Chinese New Year is Cancelled

Lam (middle) announcing extended measures tonight

As expected, the Hong Kong government extended social-distancing measures for another two weeks to February 3, thus effectively cancelling celebrations for Chinese New Year, which starts on February 1. 

Not only will restaurants not be able to serve dinner at 6pm, but also the traditional Lunary New Year fair is cancelled too, putting the livelihoods of flower farmers in jeopardy, as well as businesses hoping to sell festive products during the fair.

However, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor claimed despite the updated measures, Hong Kong is still on track to reopen the border with the mainland. 

More people getting a jab to eat dim sum

"The latest assessment is Covid-19 is not yet under control, there's still a risk of a large-scale outbreak," Lam said -- without wearing a mask:
"If there is no major outbreak on February 4, we will restore business operations but they will be subject to vaccination requirements."

Earlier the government had said that for people to enter 15 types of businesses, including bars, gyms, theme parks and beauty parlours, and restaurants serving dinner, people would need to have at least one jab by February 24, but now that has been moved up -- a date officials have yet to announce. 

My friend YTSL got her third jab the other day and chatted with her nurse who reported many people who have come to get vaccinated are only getting their first one because they want to have dim sum with their friends.

If only Lam and Co had instituted this earlier, Hong Kong's vaccination rate would have surged significantly last year. Not much more to say except better late than never...

Some 4,700 have gone into quarantine camps

Since the first detection of the Omicron variant in the city on December 30, 60 people have been infected locally, and 4,700 sent to quarantine camps that can't keep up with the large numbers of people coming in; tests and paper work are not done efficiently, causing many administrative issues. When it is their time to leave, their tests and release papers haven't been processed yet and have to wait another day to be allowed to depart. 

"I need to apologise to the residents who had unpleasant experiences during Covid-19 testing, contact tracing and compulsory quarantine on behalf of the government," Lam said during tonight's press conference.

"I hope they can understand that we have already mobilised a lot of manpower to contain the Omicron outbreak but unfortunately we still cannot keep everyone satisfied."

Wonder if those frustrated with the government will accept her apology...

The Lam administration also promises a fifth round of subsidies worth HK$3.57 billion (US$457.7 million), but affected sectors like catering, gyms and tourism say it's a drop in the bucket when the money is all parcelled out. 

Chinese restaurants lose out on CNY business

For example, bars and restaurants that are around 1,000 sq ft can get HK$50,000 in subsidies, while instructors in special interest classes can get HK$5,000 each. Hardly compensatory. 

On top of that with fewer flights operating, there is the possibility that fresh food will be imported at a premium, and will result in food costing even more. Maybe now people will finally wean themselves off uni, wagyu, truffles and lobster... 

Aussie Lobsters Sneak into China

Australian rock lobsters are being smuggled to China via HK

Australia and China have had long simmering disputes as of late, and this has led to the latter banning numerous food products from Down Under.

First it was wines, along with barley, log timber, copper, coal, and sugar, and recently it's rock lobsters.

But the red crustaceans are making their way to China via Hong Kong thanks to some daring smugglers.

Australian wines are banned from entering China

Back in 2015 when China-Australia Free Trade Agreement was signed, smuggling was brought to a halt and four years later, more than 90 percent of Australia's rock lobsters were exported to China, worth a staggering US$553.7 million a year, according to the Australian agriculture department.

However, the trade ban has resurrected smuggling operations. It's not just lobsters the smugglers are bringing over to China, but also frozen meats, cigarettes and other goods, possibly jewellery, bird's nest, or shark's fin.

In April, Hong Kong imported a whopping 157,978kg of Australian rock lobsters -- about 50 times the amount imported in October, just before the ban took effect.

Lobsters are packed in boxes and kept chilled

But none of the lobsters show up as cargo being re-exported to mainland China, said Hong Kong's Census and Statistics Department. Only 5 percent of the lobsters are re-exported to Macau.

"How could people in Hong Kong consume so many lobsters?" asks a local seafood trader. "Of course they must have ended up on the mainland."

Mainland e-commerce sites like Xianyu and Taobao have suppliers in Beijing, Guangzhou and Hangzhou selling rock lobsters for 300 yuan to 1,000 yuan (US$45-US$155) per kilogram.

