A Covered Food Market Experience
You don't have to walk very far in Hong Kong until you encounter a rather large, ugly, industrial-looking building made of grey brick with open doorways and escalators. These are multi-storied government buildings that house indoor markets of several kinds. Local vendors sell raw meats, fruit, vegetables and often flowers. Sometimes, there are even live animals inside, i.e. chicken and fish.
On another floor, you will find a cooked food market, which is more like a food court without any chain restaurants. In the Java Road Covered Food Market in North Point, the entire top floor consists of just one restaurant, and dining there is an interesting experience for sure. It was even visited by traveling foodie Anthony Bourdain, or so I've been told, but I can't seem to find any video clips, etc. to prove it.
Although I used to live about five minutes from this market, I had never been inside until last Saturday evening for a group dinner. I knew that the food would probably be good, as local places always are, but I did not expect such a unique dining atmosphere as well.
Like all Chinese places here, the restaurant dishes come in portions for sharing. There is a giant Lazy Susan in the middle of each table to provide better access to the food for everyone at the table. But, instead of drinking beer out of glasses, you pour it into nicely chilled ceramic bowls. And, the owner can even open a beer bottle cap with a single chopstick!
That is not his only party trick, however. As the evening turns into night, pop music is turned up on the restaurant's stereo. Then, you don't have to wait long before the owner is dancing away between the tables, moonwalking to some Michael Jackson (in rubber boots!) and encouraging his audience to clap along to 'We Will Rock You'.
As for the food itself, it is worthy of Anthony Bourdain's praise, at least in my opinion. Every dish we ordered was delicious, but the pepper-encrusted fish pieces served with hard toast and the rice cooked with mushrooms and chicken in palm leaves were the highlights. The calamari was great, too, and the fried prawns were enormous. I should have taken more pictures, but I was too busy eating.
On another floor, you will find a cooked food market, which is more like a food court without any chain restaurants. In the Java Road Covered Food Market in North Point, the entire top floor consists of just one restaurant, and dining there is an interesting experience for sure. It was even visited by traveling foodie Anthony Bourdain, or so I've been told, but I can't seem to find any video clips, etc. to prove it.
Although I used to live about five minutes from this market, I had never been inside until last Saturday evening for a group dinner. I knew that the food would probably be good, as local places always are, but I did not expect such a unique dining atmosphere as well.
Like all Chinese places here, the restaurant dishes come in portions for sharing. There is a giant Lazy Susan in the middle of each table to provide better access to the food for everyone at the table. But, instead of drinking beer out of glasses, you pour it into nicely chilled ceramic bowls. And, the owner can even open a beer bottle cap with a single chopstick!
That is not his only party trick, however. As the evening turns into night, pop music is turned up on the restaurant's stereo. Then, you don't have to wait long before the owner is dancing away between the tables, moonwalking to some Michael Jackson (in rubber boots!) and encouraging his audience to clap along to 'We Will Rock You'.
As for the food itself, it is worthy of Anthony Bourdain's praise, at least in my opinion. Every dish we ordered was delicious, but the pepper-encrusted fish pieces served with hard toast and the rice cooked with mushrooms and chicken in palm leaves were the highlights. The calamari was great, too, and the fried prawns were enormous. I should have taken more pictures, but I was too busy eating.
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