Hong Kongers really love their high tea. Usually around 3 to 5 pm in the afternoon, Hong Kongers like to take a little break in their busy day to sip a cup of tea and have a side of bread or two.

At the same time, this is the time of day when you get the biggest bang for your buck. Tea and bread combo goes for only 2-3dollars USD. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

There are two types of tea Hong Kongers absolutely love, lemon iced tea and milk tea. Milk tea as you can imagine is a blend of black tea and condensed milk. Bitter sweet just the way I like it.

And they come in both hot and cold.

The tea can be paired up with a variety of treats for one very satisfying afternoon tea. Here we have a pork bun. Very delectable.

Sliced toast with condensed milk and peanut butter.

The simpler of things make for one good life…

Farmers markets usually mean fresh fruit, produce, and meats. And that is exactly what you will find at the “Original Farmers Market” in West Los Angeles.
Unlikely many other open air markets though, shops at Farmers Market are all stationary instead of your tent booth. And best of all, they are open everyday.

Inside, you can find practically about everything imaginable from your sweets and candies…

How about a barber shop?

To fresh cuts of meats…

And fruits.

If you are not really in the mood for some cooking, they have lots of cooked food to choose from.

Italian food to Korean food. You name it, they have it.


If you are more in the mood for something sweet perhaps a chocolate chip cookie the size of a basketball will do.

Or this…whatever it is.
Farmers Market definitely satisified my food cravings for a second anyways.

Farmers Market
6333 W. Third St.
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Most Los Angeles inhabitants are no strangers to the illegal hot dog. Illegal hot dog? What are you talking about…?

Well, I am obviously talking about the bacon wrapped hot dog usually found around the street corner and in front of clubs of downtown Los Angeles.

Bacon wrapped hot dogs are so good you can smell them from miles away but why are they illegal anyways? More information after the jump.

The bacon wrapped hot dog as you can imagine is a heart attack in a meal and violates a few health regulations. Also, the hot dogs are cooked on modified shopping carts that probably don’t pass health inspection.

According to the Los Angeles Health department the only certified methods of cooking hot dogs are boiled and steamed. But who with their right minds will want to eat a soggy hot dog?

Often times you will see police or health regulators tracking down the “law breaking” hot dog vendor and the vendors run like there is no tomorrow to avoid punishment.
Violators of the “law” are subject to impoundment, fines, and jail time. Jail time for selling hot dogs? That is right…One woman actually received a 45 day sentence for violating health regulations by selling bacon wrapped hot dogs.

Anyways, a bacon wrapped hot dog is like a journey of a lifetime, sending you on a ride you will never forget. What you are getting into is a sausage wrapped in bacon pan fried until crispy and topped with oily peppers and onions finally to be topped with a jalapeno.

Enough talk, eat up you law breaker. (For the record you probably won’t receive jail time for eating one but oh boy does it feel good to be a little mischievous sometimes)

Here in Los Angeles you may find the ocasional street vendor selling oranges and strawberries but in Malaysia, don’t be too surprised if you find a little more than your basic fruits.

Malaysians love their porcupine looking fruits. Known for their pungent smells, durian is the king of fruits.

Another fruit you don’t see very often is the langsat, a yellowish fruit which holds slices of translucent flesh. Sour at times but more often than not, sweet.

After deciding on the fruit you weigh it. Similar to most places in the world, fruit is priced on its weight.

It is a refreshing experience to be able to drive down some major roads in Malaysia and stop by a street vendor for a few exotic fruits.

Walking around Macau I soon found myself quite hungry and craving a quick bite.To my luck I walked past a store selling Portuguese egg tarts. What luck! Just exactly what I was looking for.

Portuguese egg tart is a custard tart pastry like the one commonly found in Chinese Dim Sum. However, unlike the Chinese verson, the filling is more similar to the texture of creme brulee. Caramelized and oh so good.

There is probably nothing better than enjoying a nice day in Macau with a box of perfectly baked Portuguese egg tart. My life is a sucess!

In Hong Kong, they have something they call a “wet market.” Known to locals as “Gaai Si” or street market (when translated literally), it is like a supermarket except even better.

