(218) Good Food Moments

There are two main groups on earth: those who eat to live and the others who live to eat.

Out of my children, Elizabeth and Michael love to eat. They often count on their fingers what dishes they like from their favorite restaurants. I enjoy good food too, but my memory often zooms in on children and adult's foibles or antics I could not help but observe. They would remind me of food we shared from years past but to be honest, I have forgotten or only vaguely recall with a lot of reminders.

However, there are a few good food moments that I would not forget :-
1. Eating freshly caught prawns in a fishing village near Singapore. My grand ma steamed them and they tasted heavenly. I was six years old, it was the first time my father took me back to his hometown. I have not tasted any better prawns since. For my American readers, prawns are like shrimps but they are slightly different.

2. When I was young, my family was so poor that my brothers and I would only get to eat fish ball noodle only if one of us had fever. I still recall my mum would walk with the healthy children across the main road to buy fifty cents' worth of Teo Chew fish ball noodle soup (rice noodle called kway teo) cooked by a man in a tiny roadside stall. Of course the sick child could hardly swallow much as fever was often caused by sore throat. The rest of us would share and feast over the remainder. As our mother and grandmother would brew Chinese herbal tea often, sicknesses were few and far in between. All the more wonderful when we had a chance to eat the precious noodle.

3. When my husband and I brought the children to the beach, we ate in a small restaurant in Pantai Remis. That was the only time we had a steamed silver pomfret (a delicacy Chinese value in my country) that required no ginger, spring onion nor sesame oil. It was absolutely fresh and sweet.

4. During my last visit, my uncle, auntie and cousin (from China) took us to the famous Sar Hor Fun in Canton. They generously ordered three types of Hor Fun (rice noodle). The best was the noodle in clear soup. I can't quite recall if it was served with meat or fish ball. Neither am I certain if it was pork or beef ball. But what impressed me was the simple soup and the noodle that crunch just the right amount.

So you see, I am a simple eater who enjoy non-sophisticated food.