Lunch at Tasty Congee

The next day, we ended up for late lunch at IFC. As I had recalled correctly, most restaurants at IFC closed at 2pm onwards till it was time to serve dinner.

So we strolled towards the other wing where the airport express station was, in search for Crystal Jade which I remembered was an all day dining. We must have gone one level too high because we were welcomed by another large restuarant called "Tasty Congee and Noodle". We took a number since it was only a 15mins wait while Crystal jade below us was signifcantly a longer Q.

My husband returned from his "scouting" and the staff sorting the Q called out to him in recognition. My partner was obviously had a cloud of confusion all over his face. It wasnt like 20mins after we had sat down, that my very forgetful husband remembered the staff. He was the same staff who had been working at the Happy Valley branch where my husband used to patronised regularly at least 8years ago when he was working here. Talk about good memory for the staff! So they chatted for awhile while I tend to the food that came pretty quickly.

My husband's congee was alright but the half chicken dish was less than satisfactory. My wanton and prawn shrimp dumping were also a let down, small, untasty and gone in a flash. I would recommend anyone to just stick to eating their congee. However, their warm soya bean milk in a large bowl was a delight and for me who has been so deprived in Sydney of a GOOD soya milk, this is heavenly!!

The interior decor was very oriental and I have to say I like their chair. The base was exquisite I must say for a common restaurant. Set the impression for tourists I supposed.

One table of customers caught my attention. It was 2 female adults, accompanied by a maid and a granny in a wheel chair. It was their first request to sit away from the aircon vent to avoid chill for the granny that first caught my ears. Public Piety in HK seemed uncommon. So they were moved to a booth seat and as I continued to look on, I was even more astounded. One of the lady whipped out a stool from a pastic bag (somewhere from the wheelchair), and the granny started laughing. I didnt know what was going on. The maid took the red plastic stool and placed it under granny's feet. Eureka! Granny's legs were too short and so they actually brought a stool for her to rest on!

I observed Granny throughout lunch. She was visbily happy. I told my husband the encounter and call me a bloody cynic because I said "While I believed in chinese strong fillial piety, I have never seen it in such extreme caringness. If I didnt know better, I would say that granny is a rich woman and if money "buys" such warmth and care before u turn to ashes, I say good for her." My husband laughed in agreement. Afterall, many HK people no stranger to "No money, No talk" attitude.

Of course all the things about granny being rich and the 2 daughters or in law eyeing her inheritance is nothing but my own conjuring for my own personal amusement. I am actually happy for granny. I told my husband she seemed genuinely happy, and at the same time reminded him, a scene like this is even rarer than finding gold in Sydney. I couldnt even rely on my husband's 2 sisters and Kwai-Loh husbands to organise a decent mother's day nor birthday lunch for their own mother/in law , least of all expect them to remember a red stool in future when my mother in law gets old.