Sunday, June 27, 2010

Home cooking dishes for the Rich 富豪的家常小菜

There were times I went to dinners with some rich tycoons. We went to those famous "canteens" or xxx club houses for the riches. There they asked the captain to get them some home cooking dishes (寫幾碟家常小菜). After a while, a team of waiters came in serving a big pot of shark's fins, steamed "east star" garoupa, 2-3 head abalone....etc. So the rich guy giving that order was freaked out and called the captain "do you eat all these at home everyday? I said home cooking dishes. A soup of veggie/pork. Stir fried veggie, steamed snapper...etc.". Take them out now!". So 20 min. later, they came in and serve the ordered ones. There it came something extra. The veggie/pork soup is in a shark's fin chicken soup base. Stir fried veggie with some abalone slices. The steamed snapper with middle part of Chinese golden ham and top grade Japanese "flower" mushroom. Wow the rich guy was so furious and threw all those dishes onto the window. Well the room was filled with soup, veggie, fish chunks....

Those people in that "canteen" really don't know the rich people would want something simple and basic sometimes. Off the business, some of those rich people are just ordinary people who feel like getting something that remind them of their old tough time before they get rich. Those short-sighted captains/waiters should know if they really read the mind of that rich guy, they could get more tipping than from serving shark's fins. That's also why Cathay Pacific has a rice cooker on board and serve fresh steam rice in first class, as well as steamed rice roll/congee for the breakfast. In return, the rich people enjoy so much flying on CX first class.

1/2. Went to a special place which I can't explicitly disclose it but you can find some hint on the photo. This canteen is pretty nice. Quite surprised this place serve these quality stir fried home cooking dishes. Yummy!

15 comments:

Thailand Club said...

why couldn't disclose? u went to the mi6 canteen or Bin Laden cage for dinner? hahaha

in the sea said...

I would be flattered if I could go to canteen like mi6's and I stay neutral to comment on Bin Laden. :)

Paranoid Android said...

Wooh... What a waste of good food. The MI6 canteen sounds so clandestine. I have heard a lot of these private messes serving good food in HK, but I guess it is out of bounds for commoners like me. :D

Stella said...

Who was that rich guy who threw those good food out?
Next time please tell me so I will wait to catch the food.
But you are very correct. Sometime simple home cooking dishes are nice.
If you eat shark fin soup or abalone everyday then you will get tired of it and don't appreciate it.

in the sea said...

Android, supposed I can't go to this secluded canteen but just went there by following my friends. Each dish is at around HK$35-50. This "water morning glory" stir fried with squid is very nice. Very fresh squid.

I just came to recall on one of an earlier post the term of "water morning glory" was discussed. Actually this one is the real "water" "water morning glory" 水通菜 and the thinner and greener one is "dry" 'water morning glory" 旱通菜 which is very popular in Thai stir fried dishes.

SS, just at that time that rich guy really wanted some family cooking dishes. The other time he still took abalone, garoupa...etc. We ate abalone in the lunch time almost every other day back then. So for me at that time, I didn't feel it's a waste, as I prefer eating western food. Sometimes the riches don't talk about money but the feeling when they have much much enough.

Most important point is that we need to see the way of the rich person to get rich. If they get rich all of a sudden from certain things, they wouldn't want to care about their old time. However, if they get rich by working hard and making their way to fortune, they would miss their old time and something simple and basic. At least 50% of them may be.

Thailand Club said...

Stella, need not to ask who is that used-to-be tycoon, as he is not anymore (so throwing food and spoil our temper is definitely no good)

hahaha, Sea, didn't u already eat at a mi6 similar canteen in HK although job details may be different :-)

in the sea said...

Actually that used-to-be tycoon (I guess you know) wasn't the one I told in this real story though that guy did throw food and things easily. This person in this real story is still very very rich. I'll tell you later separately.

Stella said...

OK, I would like to know who are the two throwing dish tycoons one in past tense and one in present tense.
Sea, you are lucky always eating with those rich people and see the throwing show.
Also you are lucky to eat abalone all the times.
Nest time I only need to treat you salty fish and green veggie then to balance your diet. He he.

Anonymous said...

i think because those rich people have some other pressure. then when they want to eat meal like home they don't get the home cooking. they can be very very angry and made things like that. very strange when we all want to eat abalone, we can't eat it often. but when rich people want to eat home food, they can't even they have money.

Anonymous said...

i also think sea not tell who they are. he just want to tell some restaurant are not smart to know the rich people what they want. rich is not mean they eat rich food every day.

Mickey Mouse said...

Yes, rich people need not to eat the wasting-of-food way everyday. One of my super rich Taiwanese tycoon customers, she told me normally they eat pork belly rice (NT$50) on roadside, with her Benz 500 coupe pull on the side.

in the sea said...

Anonymous 3:50pm, to most of the rich, what you said is right. They are under some pressure that we don't know; so it's natural they resent this to the others when they feel those people don't read their mind. In this world, very few can handle this. At least one left half year ago.

in the sea said...

Yes, Mr. Mouse, quite many rich Taiwanese eat those roadside snacks, even singers or artists (the latter would ask their assistants to buy).

Stella said...

Having pressure does not mean one shall throw things. You and I and everyone else has pressure too, but not everyone throws out thing. This just shows the EQ or the "sau yeung" of that person. There are different kinds of rich people too.
Yes, street food is very delicious and even the rich and famous are attracted to it.
Glad that not only expensive food is good but cheap food can be good too.

in the sea said...

Sometimes it depends on how each person expresses their anger. We may express it in eating, shopping, cooking, working out...etc. So in this case, they are throwing. :)