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1) Lay on top of some rice while cooking. When the rice is done, drizzle a little bit of oil on top (perhaps soy sauce too). Mix well before serving. 2) Deep-fry them. Sprinkle on top of your favorite fried rice.

Gong Hey Fat Choy, TP! Welcome back! Miss us? The roast pork looks great!

Thanks for your kind words and am glad you like this Adrian. You are right. While "Kung Pao Chicken" is offered in most Cantonese style restaurants now, the Cantonese version is typically whimppy on the chili and the sichuan peppercorn (hua jiu).

Chris you can use the master sauce as a marinade to prepare Cantonese BBQ pork or spareribs. Just use a small amount, along with some pressed garlic. Marinate overnight or something, then bake/roast the meat/ribs.

From what I understand, 20+ years of my earlier life living in Hong Kong, this superstition is common only among "Dan Ga" (Cantonese) - meaning fishmen family. Those who work (to catch fish in the Ocean) and live on a boat. They are afraid if they flip the fish, their boat will be flipped in the ocean. We the commoners who work in other professions and don't live on a boat may not need such an "avoidable".

Do Chinese eat fish eye balls from a steamed fish?

RE: I think this is related to the Chinese immigration history. By and large most of the early Chinese immigrants (in the 19th century) to the US/Canada and elsewhere were Cantonese. Most of the Chinese restaurants in the US/Canada were Cantonese style (though Americans may only know them as "Chinese" food). Cantonese have their version of "Dumpling" in soup, which is called Wonton. Some US-Chinese restaurants (read: Chop Suey houses) do offer it on their menus. They commonly call the item "War Wonton Soup". Cantonese make wonton differently than Northern Mainlanders' dumpling. Wonton: shrimp and ground pork, seasoned with sesame oil, white pepper, salt, etc., wrapped in yellow square wrappers. Mainlander's dumpling: ground pork only, some shredded vegetables, leek, chive or the likes, seasoned with salt/garlic, soy sauce, etc., wrapped in white, thick, doughy square or round wrappers.

Do you think you can ask some arabs who live in Hong Kong? For example, there is a famous mosque in Tsim Sha Tsui (Corner of Nathan Road and Haiphon Road). It has been around for ages. Maybe walk in there and ask someone where they shop?

Cleavers are like any other knives. They get dull over time/uses. To sharpen... I use a small grinding stone. And apply a lot of patience. If way too dull, you can use a fine file to file it first, then grind. Or a motorized grinding wheel first, then hand grind.

Ha ha ha... LOL! This is so funny! I know I know. She will remain a half-Chinese as she is, eating tofu or not. Much like an Italian kid who doesn't eat pasta, or an Indian kid who doesn't eat curry (is it possible?), or an American kid who doesn't eat hotdog... wait wait wait... if you don't eat hotdog, you are not a Yankee, period! And it doesn't matter what form of tofu it is or what sauce is on it... my niece's refusal is very universal.

My niece, 9, half Chinese, half Portuguese, raised in the USA. She refuses to eat tofu. We had tried to entice her three times in separate occasions. A firm "no, no, no". No soft tofu. No hard tofu. No fried tofu. No steamed tofu. No soyabean drink. If a Chinese kid doesn't eat tofu at a young age, it seems unlikely she/he would eat tofu in adulthood. Are there any converts who hated tofu at a young age? For me, growing up in a Chinese culture, eating tofu is a matter-of-fact, kinda. Tofu is bland. Texture is softer than cheese. More like gel perhaps. Is this something that takes getting used to? Reminds of the movie "Bend It Like Beckham" in which the mom said "And you don't even want to learn how to cook dal!" (for an Indian). I would parity it: "And you don't even want to eat tofu?" (for a Chinese).....

