Chinatown Redux

The monkey was hungry and quickly ordered shrimp balls encased in fried wonton. Mmm, it was delicious without the sauce made up of mayonaisse. But mixed with the sauce,the shrimp dish was a taste fat, that was bred from eons of Australopithecus searching for lipids in the hot and barren land of Africa.

The next few dishes was a blur to the monkey as the tiger saw the foodservers and called upon them to ply their trade. A dish of lechon, roasted pork, showed out of nowhere. With gout bothering his foot, the monkey was confused as to why the tiger ordered roasted pork. But pig-tail-pulling being one of the favorite pastimes of the monkey, the monkey did not complain and instead popped a morsel of porcine delight coated with plum-like sauce. There was barely enough fat. Perhpas this pig was specially bred in the confines of a 24 hour fitness farm where pigs are exercised on treadmills.

A green dish of sauteed Chinese broccoli was placed onto the table. The monkey had a flashback from an event ten years ago in a dimsum restaurant in San Francisco. While the monkey was still a fledging graduate student, the monkey would trek over to the Chinatown in Embarcadero Center with his friends. In one of those meals, Chinese broccoli was ordered. Remember that Jason? Chinese broccoli can either be sweet or be very bitter. Apparently, that day, the broccoli served was very old because it was also very bitter. The monkey and his friends all refused to eat the broccoli greens. Jason ended up eating the greens and was very nearly to tears when he was gently reminded to finish that plate. BWahhahahhaha.

Ahh, but as Morpheus said, "Some things never change. And some things do." The green broccoli was sweet and young. The monkey was glad that the tiger had sound decision making skills when it came to food. The monkey is always afraid of trying new things, but the tiger is not. Even when the monkey ordered his favorite jellyfish sliced into little strings, the tiger placed her fear aside and tasted it. The jellyfish though was not to her liking. The texture certainly is different. The monkey liked the gelatinous and squishy feeling of jellyfish. The tiger was more interested in solid taste textures.

A hint of green in the middle of a plate. A hint of yellow. It was fried eggplant with tofu! The monkey smiled and quickly pointed to the dish. This meal is complete! Fried eggplant is probably filled with saturated fats from the cooking oil, but it is one of the most delicious foods in the world. There is nothing like fried eggplants and maybe some bagoong, shrimp paste. Mix it with rice and you have a celebration of the peasants in the Philippines.

The tiger noticed a cart wandering up and down the aisles. This must be a special dish. Probably a soup or a dessert because the food must remain hot and so the need for the cart. The foodserver opens the cover and it was TAHOOOOO!! A favorite from the childhood the monkey, taho with sago was a treat during the afternoon hours. Bring your own glass as the mangtataho scooped soybean curd and sago. Ummm, childhood memories filled up the monkeys eyes. Flashes of warm glasses, sweet syrup and warm curd filling the stomach dazzled the monkey.

The tiger was busy on the hunt. One dessert was good. A second dessert would be better. The tiger's nose crinkled. There was another dessert out there. The scent was covered up by the coconut and the sugar mixed into the air. The scent of fried and steamed food filled the air. The tiger was looking for a specific dessert. This dessert is a ball of flour with black bean inside. The black bean is not a solid but a semi-liquid. The tiger thanked god for imagination. Without imagination, there would only be boring food. Finally, the flour balls came on by covered with a mixture of powdered rice. The dough was soft. The structure was that of a jelly doughnut. The taste was phenomenal. Dough was mixed with the sweetness of black bean.