“Cooked food center” might not have the most appetizing ring to it, but these places (“dai pai dong” in Cantonese), which were created to give street vendors a more, um, sanitary environment in which to work their woks, are loads of fun.
I had been to the one on Java Road before, to the spot in the middle of the massive call called Dim Siu Yi, and I was very happy to go back, particularly considering there would be ten of us. More people, more food to try.
In these situations, I happily put myself in the hands of the resident hosts, who know what’s good and how much of it to get.
There was crisp roast chicken, shrimp showered in masses of fried garlic and ginger, hot mapo doufu (a Sichuan tofu dish that I loooooove)…
…fried fish pungent with black pepper, vegetables in a nest of noodles, addictive fried rice, and plenty of very cold beer.
All for about $25 US per head, baby wipes included.
Dim Siu Yi in the cooked food center at 99 Java Rd., North Point +852 2893 9393
See more of my recent photos from Hong Kong on Flickr
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Deep Dish Dreams and e婷 / e_ting / e*ting, Barbra Austin. Barbra Austin said: Hong Kong: Crispy chicken and baby wipes. http://bit.ly/hPpXFE [...]
Love the baby wipes. What a great idea. Practical and esthetically pleasing.
[...] to a story on CNNGo, there are only 28 licensees left. Many dai pai dongs are now housed in cooked food centers, and some have been transformed into proper indoor restaurants, which have different licensing [...]
Food looks just as amazing as the price tag! Plus, who wouldn’t want to dine where you can get baby wipes at the end of the meal?
[...] there was more on the table, along with sliced fresh chilis, sambal, and a box of tissues. (Not baby wipes.) We had ferns, too, or midins. These curled stems are ubiquitous in Sarawak cooking, and taste as [...]
Nice foods. I love eating.