October 28, 2009
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Song of the Day
好久沒有回去走熟悉的路…
那些逝去的淡去的曾經…
我想要有平靜的…簡單的…單純的日子…我永遠都記得…為你寫下這些字句…
When I was a little kid, I love to tag along with my grandpa for Sunday afternoon tea. (You see, Hong Kong was a British Colony back then, and the British got to have their afternoon tea every so often, no matter what.) It was one of my highlights of the day. The other highlight was grandma offering me pocket money to buy toys. I remember when three o’clock came along, grandpa would dress up in his crisp shirt and khaki pants, sometimes adorning himself with a jacket and a wool fedora hat. Grandma would tease,”Are you going out on a date with a Shanghainese woman, huh?” There were so many wonderful memories of visiting my grandparents during the weekends. My grandma had six kids…SIX…she brought them up with her hair set and outfits pressed and WITHOUT going crazy. (Well, I suspect she may have some help from her live-in maids.) And there were so many wonderful places for afternoon tea too. But the Holy Grail of them all was ‘The Peninsula Hotel’ , I would feel like I was in pastry heaven whenever we ate there. Usually, grandpa would just order black coffee. Then, he would ask me to pick any items from the menu. After all the food arrived at our table, grandpa would light up his cigar and puff it away. As for me, I would just dig into my ice-cream float or pastry and worked at it until nothing was left. And those were the days!
I will never regret spending time with my grandparents when I was younger. Mahjong ….then eating out with my all uncles, aunts and cousins….that’s what I used to do when I went to visit them. I love grandma’s cooking too(which I’ll elaborate later). She would always cooked up the best “Lion’s Head” (pork meatball) and many other dishes, until none of us could finish. My mom and her sisters would then pack up the leftovers, while the men just sat around the dinner table sipping nasty tasting black tea.
Well, that was then. Both of my grandparents have passed on, but the fond memories are still within me. Here in LA, I always seek out the eateries most similar to my childhood experiences. As I was at Scarlett’s Tea Room in Old Town Pasadena, the decor and atmosphere reminded me of a certain restaurant back in Hong Kong, with their neatly placed table settings, crystal chandeliers and chinaware. W and I shared the “Scarlett’s Tea Ceremony”, which is a five course meal consisting of: 1.Signature Sorbet / 2.Homemade Scones / 3.Assorted Tea Sandwiches / 4.Assorted Petit Desserts / 5.Stawberries Romanoff. A small pot of tea is included as well.
The tea pot, cup and saucer, kind of traditional in style and not too fancy…
First up is the Sorbet, refreshes and cleanses the palate…
We ordered an extra dish – Scones with three sides of toppings: Lemon Curd, Scarlet Cream and Berry Preserves…
Sandwiches: Salmon and Chive Spread (left), Cucumber and Water Cress (right), Egg Salad & Fresh Tarragone (back right)…
French Ham and Provolone (left), Salmon and Chive Spread (right),
Petit Dessert: Scone, Sponge Cake and a small Chocolate…
The whole afternoon tea set…
Sipping English tea in a cozy place costs us (two persons) $43.95 plus service charge, which is by no means a bargain. Nevertheless, the experience brought back pleasant memories of lazy Sunday afternoons with grandpa. Except that this time around, it brought some minor pain to my wallet as well. (Many thanks to W for the lovely photography.)
When I strolled into ‘Dean Sin World’ restaurant , their appetizer dish, peanuts with fried nori (苔蓧), a Shanghainese delicacy, really made an impression on me. I thought it was my grandma doing the cooking, except her portions of nori would be much more generous. Fried potstickers, siao-lone-bao, “Lion’s Head”(stewed pork meatballs), all cooked with that wholesome goodness which few other restaurants could achieve. The dishes have no fancy nor gourmet garnishes, just plain simple, like a home-cooked meal. The restaurant has a special ‘open’ corner where the cook prepare wontons and other dumplings from scratch. While we were halfway through our meal, Mrs.Lu (the woman who runs the joint) was stuffing meat into wonton wrappings, one by one, just like in a home kitchen. No doubt the food was prepared with TLC.peanuts with nori (苔蓧). Similar to salted peanuts with crispy nori.
Fried pot stickers, filled with sumptuous meat and soupy juices…
Siao-lone-bao, kind of dry but tastier than Ding Tai Fung…
Sizes of the meatballs are literally as big as the lion’s head, hence the dish “Stewed Lion’s Head”…
The dish always comes with Chinese vermicelli and vegetables…
Dessert – fried sesame buns with red bean stuffing…
The dinner costs US$9 per person, which is reasonable by all means. It was a nostalgic meal with remnants of childhood Sundays, in each bite of roasted peanut. I will be paying another visit to grandma’s kitchen pretty soon!
Comments (34)
Nice memories!
Salivating…unfortunately no Shanghainese here..will have to make my own Lion’s head pot.
Also have fond memories of the Peninsula…always had Sunday buffet brunch there or Repulse Bay Hotel.
Maybe inspiring me to start writing a new Xanga entry..
So are we going to the Peninsula for high tea? I never got around to doing that when I lived there. Let’s do it! That would give Tawn an opportunity to dress up.
Delicious looking food! Even more beautiful memories. It sounds so fancy, and a really wonderful memory to carry with you to future generations
Wow…I would never expect a place looking like that on the outside at Monterey Park to serve stuff on the fancy silver platter thingie
These are all foods that I love; both the Tea place and the Chinese place. There’s a small hole in the wall eatery here that I go to a lot that your description reminds me off — husband in the back making dumplings or cooking food on a tiny little stove. It’s so good, they only serve Taiwanese street food; and the place looks like it could be there too, it looks almost like a street booth indoors.
