop moved across the street to 35 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central. This tale was told to me by a friend from Hong Kong who used to eat Tai Cheong's egg tarts for breakfast. I really envy her!

There were actually more than egg tarts in the bakery, but we were just too indulged in the egg tarts that we couldn't be bothered to try anything else. Although they all looked tempting, we wouldn't want to reach the level of 'exploding.'

According to the Hong Kong Best Food Guide that we had in hand, they use almond meal instead of flour to make the crust.

At Tai Cheong Bakery, every egg tart is fresh from the oven. At the rate the egg tarts are being sold, it is impossible to get an egg tart that is left overnight. You gotta make that special request from the salesgirl if you want to and collect it the next day.

They won't give you the egg tarts in the aluminium-foil moulds. These are recycled. The egg tarts are transferred to the paper cups on sales.

One whole tray of egg tarts can be emptied in minutes. If you are lucky, you get the egg tarts right there and then. If you are half-lucky, you gotta wait for a new batch from the oven. If you are unlucky, the egg tarts are sold out!

Each egg tart costs HKD4 which is considered reasonable for the high cost of living in Hong Kong. Tai Cheong Bakery is open from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., but if you want the "Fei-Paang egg tarts," you better get there early.

The World Out There

For the first two days in Hong Kong, we spent all the day time looking at the exhibits of the Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair and the Hong Kong International Stationery Fair. We didn't really have time to come out of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre until the exhibition areas were closed.

There were too many exhibition areas to cover.

We hardly see any kids around except on promotional materials.

When me came out of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, we only realised that it was a totally different world out there!

This is the Hong Kong that we were expecting.

Not to mention this spectacular painting of lights which never failed to amaze us. Yeah, we were really in Hong Kong!

Wordless Wednesday – The People I Met in Sichuan

No Beer Please!

Lan Kwai Fong has been the hippiest place for hanging out in Hong Kong since who know when. Whenever there's a scene of people hanging out in the TVB series, it's got to be Lan Kwai Fong. I'm not joking!

Lan Kwai Fong is an L-shape mall starting at the junction of Wellington Street and D'AGuilar Street. We were hoping to see some TVB series shooting but apparently there was none. The night was also too young to spot any big crowd hanging out. Nonetheless, we could feel the mood because of the lighting.

Lan Kwai Fong has been the beacon of hanging out culture in Hong Kong, it has even created a brand.

The first rule of hanging out: "Give way to the ladies."

Chinese New Year Goodies. Part 5: The Hokkaido Connection

My brother's family went to Hokkaido for vacation and brought back these goodies from Singapore when his family came back to Kuching for Chinese New Year. The Japanese food products are always nicely packaged and the level of refinement in making the food stuff is really the state-of-art in the food industry world-wide.

Cod fish strips with black sesame paste.

The packaging of the black sesame chocolate.

The black sesame chocolate candies with the shape and texture of bird's egg.

The packaging of the coated pistachio nuts.

Each pistachio nut is perfectly coated in an edible hard shell.

Packets of wasabe biscuits.

Every piece of biscuit is perfectly square with no crack.

The white lover.

The 'stripped' white lover.

Inside the white lover.

This is what is promised.

This is the real product exactly the same as promised, the white milk chocolate cream biscuits.

The wrapper.

The box with the wrapper off.

Are they really that pure?

Yes, there are!

What have grapes got to do with a cow?

I still have no idea yet.

Are these the alien eggs?

No, they are not. They are white chocolate candies with grape jelly.