How they get to China is, the lobsters are chilled -- not frozen -- to keep them alive and the cold temperatures put them to sleep. After an eight-hour flight from Perth to Hong Kong, and cleared customs, the crustaceans are put in water tanks for two or three days to freshen them up and then repacked again in boxes to make the illicit journey.

The lobsters end up on dining tables in China

Some are hidden in fishermens' boats together with their usual haul to get to the other side a few kilometres away, while others are taken by speedboat by smugglers. It's crucial to get the lobsters transported as quickly as possible because no one wants a dead lobster on arrival...

Life No Longer a Bowl of Cherries in China

Last year when Chilean cherries were on sale in China, it was "cherry freedom"

Last March I wrote about "cherry freedom", where people boasted on social media how they could afford expensive foods to show off their wealth. It started with imported cherries, and then a vegetable called xiangchun that cost 80 yuan to 100 yuan for 500 grams, which equated to a lobster, 10 abalone, or 39 crayfish.

But it looks like those "cherry freedom" days are over following the coronavirus pandemic that has made a huge dent in the Chinese economy, let alone the entire world.

Previously there was a big demand for Chilean cherries and Peruvian avocados by the Chinese middle class. But now sellers at the Jiangan wholesale fruit and vegetable market in Guangzhou are feeling the effects of battered consumer confidence due to declining job prospects and incomes.

These were the first batch of Peruvian avocados sold in China

"Demand has plummeted since the outbreak started. Retailers are very cautious about placing orders... most of us have been losing money, whether selling imported fruit or domestic fruit," said Li Xiaoqiang, a fruit importer at Jiangan market.

"We keep reducing the prices. Take Chilean grapes. The wholesale price used to be 180 yuan (US$25.37) for 8kg, and it is now just 100 yuan or even 80 yuan. Our importers' losses could be up to 800,000 yuan for a container."

Egyptian oranges used to be 100 yuan for 15kg around the same time last year, but now are only 70 yuan.

"Imported cherries are even harder to sell," Li added.

While the market's operators claim 80 percent of China's imported fruits first stop at Jiangan, these days vendors are passing the time playing games on their phones.

80 percent of China's imported fruits go to Jiangan Market

One merchant surnamed Wang said last year the market used to sell 60 to 80 containers of imported oranges a day, but now only sell 15 containers with the price slashed to 50 percent.

"Imported oranges are mainly for hotels, restaurants, clubs and karaoke lounges -- if oranges don't sell well, it means China's service industry is still in deep trouble," Wang said.

Over the past decade China's fruit imports had been steadily rising from US$1.63 billion in 2009 to US$10.3 billion last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Patricia Lin is a white-collar worker in Shanghai and had her pay cut last month, while friends were laid off due to the pandemic. "To be honest, the only thing in my head these days is how to cut spending and save enough money to pay my home mortgage.

"Fruits are good and necessary for health, but I think I won't be able to afford imported cherries or Japanese grapes for a long while. Instead I will turn to local fruits like apples and pears," she said.

How will Li steer China's economy out of the pandemic?

Imagine how many millions of other people have the same thinking as Lin and then you have a serious cascade effect on not only the fruit business, but every other sector as well, particularly luxury, fashion, and restaurants.

Beijing may have hoped people getting back to work would help get things back to normal, but it won't be like before. Wonder if this will be reflected in Premier Li Keqiang's work report later this week when the "two sessions" start on May 22, and what the country's economic road map to economic recovery will be.

San Francisco's Food Truck Dining Scene

Fort Point is the building under the Golden Gate Bridge under blue skies

Yesterday morning we arrived in San Francisco and the blue skies were such a welcome sight from so much rain in Hong Kong.

My cousin took us around in the afternoon, first to Fort Point, which is located under the Golden Gate Bridge -- but it was the fort that was built just before the Civil War, and that position considered as the "key" to the whole Pacific coast.

Looking down inside the fort, that was never used in warfare

The thick brick walls were considered impenetrable, but in the end the fort was never used in warfare.

We got to take look around -- free admission as it is considered on national park land -- though there isn't much to see. My cousin and I climbed up three floors to get to the top to see the underbelly of the bridge, and have a better view of both the Bay Area and the Pacific Ocean on the other side.

