Don’t Eat The Lemon Dessert Soup

May 6: Ferries from either Aberdeen or Central regularly depart for Lamma Island (I leave from nearby Aberdeen). Aberdeen Harbor was once home to Hong Kong’s boat people, fishermen and traders who spent most of their lives aboard their floating homes. Thanks to the government, public housing projects have relocated this socio-economic/ethnic group to land, while the area surrounding Aberdeen Harbor (Ap Lei Chau in articlar) has been transformed under the shadow of the South Horizons residential towers. Some lingering junks in the harbor suggest what used to be.




I arrive at Pak Kok San Tsuen, pass expat villas overlooking the sea, then walk the easy, paved “family trail” to Yung Shue Wan. There, excellent-looking seafood shops line the main street, and a pleasant beach overlooks a massive power plant. I take my time, about an hour and a half, to reach Sok Kwu Wan and the ferry home. On the way, I pass WW II “kamikaze grottos” (which would have been used by the Japanese military to stage suicide boat missions against U.S. battleships – had the war not ended first) and plenty of beautiful scenery.








From the mountain, I catch a glimpse of Sok Kwu Wan. The ramshackle town of restaurants is surrounded by fishing boats and aquatic breeding farms. Seaweed covers the nearby beach. An old woman collects a pile of this green muck into her boat.







One of the many seafood joints, The Lamma Mandarin Seafood Restaurant (which seems identical to the alternatives) offers a great view of the harbor and reasonably priced fare. It’s still a bit expensive ($100 HK) for me, while the set meals for larger groups offer a better bargain. I order set #1: fried shrimp with black pepper, deep-fried squid with sweet and sour sauce, steamed jumbo scallops, Lamma seasonal vegetables (thank God it’s not the seaweed!) and fried rice with sliced vegetables.



I don’t remember the menu listing a “lemon dessert soup” on the menu. Even so, the waiter sets down a bowl of “lemon soup” down next to my final dish. After finishing the solid food, I look at the soup. I pick up the bowl, and I take a drink. Totally bland! Just like water. Hmmmm… Maybe, this isn’t for eating... The bowl sits on top of a towel, which also seems strange. ...Why would a waiter put food on the table if it weren’t meant for eating?

I’m thirsty. I pick up the bowl and gulp the liquid.

I hear people laughing.

I call Joyce by cell phone. “Ya, that’s for washing your hands….”

The last ferry from Sok Kwu Wan to Aberdeen has departed, so I wait for the next boat to Central.

I leave behind the snickering restaurant staff.