I had an epiphany while standing in the buffet line of Hong Kong restaurant in Sulphur on Tuesday: I have no idea who I am. It was quite the deep thought to have while holding a spoonful of steaming pepper chicken over my plate. I guess you can say life’s greatest mysteries rarely present themselves at opportune times.
As I held up the line, lost in thought, I had to ask myself — am I truly an adult of the millennial generation? Is my existence solely based on instant gratification? Do I prefer endless food options, not because I need them but because I want them?
Or am I a traditional young Southern gentleman and patience is my virtue? Do I appreciate the passage of time when meals are prepared slowly because I know life is wonderful and deserves my full attention? Would I rather move at a snail’s pace and have limited meal options for the sake of simplicity?
I don’t know.
Pepper chicken wasn’t going to answer this question for me. Alone. It wouldn’t answer it alone, I mean. So I piled some orange chicken, a few pieces of sushi, and an egg roll to my plate to, you know, help me get deep into the thought process.
Hong Kong Restaurant, at 2009 Ruth St., feeds into my modern urge to have everything immediately. The location’s buffet is one of the more popular in Sulphur and it offers all of the popular items from traditional takeout shops. Everything from crispy egg rolls, classic California rolls, varying forms of fried rice and noodles, vegetable mixtures, and even Chinese dumplings are there for the taking.
The only thing limited at Hong Kong is the size of the plate. And even that can be adjusted if you get creative — just start stacking food like a pyramid.
The natural impulse for a buffet diner is to grab everything right off that bat because the spicy shrimp, the beef and broccoli, and the sesame chicken are all at your fingertips. And honestly, I’m not really complaining about it.
My favorite items at the buffet had to be the pepper chicken, grilled green beans, the fresh pot stickers, and a version of tiny spicy chicken.
Each of the chicken items were tender, crunchy on the outside and are packed with flavor. Hong Kong manages to put full cuts of vegetables into the dishes which the chicken soaks up in ways that only add to the overall taste.
The dumplings, or pot stickers as some people call them, are amazing. Each dumpling is carefully wrapped with a thin sheet of dough and cooked to perfection. It’s hard to tell whether Hong Kong chooses to steam or lightly fry or just boil the dumplings, but either way, they come out perfect. The meat and vegetable filling inside is tender and packed with natural oils.
The restaurant’s vegetables are surprisingly crisp and fresh, especially for a buffet place. The green beans are tender while still having a snap. The broccoli as a side item were lightly seasoned with sweet glaze and steamed until the tops were tender.
The great thing about Hong Kong is that while it takes risks in some areas of the buffet, it still makes sure to do the simple things right. For example, the fried rice is without a doubt one of the best options on the menu. It’s light, airy and accompanies any dish perfectly. I added to it some shrimp mixed with fried onions. The rice served as the perfect foundation.
So, back to the question that had me stumped for a while at Hong Kong — who am I? The give-it-to-me-now millennial or the slow paced Southerner without a care in the world?
I think the answer is a little bit of both. I like having endless options like at a buffet, but I also enjoy taking my time while trying to figure out what I want to eat. There’s a delicate balance that exists in a buffet and I think I walk it well, for the most part. Occasionally I may go crazy if I see there are multiple containers of egg rolls. And yes, maybe I do sometimes throw a fit if a warming tray of something I like goes empty before I can get to it. But then I also am good at patiently waiting for more food items to be brought out. And I always stroll leisurely around the buffet station, never in a hurry, so I can easily let older people and children go ahead of me.
Honestly, who knows where I truly stand with all this. All I know is that I’m a buffet lover and Hong Kong has one of the best. Maybe I’ll go back soon and try to figure it all out again. Those heaping amounts of deliciousness always help me get the brain going. Or maybe that’s just what I tell myself because at Hong Kong, never has pondering life’s mysteries been more delicious.
---
Find Justin B. Phillips on Twitter and Facebook.
from American Press: Your Best News And Advertising Source - Home http://ift.tt/2bRCWyC
0 التعليقات:
Post a Comment