Afterwards we grabbed an early dinner at Off the Grid at For Mason nearby in the Presidio area. Every Friday, several food trucks gather in this spot, and with a DJ, some stands selling beer, wine and cocktails, the place was rocking, and hot, with the sun still blazing at 6pm.

Delicious grilled half lobster from Maine with parsley

As my parents had never been to a food truck festival before I was worried about their reaction, but they were game to try this new way of dining. We managed to grab a very tall table and eventually some high stools and we were in business.

Our first dish was a no brainer -- fresh half lobster from Maine cooked on a mesquite grill. The lobster wasn't too big, but the taste was delicious, juicy, meaty and a smoky taste. We even tried to dig out as much meat from the claws as possible.

Then we got some carbs -- a paella with chick peas, chicken, tomato and shrimp. It was quite filling but also very tasty, evidenced by the rice dish being cooked for a long time so that it soaked up all the flavours of the ingredients. Another dish we tried were tater tots garnished with some sour cream and chives.

A few food trips served Filipino food

We washed it all down with some fruit juices from Hawaiian Sun -- the guava and passionfruit with orange flavours were refreshing! And we did some people watching as many brought kids or their furry ones (ie dogs) with them.

There were many other dining options, particularly Filipino, such as lechon, sisig, and adobo, while a Shandong-style dumpling food truck was extremely popular with its constant long queue. You could also get pizza, satays, and Nepalese momos.

For dessert, there was a frozen custard bar that could be covered in chocolate sauce with nuts, and looked so good, but we were already too full. There was also a stand that sold cookie dough, or macarons, or ice cream in between two maracons. Tempting but we had reached our quota!

A big crowd for a Friday evening chowing down

Off the Grid
Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture
2 Marina Boulevard
San Francisco, CA
94123
offthegridsf.com

Obsessed with "Xiangchun Freedom"

If you can afford to eat this vegetable, it's as expensive as a lobster

What can you eat to show your peers you've made it financially?

In China it was cherries, but now it's a vegetable called xiangchun 香椿, the young red leaves of the Chinese mahogany tree that are the in thing to munch on. The basil-tasting leaves have become so prized that in places like Beijing it costs 80 yuan to 100 yuan (US$12 to US$30) for a catty or 500 grams.

People have taken to social media to complain about the price of the vegetable that could cost as much as a lobster, 10 abalone or 39 crayfish.

Xiangchun leaves are from the Chinese mahogany tree

"You can buy this [vegetable] to show off your wealth," one person on Weibo commented.

Another said: "There's plenty of xiangchun trees at my grandmother's house. I feel like I've just found the path to riches."

The first spring leaves of the tree are traditionally used in Chinese cooking, especially in the north, where it is stirfried with eggs or tofu, or used as filling for dumplings.

Xiangchun per catty costs more than pork in Beijing, where it is priced at 8 yuan to 10 yuan. In places like Qingdao in Shandong province, Xiaogan in Hubei province and Xian in Shaanxi province, the vegetable costs 40 yuan per 500 grams.

However, if you can afford to buy and eat xiangchun, then you are considered to have "xiangchun freedom", similar to people who can afford to buy imported cherries to give as gifts. Before the Spring Festival this year, imported cherries were selling for 60 yuan per catty in Beijing.

Economist Yao Zhiyong is with the School of Management at Fudan University and says the wide use of the terms "xiangchun freedom" and "cherry freedom" showed a decline in real spending power.

Xiangchun are stirfried with egg or tofu, or in dumplings

"Many items have become more expensive, but people's salaries haven't gone up accordingly," Yao says. "In the meantime there are other expenses -- education, housing, healthcare -- that can't be ignored. That's why people are bemoaning their lack of 'cherry freedom' or 'xiangchun freedom'."

The Chinese have this cruel obsession of constantly comparing themselves to other people, either to psychologically feel like they have a leg up on their peers or to bemoan the reality that they are never going to win the rat race.

It's as if this competition is the only way they know how to relate to others which is unhealthy and scary. But the ironic thing is that people are willing to pay top dollar for a seasonal vegetable, and I'm all for a greener lifestyle!

Decadent Dim Sum

Lung King Heen's famous baked barbecue pork buns

Last Saturday three friends and I went to Lung King Heen, the three-starred Michelin Chinese restaurant in the Four Seasons Hong Kong for dim sum. I had booked the table back in late November to ensure we got a table.

