The coast is clear, the Chinese New Year festivities are over and it's time to hit Chinatown for some char siu pao and cup of tea. Minor problem - my eating buddy Rose, (Remember the mutt China girl?), prefers coffee.
It was eerie. Chinatown looked like a ghost town, the sidewalks of the once crammed Canal Street were free of the usual street vendors peddling fake designer bags and watches. There was no more weaving in and out of the crowd of tourists each wanting to have a piece of China's knockoffs. Shops that used to have built-in hideaway tables of cheap imitations of Cartier, Movado, Prada or Louis Vuitton were shut down.
What's left of them are signs on the doors such as Closed for Violations or Restraining Orders. It's a good thing that the Mayor is taking steps to crack down on the sale of these counterfeit goods but I couldn't believe I actually miss the hustle and bustle of this place. At the same time I'd also like to see a clean-up and rehabilitation of many parts of Chinatown much the same way as the "Disneyfication" of Times Square by Mayor Giuliani or was it Ed Koch?
Back to our tea. After our lunch of steamed buns (char siu pao), a few pieces of dumplings (siu mai) and coffee, we headed towards the wet market to get some fresh fruits. The lobsters and the King Crab legs were so cheap, I was tempted to buy some but I couldn't see myself carrying them on the train. I might end up all by myself in one car.
On our way, we stopped at the famous TenRen Tea and Ginseng store on Mott Street. This is heaven for the discriminating tea lover. All sorts of fine teas are sold and at all price ranges. We even sampled a fresh cup of Oolong which I found too bitter. The storekeeper offered to prepare for us a lighter one but by this time we've had enough, so we declined. Also sold are an assortment of teapots beautifully displayed under lock and key. They were not cheap either.
For the Chinese, tea is a pastime, it is a culture. It is not uncommon to see men hanging around our favorite place Mei Lai Wah, just chatting and drinking tea. And they could stay there for hours, I was told. By the way, I swear this place sells the best char siu pao, customers buy them by the dozen. Highly recommended and very clean! The place was recently renovated.
Coffee, tea or whatever your pleasure, it is delightful to just take it easy especially on a pleasant 50-degree weather. It looks like we're on our way to a complete thaw out. Or is it just wishful thinking?
Believe it or not at post time it's 60 degrees here. Yippeee!!!!
