Finding New Roots When the Old Ones Are Still Strong

            One of my favourite comfort foods anywhere I go is pretty much congee and rice noodles. During my first week back in Hong Kong, still missing New York, my friend Isabel brought me to the Area of Tai Hang 大坑 in the Tin Hau 天后 District of Hong Kong Island. Tai Hang is an up and coming hangout area with flourishing restaurants, bars and fancy kitchen showrooms where every other storefront could seamlessly be an auto-repair shop alongside an European coffee house or dessert spot. It was an experience that one can only experience in Hong Kong. It does remind me a little of the Lower East Side of NYC where the hipsters meet yuppies and hippies could inhabit certain walk-up buildings with college students next door. The Tai Hang district is about a 5-8 minute walk from the MTR station on the other side of Victoria Park. Turning onto King Street around a tiny corner, a congee shop emerges with a cute older gentlemen exercising his rice noodle rolling skills. This is the infamous family ran Hong Kee Congee Shop 康記粥店. 

 炸兩 rice noodles rolled with fried dough 

             My first authentic food experience really gave me a feeling of returning home, but a home I still have yet to discover. Sharing is caring, with two people at hand, the more dishes we get to try. We shared the fresh rolled  炸兩 freshly made in front of our eyes, soy sauce fried noodles, and a bowl of congee each, a pretty hearty brunch! These shops are starting to become more rare due to high commercial rent rates and increasing food cost. With Hong Kee still standing here, seeing the multifaceted changes of Hong Kong for over 3 decades, I would really be disappointed to see it wither away with many others like it. I do hope to keep regular visits here to take in the spectacle of hand rolled rice noodles and spend less than 50$ HKD at each meal.

2 Shredded pork and thousand year egg congee, soy sauce fried noodles, fried dough wrapped with rice noodles 

                Pseudo Nutrient Analysis: A little heavy on the carbs and oil, missing a good source of fiber. Hence, your next meal should be high in fruits and vegetables with some whole grains if possible and low fat protein.
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