It's pretty impressive how this place continues to keep its consistency particularly in dim sum, as I have now eaten it here three times, and for dinner only once many years ago.

Steamed rice rolls with lobster and water chestnut

There were a few new dishes on the dim sum menu and we decided to try some of them as well as order our favourites.

A new one was steamed rice rolls with lobster and water chestnut in fermented bean sauce (HK$230). This was definitely indulgent, but have you had steamed rice rolls with lobster before? This was fantastic -- very meaty but also included chopped vegetables and crunchy water chestnuts too.

Another was steamed lobster dumplings with egg white and sweet corn (HK$120). These dumplings were so large that they were served in pairs per bamboo steamer. Take a bite and inside it was choc full of lobster along with sweet corn. It sounds strange with corn kernels, but works well, again for texture and added sweetness.

Perfectly executed steamed shrimp dumplings

The baked goose puffs with chestnut in XO chilli sauce (HK$99) were topped with bonito flakes, perhaps an ode to the goose's nest? The pastry shell was very flaky and buttery, while the goose was also quite rich too and perhaps needed some acidity to cut the richness, as bonito flakes wasn't going to do that.

As for staples, the steamed shrimp dumplings with bamboo shoots (HK$99) was a star winner, so delicate, the skin translucent and the shrimp meat inside so delicious and filling.

We also thoroughly enjoyed the baked whole abalone puff with diced chicken (HK$84 per piece). The abalone is sliced up so that you aren't obligated to shove the whole thing into your mouth and enjoy it in at least two bites. The pastry here was also top notch.

Pan-fried rice rolls in XO chilli sauce (HK$200) is a small portion for what you get; it is spicy, though that day I was battling a cold and couldn't eat as much as I would have liked. It was a dish that was a struggle to finish.

Baked abalone puffs with diced chicken a winner

The same could be said for the plate of char siu (HK$350). By the time it arrived I was pretty full and could barely finish two slices. 

However, the signature baked barbecue pork buns with pine nuts (HK$99) continue to be one of the best items on this menu. The filling features diced char siu mixed with pine nuts and enveloped in a bun that holds it together topped with a pineapple but dome for a touch of crispiness.

A friend new to Lung King Heen was about to rip the bun in half but we stopped her in time to advise her to eat it in bites instead. She was glad we gave her that tip and savoured each bite.

For dessert we had complimentary bowls of mango pudding topped with pomelo sago pudding! What a combo. It was only when we dug our spoons in did we realize there was mango pudding underneath.

Osmanthus jellies and puff rice cakes for dessert

We also had some petit fours of steamed osmanthus jelly, and puff rice cakes.

I was so full afterwards, but in particular sated by the food and really enjoyed the company too.

Lung King Heen
4/F, Four Seasons Hong Kong
8 Finance Street, Central
3196 8880 

Vancouver Eating Part 2

The flavour of Joe Fortes in a bowl, a seafood bowl to be exact

My eating odyssey in Vancouver continued with a visit to Joe Fortes for lunch. I don't think I have ever eaten in this well known establishment and glad I finally made it.

It looks like a power lunch place with its downtown location and everyone seemed to be having meetings while they ate -- except us.

Clams with chorizo sausages in tomato broth were a hit

According to the menu, there really was a Joe Fortes -- Seraphin "Joe" Fortes, who was a sailor from Barbados who went to Liverpool then Vancouver. He came to the Canadian city in 1885 where he was a bartender at a hotel and then was a fixture at English Bay where he was the unofficial security guard and taught many children how to swim.

The city appointed him the first official lifeguard in the early 1900s. When Fortes died in 1922, the city held the longest-ever funeral procession, which was unusual for a black person.

Joe Fortes the restaurant was opened in 1985, exactly a century after he arrived in Vancouver.

Perhaps as a link to his being at English Bay, the Joe Fortes menu is best known for its seafood, freshly-shucked oysters and blue plate specials at CAD$12.95 that are a real deal -- if you can snag one.

A lot to munch on in the lobster and shrimp roll

On the day we went it was panko-crusted haddock, but by the time we ordered -- around 1pm -- they were already sold out. That was disappointing to say the least for my friend, who was very keen to try it.

