Yau Ma Tei

Stan wanted to go buy some kitchen equipment so I agreed to follow him to Yau Ma Tei.  There's an area around Shanghai street that is famous for its stores full of kitchen equipment for both commercial and home kitchens.  We walked around for a few hours and found what we needed and other stuff that we definitely didn't need.  I found for myself a large cast iron grill, something I had always wanted.

As we walked around Yau Ma Tei, we were both a bit surprised by how quiet it was.  The protests in Hong Kong had been going on for months now, and the impact on the streets was very obvious.  Areas that should have been bustling and busy were deserted.  It felt at times like we were in the film "Inception", walking down an empty street.

Eventually we found an area that had a bit more life.  We walked into the Yau Ma Tei fruit and vegetable market to stock up on some supplies.  Produce was cheaper than normal and even though it was lively, it was still far less busy than it normally would be.

As it got later, we decided to get some dinner.  We weren't too far away from some of Yau Ma Tei's famous claypot rice restaurants.  The lines at these restaurants used to go around the block.  Now, the restaurants are half empty.  The loss of the mainland Chinese tourists has hit these restaurants hard.

We ate our fill of the fragrant rice.  Cooked slowly over coals, the top if fluffy and the bottom develops a crispy crust.  There's an almost roasted flavour to the rice that always goes well with the various meats and condiments you chose to top it.

I felt bad for the wait staff.  They seemed a bit sadder than normal.  I could only imagine the stress that they must be going through in this period with the potential loss of income and employment from these difficult times.