I wonder, where is the best xiao long bao (siao lone bao) you’ve had on the west coast of the US?
I enjoy going to tea, I haven’t done it in a long time; but we have a place here that’s wonderful for it — the Moana Surfrider, an old white victorian hotel on the beach here. It’s actually a place I go to for a lot of different things; my favorite bar is there too because you can sit next to the sand and listen to jazz. During the daytime, the veranda is used for afternoon tea, under the shade of a banyan tree so you can watch the ocean in comfort. It’s very classy, and the food is good too. I need to go again
The Hong Kong Peninsula is one of my favorite places on earth! I love the imagery of you walking around there as a little kid…heading to high tea! I wish you had pics of it!
@TheLatinObserver -
Thank you! I’m glad you like this one!
@snowjunky8 -
I still remember it’s quite difficult to reserved a table for buffet luncheons, especially around Christmas time. The Repulse Bay Hotel was such a darling, I spent a great deal of leisure afternoon meals there too! Yes, you should start writing a blog about that!
@christao408 -
That’s a good idea, Chris! We can have a foodie shooting session as well!
@secade -
I’m glad you found it interesting. Always trying my best to preserve the wonderful childhood memories! (And good food as well.)
@Wangium -
The silver platter? Actually, the sesame buns are sitting on a sheet of aluminum foil….heehee….just the photography making the subject looking 10x better!
@chow@ireallylikefood -
Where’s the best bao place? I think that belongs to ‘Ding Tai Fung’, the bao’s are consistently tasty and quality is good. A safe bet for sure!
Yes, I remember the Moana Surfrider on Waikiki Beach, it’s a classy hotel and of course, that huge banyan tree! I had brunch there and the portions were quite generous. The area around Waikiki Beach is so vibrant, and I’d love to revisit Oahu and the Big Island someday.
@CareyGLY -
Haha~I wish someone took a photo of me back then. I can still remember people puffing away their cigars before the “no-smoking indoors” days!
@CurryPuffy -
Oh cool, you actually know where I’m talking about
Do you remember what the place looks like at night? It’s gorgeous. As for Ding Tai Fung, I’ve heard of this place from a lot of people, where exactly is it?
High Tea at the Peninsula…..used to be such an experience to spend an afternoon at their lobby lounge, however you will be a bit disappointed with the behavior and the attire of their current clientele…….
Yummm. That’s really expensive for tea though! I feel like that meal was meant for 4 people.
@agmhkg - @CurryPuffy - Okay, what is the proper attire? Jackets for gentlemen? We’ll pack appropriately.
Thanks for the wonderful memories and pictures. I will definitely include tea at the Peninsula on my itinerary. Your memories have made me hungry to get to a good Asian restaurant again. Thank you.
I feel hungry
@chow@ireallylikefood -
The Moana Surfrider Hotel belongs to the Sheraton/Starwood Hotels, as I remember. The hotel has an all white exterior, so at night it’s quite bright and has an attractive luminescence effect. Right? Haha~I missed the laid-back mode of the Islands, where flip flops and tees are the standard attire.
Ding Tai Fung is in the suburb city of Arcadia, paste this link: http://www.dintaifungusa.com/en/en_contact01.html
@agmhkg -
Haha~I think so too….but it’s still worth it though. How about that newer hotel at Repulse Bay? It resembles the old Repulse Bay Hotel, which used to be another great spot for afternoon tea.
@Rm2046 -
I think that’s quite pricey too, perhaps worthwhile for special occasions.
@totoro2000 -
I’m glad you enjoyed the food porn! Stop by more often!
@riksimon -
I’m glad you enjoyed the food porn! Have a good trip! Bon Appetit!
@christao408 -
@agmhkg -
Haha~ Chris, CurryPuffy is no fashionista, so can’t help you here. I don’t think there’s a strict dress code (like some of those stiff and haughty English clubs), casual attire (jeans, etc) will be fine. Check this out: http://gohongkong.about.com/od/whattoseeinhk/a/Peninsula_tea.htm
@CurryPuffy -
havn’t been repulse bay for some time….oh by the way there is a new hotel name 1881 Heritage next to Peninsula, is a former marine police headquarter, a 120 years old building being transformed into a hotel, with lots of open place for dining and drinking of cos including the English High tea too.. the site i snot totally updated but have read a lot of it from the local magazine….
http://www.1881heritage.com/flash/#/en/home/
@CurryPuffy -
Yes, you are correct about the Moana Surfrider
And thank for the information on Ding Tai Fung, it will surely be a stop next time I’m in Southern California 
The beginning of your entry sounds like a modern version of a Wayson Choy novel. (A Chinese-Canadian writer who wrote about his family memories.)
I also have memories of afternoon tea with my grandparents but our version was English tea at home with doughnuts instead of anything fancy.
@brooklyn2028 -
Haha~Sheldon, I’ll check out Choy’s novels. Were those Chinese donuts you had with your grandparents?
We were in Hongkong before the British left that colony. While walking the main road we stopped at The Peninsula and were very impressed with the way the tea was served. The children loved the small sandwiches and the desserts. Everything was very austere and perfect, with impeccable taste to detail. I can still see the tall building with its doors facing the street and on to the waters.
The pictures as always are very very good Gary. Love the way the pot stickers are photographed. W is getting to be such a master at this.
@ZSA_MD -
Haha~Zakiah, that was me who photographed the pot stickers. W took some of the tea set photos. Another place to catch tea time would be up at the Peak Cafe, near the Peak Tram terminal at Victoria Peak. Highly recommended!
Your pictures make me so hungry even though I just ate lunch!
@JL789 -
I’m glad you like the food, please visit and comment more often!