Nonetheless we were very happy with the seafood bowl (CAD$25.95), a kind of bouillabaisse with salmon, mussels, clams, tomato broth, rice and garlic bread. Everything was cooked perfectly, the clams didn't have any sand in them and the mussels plump.

The roasted mushroom soup (CAD$9.95) is cooked with sherry, cream and sage, the steamed clams (CAD$25.95) were seasoned with chorizo sausage, tomato-wine broth and had garlic focaccia.

Starter of hamachi, coconut, fennel and mandarin

My other friend had the lobster and shrimp roll (CAD$25.95) and it was a mouthful! I had a small bite of the filling and it tasted very fresh, topped with a dill pickle and a generous salad on the side.

We were too full for dessert after.

Later that evening we paid a visit to Hawksworth for dinner. I haven't been there for a few years so I was keen to see how the restaurant has developed. In short the food was fantastic -- every dish was plated nicely, featuring choice ingredients.

Absolutely divine roast duck with lentils, squash and figs

To start I had the hamachi with coconut, fennel and mandarin wedges (CAD$25). It's more of a summer dish, but we liked it anyway, very delicate flavours on the plate with a hint of coconut sauce at the bottom.

My main was a delight -- Yarrow Meadows duck breast with squash, red cabbage, lentil and fig (CAD$43). The duck is very lean --- there isn't the fattiness you get from most other ducks, or perhaps it was slow roasted to remove the fat, but also retain the juiciness of the meat.

It was accompanied with very earthy flavours: squash puree, lentils, red cabbage, and sweet figs that all went well together, and keeping the duck as the star of the dish.

The ling cod with black rice and curried root vegetables

Another standout was the salmon with cucumber, potato, mussel and dill (CAD$42), as well as the ling cod (CAD$48) with black rice, curried root vegetable, and orange lassi. A decadent meal for two is the lamb shoulder (CAD$130 for two), that could even be for three, as the feast includes polenta, root vegetables, and a generous portion of lamb that falls off the bone.

Dark chocolate was the theme of the evening, as one of our party suggested eating it would stave off dementia. As a result a few of us ordered the dark chocolate chantilly, a decadent-looking treat complemented with raspberry sauce and almonds (CAD$14).

I had the Meyer lemon for dessert. It was a lemon custard topped with a mixture of mandarin oranges and shaved lemon on top and jasmine-flavoured meringue cubes. Again more a summer dish than winter, but we like tart finish.

Meyer lemon dessert with mandarin and jasmine meringue

The deconstructed apple tart (CAD$14) was delicious too, with milk chocolate, pecans and caramel.

While we enjoyed the food immensely, service was lacking in attentiveness that marred the overall experience. At first I thought it was because we had ordered several "Chinese martinis" -- hot water with lemon, but I later found out from a few friends that they had also been disappointed by the service when they went.

And as a friend pointed out, even if you drink tap water the whole evening, the service should still be good, and I agree.

A decadent dark chocolate chantilly dessert

Joe Fortes
777 Thurlow Street
Vancouver, BC
(604) 669 1940

Hawksworth
in the Rosewood Hotel
801 Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC
(6040 673 7000

Picture of the Day: Christmas Feast with Chinese Characteristics

Roasted soy sauce chicken in a jenga nest made of sugar cane sticks

Last night my parents' friends invited us to have dinner at Dynasty Seafood Restaurant, well known in the city for its high quality Chinese cuisine.

However with Christmas fast approaching, we were the second round of diners, though it took some time for the first batch to finally vacate the table we were scheduled to eat at.

Stir-fried fresh lobsters were very meaty

We finally got started after 8pm, and our patience was well rewarded with some fantastic dishes.

There was roast soy sauce chicken with the meat roughly extracted from the bone in a pile that was surrounded by sugar cane sticks. It's been a while since I chewed on sugar cane, though these were just a touch sweet, but I didn't see much correlation between them and the chicken.

We also had fake shark's fin soup, mostly in terms of flavour because my bowl just had broth and cabbage in it. Another good one was fresh lobsters stir-fried with lots of meat, and a braised duck dish that had slices of very tender duck combined with a variety of mushrooms.

Geoduck was a nostalgic (and expensive) treat!

But perhaps the most memorable dish was the geoduck. Not one, but two were thinly sliced and blanched in boiling water before being seasoned with beansprouts and golden chives with some light soy sauce.

