On the road again and this time Hong Kong.  My first adventure was yum cha with my new colleagues.  We sat at one of those wonderful round tables where you can spin the food around.  Once seated, I was asked what I wanted to drink, so being my boring self I replied “I’ll have water” .  I was then informed than I can only have tea. Yum means drink and cha means tea, so if you are having yum cha, you have to drink tea :o)

Yum Cha Restaurant – artistic licence since looks better at night!!!

Then followed a strange ritual.  The lady next to me kindly filled up my bowl with hot water.  Before I embarrassed myself my dunking in my fingers, she proceeded to clean my bowl and my chopsticks.  Hmmm… However, the reason is not that strange, apparently in Hong Kong restaurants use bleach to make the bowls gleam lovely and white, so the washing is to remove any excess.  Now call me old fashion, but maybe they should give them an extra rinse in the kitchen, especially to stop us foreigners poisoning ourselves :oS

Yum Cha Feast

I am no stranger to Yum Cha, there is a fabulous restaurant in Sydney, but I generally go for the veggies and the chicken dishes.  However, one of the greatest things eating with Hong Kongers – that term is brilliant, believe it or not Hong Kongers is what you call people from Hong Kong; even though my spell checker is having some difficulty with it – any hoo I digress, eating with Hong Kongers you get to try foods you would never in a million years dream of ordering.  On the menu today:

Menu:

Jellyfish with Chicken

Ox Stomach with Squid

…

I bravely helped myself to the jellyfish and guess what, it actually tasted very yummy.  Who would have thought it!!!  The jellyfish was marinated in a lovely soy and ginger sauce.  And…. the texture was good too – it was not like chewing a rubber band as I imagined.  It was so good I helped myself to seconds!!

Jellyfish and Chicken – 10/10

The stomach lining of the ox didn’t look very appetising with the strange white spiky bits, but it was edible.  It didn’t have much flavour and it had a similar texture too squid;  however, one mouthful was more than enough for me.

Ox Stomach and Squid – 3/10

I do apologise that my travel blog is turning more into a food blog,  but since my adventures in Taiwan I have become a wee bit obsessed with the strange and weird foods of Asia, and how often can you say you have eaten jellyfish and ox stomach in the same meal!!!