A trio of roast ducks at Maxim's MX.
On our very first morning spent in Hong Kong, we opted for breakfast at Maxim's MX. Listed as a "fast food outlet", the dining environment here was very orderly (read: lacking in personality) in comparison to the less-modernised breakfast stalls and restaurants in the area. I hate to sound like a snobby foodist, but I personally would have preferred to eat at one of those more authentic (and chaotic places), if only to soak up some of the local flavour and atmosphere. However, MX was chosen in concession to the younger children we were travelling with, who baulked at the idea of perching on cracked stools eating beef liver and pork intestines for brekkie. Their loss!
Picture perfect siu mei...to the point of looking too perfect.
I ordered a 'tasting bowl' of the siu mei on offer. There was roast goose, roast duck, char siu pork, red sausage, and half a salted duck egg, served with cabbage and rice. Let's just say it looked better on the picture menu. The amount of food given was paltry, and the various animal proteins quite shrivelled and, um, pathetic looking.
The 'six meats' combo.
My fellow diners opted for spaghetti bolognese. Kids being kids :D
I swear I was not this picky as a child; the little person who ordered this dish wouldn't even touch the egg! I ate it for her, since I was still hungry after my own meal. Urgh.
An eating opportunity wasted! This sentiment was felt particularly keenly when I later spotted some of the real siu mei places. Check out the gorgeous flesh on offer:
For $25 HK, this quarter of a roast duck is yours!
Beautifully plump birds.
Not to worry - shortly after parting ways with the rest of my travelling companions (they wanted to go shopping; I preferred sight-seeing), I went looking for alternative means of filling my stomach. There was much to choose from!
Lookee, it's Tony Bourdain! Or, an article featuring him, at least. These days, I travel with at least one Bourdain text tucked in my backpack.
A selection of take-away hot meals.
Various casserole-style dishes.
Deep-fried goodies for those who like to start off the day with a hefty dose of grease and carbs.
Perhaps a few egg tarts? Or...a whole pizza.
I eventually stumbled upon a stall selling the usual variety of Hong Kong hawker snack foods - skewers of beef and fish balls, deep-fried vegetables, animal entrails, etc.
Skewers! So many of them!
Also available were waffles, both in the traditional "waffle iron" grid pattern, as well as the Hong Kong style egg waffle (known as the "eggette". Which I decided to try!
The HK style egg waffle (eggette) is made using a special mould.
I ate this with a sense of child-like glee. It was fun breaking off the individual balls of waffle, and then eating it one by one. The best thing about this kind of waffle, in my opinion, is the still-soft interiors of the crispy spheres.
Crispy exterior. (Excuse my gross-looking hand).
Fluffy interior!
I also had a skewer of jellied pig ears. The crunch from the cartilage was delightful. As was the thick, sweet and salty sauce. Which dripped on my shoe, of course.
Pig ear skewer.
I finished off my second breakfast with a bowl of beef offal and turnip in broth. I think what I was eating was liver, lung, intestine and tripe.
Eating this was like exploring a treasure trove. I kept uncovering different bits of offal.
Fatty, delicious intestine.
After this...I finally felt full :D
It was time to go exploring!
A Toblerone double-decker bus!!! Why don't we have these in Sydney? :D
For Part 1 of my Hong Kong adventures, click here.
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