I hadn't eat geoduck like this for years! When we were much younger, over 30 years ago, they were 99 cents a pound! Now it goes for around CAD$50 a pound! How things change over time!

Afterwards our host who is an accomplished baker made a beautiful raspberry tart with a hint of orange liqueur... so good!

Gorgeous raspberry tart with a firm but flaky crust

Dynasty Seafood Restaurant

108-777 West Broadway

Vancouver, BC

Tel: 604 876 8388

Lunching at Le Crocodile

The signature chocolate petit fours at Le Crocodile

A friend from Hong Kong who visits his family once or twice a year in Vancouver had asked me earlier about eating at French fine dining restaurant Le Crocodile.

He didn't know any friends or relatives here who had eaten there before and even though he wouldn't mind eating there alone, he had wanted to try it and I volunteered to accompany him for lunch.

Delicious lobster bisque topped with creme fraiche and chives

I made the reservation before I arrived in Vancouver to ensure a table and was given the choice of either 11.30am or 1.30pm. I chose the latter so we wouldn't be rushed, but also, other than dim sum or brunch, who eats lunch at 11.30am?

The menu doesn't change much, but there are a number of daily specials to choose from. We decided to stick to the perennial favourites.

My friend had the classic Alsatian onion tart (CAD$11.50) that was a very large slice (I had it last year), and it wasn't too heavy, a touch of ham in it.

I also tried a spoonful of the "Le Crocodile classic" tomato and gin soup (CAD$7.50). It has a wonderful tomato flavour lifted by the gin, making it a refreshing, but also heart-warming soup!

Venison medallions with chanterelles and spatzle

For my starter I had the lobster bisque served with Cognac and topped with creme fraiche and finely chopped chives (CAD$9.50). The flavour was so pungent, though not too rich or thick. Good to the last drop.

Not long afterwards our mains arrived. My friend had the fresh pappardelle pasta served with braised veal cheeks, in a pinot noir reduction and truffle oil (CAD$23). The veal cheeks were so tender a knife was hardly needed to cut through them. The pasta was also delicious, having soaked up the red wine sauce.

I ordered the venison medallions, New Zealand venison that was raised in Duncan, on Vancouver Island, with a rustic chanterelle sauce served with spatzle, an Alsatian/German twisted egg noodle, again perfect to mop up the sauce with.

Fresh pappardelle with braised veal cheeks in a red wine sauce

We heartily enjoyed each bite, appreciating the attention to cooking, the ingredients and the cozy but not too stuffy ambience.

My friend couldn't think of another comparable restaurant in Hong Kong. I suggested perhaps Va Bene in its heyday on D'Aguilar Street, but he wasn't too familiar with the restaurant.

There just aren't many authentic French restaurants, that aren't too formal, and yet not so casual that the staff don't know what they are serving.

We were too full for dessert, but the restaurant still gave us a scoop of delicious pear sorbet accompanied with a giant mint leaf! We also got the signature four chocolate crocodiles.

Refreshing pear sorbet with a mint leaf to finish the meal

I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to walk off the meal! I'm glad my friend had a good impression of the restaurant, and maybe we will start our tradition of meeting up in Vancouver for lunch at Le Crocodile.

Le Crocodile

Suite 100 - 909 Burrard Street

Vancouver

(604) 669 4298

lecrocodilerestaurant.com

Life as a Cruiser

Delicious grilled halibut with polenta was one of the dinners I ate

This blog post was originally written on October 8 but being published now. Thanks for reading!

Today we spent the day at sea and are on our way to Boston. Last night the ship was rolling over the waves and I got a bit seasick! I felt as if I was carsick and tried to get to bed as early as I could to sleep it off.

We went about our day and my brother and sister-in-law took in a tour of the galley kitchens. An interesting fact is that the Queen Mary 2's kitchen staff prepare 15,000 meals a day.

Marinated Peking duck was a bit of East-Meets-West

For breakfast we usually grab something to eat at the buffet area called King's Court, and there's everything from fried eggs to oatmeal, fresh fruit, pancakes and sausages, muesli, yogurt, and today I even saw congee, though it was plain.

In the evenings we dress up for dinner to eat at Britannia Restaurant, where we are served a more formal meal. While the presentation of the dishes isn't exactly refined, churning out thousands of dishes around the same time isn't an easy feat either.