The Chinese banquet meal prices vary quite a bit depending on what is served. For example, at Zen Peninsula Restaurant I have seen their "round table 8-course packages: range from $288 to $688 or even higher (a table typically is a 10-person count). High prices are usually associated with high-priced seafood or dried food items such as shark-fin soup, suckling pig, abalone, king crab, birdnest, or something of that nature. To non-Chinese diners, some of these "exotic" items may not even be desirable, if sweet-and-sour pork would do. So if one is to have some "nice" entrees (e.g. scallops, dungenous crabs, fried young pigeons, etc.) $50 pp - straightly from a food-price perspective would be plenty - considering each Chinese dinner entree is around US$10 to US$15. Any restaurant that charges more would be ripping people off. However, this pricing perspective is straight from the price of a meal. Now if one is to rent out the dining room for the party for the whole evening (and they would not have any table turn-around), then I don't know if they would do it without charging something for it. I can't tell. I haven't arranged for such a party. Anyway... it can all be up to negotiation probably. Suggestions for checking into: Zen Peninsula, Millbrae (El Camino Real) Fook Yuen, Millbrae (El Camino Real) Flower Lounge, Millbrae (El Camino Real) Yank Sing, San Francisco - downtown, Rincon Center Note: I have eaten at Zen and Fook Yuen and love their food. I have eaten at Flower Lounge a while back and I think their food quality had degraded from what I remembered. I have not eaten at Yank Sing but have been there - inside the atrium of Rincon Center - they can set up temporary tables for parties probably.

In more detail, it is a British gentleman living in China answers you. Or answered by a Chinese living in USA. The Internet has made this world smaller.

Briliant observation! We associate black specks with charcoals!

BTW: Last year when I was in Hong Kong, I was at the Intercontinental Hotel (Avenue of the Star...), checking out their buffet. HKD500 (about US$70) per person. They serve lobster. All you can eat. Everybody had at least three... Get your money worth. I want to try it later this year.

The "Shark Fin Soup" caught my eyes. I would never imagine that it will be offerred in a buffet. You said it's good. Was there real shark fin in the soup? Good portion? Sound great! Then I realize... priced at $42... The counterpart Chinese buffet here in Sacramento is $10.

I was wondering about that too. We are on the topic of "roast pork". Boiling it wouldn't quite make "roast" pork.

Since you have 3 weeks... I recommend to try out "Rosa's Restaurant" (Italian) in Pismo Beach. I love that place. McLintocks along Hiway-101. Steak and BBQ stuff. The price is high but the portion is gigantic! I and my wife shared one order for dinner one time and it kept us both full. (They brought free fried onion rings as appetizer...) http://www.mclintocks.com/locations/index.asp "Steamers Restaurant" inside the Kon Tiki Inn is so-so foodwise, but has a good view of the ocean. (Pismo Beach) "Pelican Point Restaurant" is also so-so foodwise, but a good view of the ocean. (Pismo Beach) And... Splash Cafe to try out their clam chowder... (Pismo Beach)

Prawncrackers: did you have any prawncrackers (ha peen?) while you were in Hong Kong? LOL! *cough* *cough*... puffs were Ce'ndra's. Buns were sheetz's... I am just an armchair Chinese food critics these days. I can't make them out too well... what are the small shreds on top of your salt-and-pepper prawns?

Not HK dish. It is called "gan xiao" [Mandarin] - meaning "dry cooked". I learned of it as a "Mandarin" style - not sure if it is Sichuan or Beijing or some other style. Just not Cantonese. Good to see you back Gastro mui mui!

Excellent sheetz! I had attempted this only once. I found that my baos turned out to be quite hard (not fluffy). Any tips of how to make these fluffy bread?

Route 101 it is. Passes right through the town of San Francisco (Van Ness and Lombard), then on to the Golden Gate Bridge northbound. Chinatown, on a holiday, at 11:00 - noon... good luck finding parking.

What was the super sour foam made of? And... what are that pair of tweezers for? They are in about every other picture. Was Alvin Leung (my long lost brother! ) working in the kitchen that night or his surrogates?

Please have a round 2, or round 3, or round 4 in Oct/Nov 09 with me. I can't eat a whole piggy by myself...

Oh... you gotta try one. I had my very first near Ruins of St. Paul’s last year. Very good.