My "Bing Sutt" Experience

A cuppa Hong Kong style milk tea this morning

In a follow-up to yesterday's blog post about the "bing sutt" in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, this morning I arrived early and there wasn't much of a line.

Some exhibitors or visitors to Vinexpo, the wine and spirits fair, ordered a western breakfast or wanted an espresso or coffee to take away (which cost extra for a disposable cup). It's interesting they were not keen on trying something different, or they didn't get the concept.

I perused the menu and you could order snacks like braised chicken wing with sweet soy sauce (HK$50 for four pieces), or two mini pineapple buns with butter (HK$28), or three mini egg tarts (HK$30). It's a pity those overseas visitors didn't know what those things were to even try them. Or there was no one there to explain what they were, or visuals.

Since I already had breakfast, I had a cup of Hong Kong style milk tea for a whopping HK$30. It's usually less than that, but it's a captive audience here. I had a "booth" to myself and enjoyed the view while drinking the milk tea that wasn't too sweet.

The "tiles" on the walls and floor of the "bing sutt" were actually computer print outs, but they looked pretty good from a distance. Other decorations were real, like the wooden birdcage (no birds in it).

Nevertheless, the caffeine in the milk tea wasn't too strong because after I finished it and walked towards the seminar I was attending, two friends had to wave frantically at me to catch my attention!

Anyway I still had fun having a sanitized experience in this "bing sutt", a quiet moment to myself before the chaos of the day...

Picture of the Day: Temporary Bing Sutt

People at Vinexpo enjoying a bite to eat and a drink in a "bing sutt"

A large wine and spirits fair called Vinexpo is on right now in Hong Kong. It's a three-day event for people in the industry -- for wine producers to showcase their latest products, and for wholesalers, restaurants and hotels to see what will fit on their wine lists.

The show is being held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and just outside the hall is a temporary "bing sutt" -- literally an "ice room", but is actually a traditional cold drinking house. They are the predecessor to the cha chaan teng, with its small tiled floors, hanging fans and folding chairs and menu items plastered on the walls.

Here the Hong Kong Tourism Board recreated one -- and it's a neat way to showcase local food culture for visitors overseas. They can have milk tea, a pineapple bun and a bowl of wonton noodles without having to go outside and deal with language issue.

The only fault here? The line was too long to even get a bite to eat -- which is the point of a bing sutt -- to be able to grab a quick snack and drink. That's because inside the exhibition hall there was no cafeteria to be found to buy a sandwich or even drinks.

When I was here yesterday I didn't have time (or the patience) to wait in line so I ate the power bar I happened to have with me and didn't eat some dumplings until I got back to the office at 4.30pm.

Maybe if I go early enough tomorrow I can finally try something in this "bing sutt"...