Already missing the fluffy scrumptious scones at afternoon tea

For the most part the food has been fantastic. The salads have always been fresh and crisp, mains are a good portion and on the whole delicious. I particularly liked the vegetable and cashew korma I had last night with popadums.

However, tonight we were disappointed by the grilled lobster tail. We had assumed the crustaceans were ferried on board yesterday from Sydney, Nova Scotia, but we were wrong. Our waiter told us the lobsters had been put in storage at the beginning of the trip and only now were cooked.

That explains why the lobster tails hardly tasted fresh and were soft in texture. While it is understandable the kitchen wanted to save the lobsters for a particularly formal occasion, freshness is of the essence when it comes to seafood and should have been consumed as quickly as possible.

The Indian vegetarian cashew korma was a winner

A good way to make up for it would be to use the shells to make bisque the next day so we wonder if that will happen tomorrow.

I have mostly avoided dessert, though the soufflé with vanilla sauce was pretty good, fluffy and light – not bad again considering hundreds of these are being served around the same time.

This afternoon the Queens Room held not only the traditional afternoon tea but also the tea dance and so it was packed by the time my mom and I arrived after watching a one-hour condensed version of Romeo and Juliet.

Desserts anyone? In the Queens Room

Many people were on the dance floor, while others sat back to enjoy the proceedings. We had to share a table, and sat with a couple from Toronto but were originally from Hong Kong.

I tried to make conversation with them, asking if they were enjoying the cruise. The wife immediately replied that this one wasn't as good as Celebrity Cruises because the ships were newer and the food tasted better.

This made conversation awkward as we thought it was pretty good (again considering how big the ship is), but she and later her husband chimed in that this cruise was more British, meaning it was more formal at dinner, how the ship was old (2004?!) and how it catered more to elderly people.

Um, yes… the vast majority of cruisers are elderly people, and Cunard is known for its Britishness – to separate itself from other cruise companies. Even more so, the Queen Mary 2 is large enough that it doesn't feel crowded which is no easy feat.

The one bad meal -- not fresh lobster tail (right) with shrimp

My mom later told me that cruises on Celebrity are very expensive, practically double the cost of ones on Cunard. So of course if you pay more you get better service…

The wife sat there, her arms folded, as if nothing was good enough for her. She didn't even eat anything, nor did they want to dance. So why be there?

Even though they immigrated to Toronto, they are still very much like Hong Kong people – ones who think they are too good for anything and deserve even more.

Who do these people think they are?

Feting some of the chefs who cook 15,000 meals every day

One wonders where this superior attitude comes from – is it insecurity from being ruled by the British, and now under the Chinese? What about being a bit more appreciative of the most basic things, starting with good health?

Perhaps then Hong Kong people wouldn't be so miserable? While having high standards as a customer challenges the hospitality industry in a good way, never being satisfied seems too extreme…

Stepping Back in Time in Nova Scotia

A picture of the Queen Mary 2 taken from tenders, or small boats to go ashore

This blog entry was written on October 7 but is being published now that I have internet access!

Today we arrived in Sydney, Nova Scotia and we couldn't ask for a more gorgeous day. Our ship, the Queen Mary 2 is very large and there was already a Holland America ship docked at the port, so we had to take tenders, small boats seating 120 people to get to shore. The 15-20 minute ride was fun, as the water was so calm there were hardly any ripples.

Once on shore we wandered around the area near the port, as destinations further away, like the Alexander Graham Bell Museum are several hours' drive by car and we didn't have that much time to explore everything.

One massive fiddle at the terminal!

Sydney was founded in 1785 by Colonel Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres, a Swiss-born Canadian statesman who acted as Lieutenant-Governor of Cape Breton (the regional municipality) from 1784 to 1787.

The town was named after Thomas Townsend, first Baron (later Viscount) Sydney, the British Home Secretary. The first residents were mainly Loyalists who fled after the American Revolution.

In the 19^th century there was an influx of Scottish immigrants, which may explain why kilts are popular here as well as bagpipes and fiddles. Speaking of which, at Sydney Marine Terminal to greet marine visitors there's the world's largest bow and fiddle that are 60 feet tall, made of solid steel and weighs 10 tons.

