46 ~ Sunday, December 2, 1990 ~ North Shore News

TRAVEL Occasional

Big Mac makes

foreign food more appealing

TO SOME, the joy of travel is contained in the area be- tween the mouth and the midsection. They ‘travel on their stomachs’ and are first in line for the toasted toad or barbecued buzzard.

Others pack a suitcase full of peanut butter and Ritz, assuming that they can get enough bottled water to wash it down.

I'm somewhere in the middle. Yes, trying local food is a pleasure (no street stands, ever) but I’ve learned one thing about travel — we eat differently at home.and if we try to get enmeshed in the ‘local cuisine’ of many nations, we’re unhappy.

To our family, a Chinese dinner is a pleasure that we save for special occasions. Boxing Day is one of our rituals. I like Italian food, German food, Argentine food, Japanese food, Greek food and name-it. But not every night of the week.

I was warned before | went to Asia that I'd likely hate the food. That’s not true. But how | longed for a plateful of lasagna after my third or fourth Asian dinner.

My recent trip to Hong Kong wes no exception.

One of the most enjoyable meals | had was at an un-named pub where I had an unremarkable grilled ham and cheese sandwich.

I don’t like to draw com- parisons but in this case, I must. Food is a lot cheaper in Hong Kong than in Japan. Perhaps the best comparison is between McDonald’s outlets (where the average tourist runs for a taste of something familiar). Two Big Macs will set you back about $20 CDN in Tokyo if you wash them down with a Coke. In Hong Kong expect to pay roughly the same as here — I stopped in for a glass of orange juice and paid $4.80 H.K. — under $1 CDN.

My best advice to visitors to Hong Kong is to balance Chinese meals with something else. You’li enjoy the food much more if it isn’t every meal of the day.

Now, for the best meal I had in Hong Kong. I'd recommend this place to anyone. Try the Golden Leaf in the new Conrad Hotel (Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Hong Kong). The hotel has been open just a couple of months — we stayed there and I'd recom- mend it for that, too, providing you’re ready to book bottom- drawer accommodation.

The menu prices for the Golden Leaf are moderate compared to what we'd pay here for a top-line Chinese dinner — for example, Honey-giazed barbecued pork comes in at about $8 CDN,

The service is wonderful, the setting new and immaculate and from almost anyplace in Hong Kong Island you can get to the Conrad for about $2 CDN cab fare.

I wish I knew what ‘style’ of food we ate during different meals in Hong Kong. On the rare occa- sions when Eve eaten at Chinese banquets here, rice was served first, last and always. In Hong Kong, almost every meal began with various small bowls or plat- ters of shellfish, other fish and then progressed to soup. Ten courses later, along came the rice and/or noodles but never the

Barbara McCreadie

BUDGET BEATERS

plain, boiled white rice that } en-

joy as an accompaniment to every course. Curious.

A trip to Hong Kong ought to include an evening visit to Lamma Island and one of the various seafood restaurants clustered around the dock. It’s a favorite destination of residents — there’s probably 25 individual restau- rants, all hanging over the water- front, protected by a roofed ar- cade and various shutters and draperies when the wind gets up. Have your hotel make a reserva- tion for you and send you off ina cab for the ferry (it doesn’t run too often, just a few times in an evening so don’t miss the trip).

The ferry trip is something else ~— rickety old boats, but a wonderful 45-minute look at the Hong Kong skyline by night.

One caution: if you don’t care for the smell of the ocean at low tide and various other odors, you may not like Lamma Island. The seafood is swimming in tanks so you know it’s not right out of the drain.

The absolute worst meal I had in Hong Kong was at the new Middle Kingdom, a re-created col- lection of Chinese historical stuff. It’s out in Aberdeen and ! refuse to give you directions in case you waste your time visiting. But, whatever vou do don't eat there.

We got jucky and picked up a warning before we wasted our time at a famous floating restau- rant, Jumbo. To give you some idea, it seats about 3,000 people. For some reason, visitors flock to the place. If you want to have a fook at it, go in for a beer and get out fast.

Off the subject of food for a minute... the Aberdeen dock where Jumbo is moored is where you can pick up an inexpensive ride by sampan around the famous floating village of the bout peopie. I’ve been told that the Nifestyle is dying out and many have moved to dry Jand. See it soon before it’s extinct. For in- formation: tel: 3-3116111. Aber- deen is on the south side of Hong Kong Island and you can get there by cab or bus.

The boats are scruffy but the people look healthy and happy. While we cruised through, several housewives were buying fresh produce from rowboats and there was a booming business going on ata group of docked boats, ‘a supermarket’'?

Many of the boats have resident dogs. They all look the same, sort of a chow type, but I don’t think

See Boat page 47

The businesses below have generously offered to act as depots for

a donations. Donations by cheque can be made directly to: 2

West Van Santa Claus Fund PO. Box 91114

The North Van Christmas Bureau

PO. Box 86081 North Vancouver, BC. V7L 4J5 West Vancouver, BC. V7V 3N3

Stood toys eash

All three donations may be made at:

North Shore Credit Union Lonsdale Quay Market 1100 Lonsdale 1247 Ross 123 Carrie Cates Court

4080 Marine Dr. 3131 Edgemont North Shore News

399 N. Dollarton Park Royal South 1139 Lonsdale Ave.

S food

Non-perishable food items only. Please give before December 15.

NORTH VANCOUVER

Capilano Suspension Bridge 3735 Capilano Road

Queen’s Cross Pub

A Shade Better 5880 Lansdale

1705 Marine Drive

Beaver Lumber Grouse Mountain Save-On-Foods . 915 West ist 6400 Nancy Greene Way Park & Tilford a Buy Low Foods North Shere Winter Club Stong’s

415 Dollarton Hwy.

1325 Keith Road Lynn Valley Centre

NV. District Municipal Hall 355 West Queens

730 West 14th

2996 Lonsdale

WEST VANCOUVER

Pharmasave Windsor Meats Caulfeild Village 1810 Marine Drive

Stong’s Dundarave | Woodward’s Foods 2491 Marine Drive Park Royal North

oS toys

Please drop off any new or nearly new toys to any firehall on the North Shore. Toys should be clean and in good condition.

THE VOICE OF NORTH AND WEST VANCOUVER

north shore

For more information: North Van Christmas Bureau 984-8027

West Van Santa Claus Fund Ps] 922-4537, 922-6522 after Dec. 3 %

~

GIVE HERE. |

Sussex Realty 4