Hongkong…One might remember Hongkong for various reasons or some for just one reason. I don't need to tell what that is…
But I remember for just one reason. One dish that landed on my plate in a Chinese restaurant. As many of you must have experienced, people in Hongkong seldom converse in English.
The moment you approach anyone enquiring about something in English, they panic and move away telling “ No English…No English”. A railway station is called a Metro, likewise, many such places are addressed differently confusing us.
Back to my Dish. On the first day in Hongkong me and my Cinematographer after a frantic search for Indian restaurants, land up in this Chinese restaurant. The menu was only in Chinese, so asked our waiter “ Can anyone speak English? ”
A beautiful-looking girl came up to us. And we asked her what she would suggest for breakfast. And she went nonstop reciting Chinese names of food and we were clueless as to what those dishes were. And just then the table next to us was served with mouth-watering hot Rolls.
Solving our linguistic problem, I immediately pointed to that rolls and ordered two plates for us. She smiled in relief and in few minutes got us two plates of the roll. And man, it was the delicious roll I had in my life. So soft so crunchy, we decided to ask the name of the dish written on a piece of paper. As we paid at the counter, I pointed to the bill and asked the Chinese guy the name of the dish. The Chinese cooly pointed at something behind him. We froze seeing it.
There were huge bottles lined up with various types of snakes inside in some liquid. I could feel snakes crawling in my stomach. It took six bottles of beer to come out of that creepy feeling.
Deciding that never again I will not even vegetable rolls, We landed up for dinner offered by the Chinese Studio Chief. And what do you think was served. Same Delicious Snake rolls served by his wife with so much love.
Seeing no other option for food and not to hurt the feelings of our host, we ate it almost disgust. Every bite, when my tooth sank on the flesh of the snake…don't have words to describe that.
And when we were about to leave, The chief proudly said that his whole family was Vegans. Take aback I asked him, what was it that we just had.
He grinned and said “ Vegetable rolls….”