An apothecary set up in the Jost Heritage House

We visited a few historical sites near the terminal, starting with St Patrick's Church Museum. It's the oldest Roman Catholic church on Cape Breton Island, built in 1828 and was a church until 1950 before being turned into a museum 16 years later.

Inside there are interesting artifacts, from antique playing cards, and Chinoiserie porcelain, to various styles of school desks and old maps.

We next visited the Jost Heritage House on Charlotte Street, that from the outside looks very ordinary and at first we weren't quite sure if we wanted to go in. However, once we walked in and paid CAD$3 admission, we weren't disappointed.

The house was originally built in 1786 and then bought by Thomas Jost, a merchant in 1836 and owned by his descendants until 1971. Jost made his money by opening a general store in the ground floor of his home, and today there's one room themed "apothecary" with all kinds of antique medicines, mortar and pestles, bottles from centuries ago and manuals from that time.

An uncomfortable-looking bed!

One room, the parlour, was considered the best room in the house, and this one had a portrait of Queen Victoria on the wall. Upstairs there was even a shawl displayed that was once owned by her too – she had given it to one of the captains of her bodyguards before he immigrated to Canada.

A bedroom revealed how the beds were made – the bottom was strung vertically and horizontally before laying down the mattress made of straw – talk about easily getting a bad back!

By the bed was a wash basin and pitcher, where water was drawn by a well, and a chamber pot on the floor. That was already considered luxurious as it was an even worse predicament to have to go outside to the outhouse in the middle of the night or in freezing temperatures of 25 below Celsius!

The basement had an interesting display of tools, like an iron, egg beater, candle making equipment, and even an ice cream scoop. There was also an old school wooden contraption to wash clothes in. The instructions said to mix a bit of flour into the water, probably to soak up the oil, then to scrub hard before laying things out to dry. As the Josts had 10 children, there must have been a lot of washing to do…

The minimalist but nice parlour in the Cossit House

We visited another house nearby, the Cossit House that is considered Sydney's oldest house built around 1787. It was the home of Reverend Ranna Cossit, the town's first Anglican minister. He and his wife had 13 children, but 10 survived.

He fled from the American Revolution and was given the house and land. The guide explained that most things were original in the home, like the floorboards and chimneys, while most of the furnishings were from that period.

While there was less to see in this home, the place was well preserved and furniture of good quality. At the back of the home they planted lots of herbs, and there would have been an outhouse and a well.

A peek inside St George's Church

Afterwards we visited St George's Church for British engineers who laid out and surveyed the town in 1784. One of the guides explained that the Queen Mother visited this church in 1967, the year of Canada's centenary and sat in the front row on the right side.

We then went in search for Governors Pub & Eatery for some lobster rolls. The place was already bustling when we got there and we managed to get a table. We promptly ordered lobster rolls (CAD$14.99) and were not disappointed at all!

Unlike the McLobster rolls we had two years ago in Halifax, these were choc full of fresh lobster with little mayo and celery in between a soft long bun that was warm. So good.

The seafood chowder was also excellent, again featuring fresh seafood like haddock, salmon, halibut, shrimp and lobster in a broth that wasn't salty. However the dessert of apple crisp was a tad too much on the sweet side, but loved the extra dose of cinnamon in it.

Delicious lobster rolls for lunch with a salad

We made our way back to the terminal via a wooden walkway along the waterfront. It was a pleasant stroll, except that when we got closer, we could see a massive line for the tenders to get back onto the ship!

When we visited the Jost House, one of the volunteers told us that they were now experiencing summer weather, whereas the summer they had just had was cold and not a lot of rain.

On some real estate agent office windows we saw homes for sale, starting at CAD$32,000! While it must be nice and quiet during the summer (and all the lobster you can eat), the winters must be a real drag.

We enjoyed the gorgeous scenery and beautiful weather

We wonder if we'll get back to Sydney again sometime, as the Alexander Graham Bell Museum would have been interesting, as well as the Marconi National Historic Site, where Guglielmo Marconi sent the world's first trans-Atlantic wireless message from Glace Bay in 1902.

The locals are also very friendly – perhaps because the town doesn't get many visitors except for those traveling through by ship. Nevertheless, we are still thinking of those delicious lobster rolls and hope to sample more on our trip!