So I took the train home last night and after the morning’s commute in via the ferry, the hot, sticky crowded station full of grumpy sweaty would-be passengers seemed extra-depressing. By the time I slogged through the heat to get to North Station, it was so jam packed that I gave up trying to press through the crowd and took a spot near the McDonald’s. The 6:10 was called 5 minutes after it was scheduled to leave the station and I noticed a couple of people who looked too purposeful to be tourists taking photos of the swarming crowd with professional-looking cameras. I think they were taking photos for the story linked to in the headline of this post.
By the time I made it home, I was too exhausted to do anything but pop the cap on a beer and wait for my husband to come home after picking up the baby. We had made plans to go out to eat at Fresh Taste of Asia because they had outdoor seating, which I have found is the best solution for taking a baby to a restaurant, at least in the summer. Usually you can sit near the edge of the sidewalk and park the stroller so it’s out of the way.
Fresh Taste does a great job living up to its name. We decided to go with the traditional Chinese Restaurant Experience with tropical drinks (the Zombie), scallion pancakes, an order of rice and two entrees to share; the Broccoli with Garlic Sauce and the Home Style Tofu. The drinks were larger than the ones I was used to from the Kowloon and a lot more potent. It had an aftertaste that reminded me of rubbing alcohol but in a good way. On top of the beer and combined with the heat, I knew I had to visit the restroom while I could still negotiate my way through the restaurant without making too much of a fool of myself.
The ladies room was a pleasant experience and when I got back to the table, serendipitously the scallion pancakes had arrived. They were a big improvement over the flat, tough greasy ones I was used to getting at a takeout palace. This was a big doughy silky righteous pancake cut into 8 pieces. It was so good I almost didn't have room for the entrees and I felt bad since the Broccoli & Garlic was so good and peppery that I really wanted to eat it all right there. It was such a warm night that everyone was out walking around and as we sat back under the Christmas light-festooned trees, slurping our Zombies and stuffing our faces, I could have convinced myself that we were in a restaurant in Hanoi. (Not as grim as it sounds, Hanoi has sections that are almost glamorous.)
All said, I think we've found our Kowloon right in our own backyard, minus the tiki room and the colored fountains,even though the Essex Street fountain outside Rockafellas is a pretty good substitute.
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