In a traditional supermarket, you have one company that owns and operates the entire store and in essence, the entire selection of products available to you. In a wet market however, you have one giant building that is separated into hundreds of stalls. Each stall is leased out to individual operators to sell their own produce, meat, or what have you. This way you get a wider range of products at a very good price.

You have your produce. Veggies from all over the world I might add.

Fruit stands… With so many stalls you can ensure yourself not only the best price but also the best quality as well.

Meats by the pound.

Crabs

Fish you can see and feel(if you want to) before you buy.

Frozen fish for the not so special every day.


As you can see…tons of selection all in one very convenient place. You can find just about anything you would want to eat.

Genting Highlands has a boat load of entertainment. There is something to do for everybody no matter what your idea of fun may be.

After a day of fun at the casino, arcade, and amusement park I hopped on over to the Genting Highlands Buffet to fill my empty stomach.

The buffet is Las Vegas style, featuring delights from many corners of the world.

Western style chicken.

Roasted lamb.

Fried Crab

Fish Nuggets crispy and tender.

Chinese food.

Spring Rolls

Fried whole chicken.

Local favorites and such.

Satay skewers – though it is supposely “local favorites,” the taste is adjusted for tourists. The locals are probably sick of this stuff from eating it all the time already anyways.

Japanese food station.

Sushi rolls not be completely authentic as expected but still good.


Salmon Sashimi (raw slices of fish)

Miso Soup

Finish it off with some dessert.

One of the things that I constantly find myself missing when not in Asia are the night markets that are filled with so many scrumptious goodies. Sure there are places in Los Angeles where you can get food at midnight but nothing compares to the night market food scene that you have in most parts of Asia.

Here in Cheras, Malaysia, a night market that spans farther than the eye can see gather every Wednesday. This event brings in hundreds of food vendors weekly , making even the food truck festivals here in LA look like a joke.

My main purpose is the food but it doesn’t hurt to look around.

Assorted Teas and Jellys

Pancakes

Most of the food are prepared right in front of your very eyes. Talk about fresh…

Jelly and other assorted desserts.

Shirt Vendor

Shrimp cake with an actual fried shrimp.

Sunglasses vendor

Oranges, mangoes,  and what not. Ordinary fruit vendor. Some vendors sell fruits that I have never seen before.

Quail eggs with sausage or ham on top.

So very tasty.

Octopus on a stick in original, spicy, salad, or wasabi flavor.

“Meat balls that explode in your mouth,” yells an enthusiastic street vendor. I took a second glance and was sold. These things do explode in your mouth. One bite and what comes afterward is an explosion of juices and flavors.

Fried Tofu

Sesame cake that is made of mostly rye.

I couldn’t really comment much on the taste because I didn’t really enjoy it. It is supposedly very healthy according to the newspaper articles posted on the wall of the cart. Probably the reason why I didn’t enjoy it very much.

Takoyaki Balls

Chocolate Covered Bananas for the grand finale.

In just about every busy street corner in Malaysia, you will find people crowding around food trucks. “What are all these people doing?,” you ask yourself. So without missing a beat, you approach the commotion to find that everybody is enjoying some delicious street food. Though food trucks do come in a plethora of variety, my favorite are the hot pot trucks.

These hot pot trucks pack everything you can and [can not] imagine.

Squid and other seafood, some of which I have never seen before.

Tender beef and whatnot.

The choices are practically endless but after you do finally decide on what you want to eat just pop them into the pot of scorching hot water. In mere seconds, your food is cooked and ready for your enjoyment.

As you would imagine, different items cost different amounts. Also, night prices are more expensive than after noon.

Xiao Long Bao – A nice little dumpling composed of scrumptious soup and pork that will top your taste buds.
When many people think of Xiao Long Bao, they may think about the popular Taiwanese chain Ding Tai Fung but for an unsurpassable authentic, Nanxiang Mantou Dian (Nanxiang Bun Shop) leads the pack. With the long lines of eagerly awaiting customers, it is pretty hard to miss the restaurant should you walk by it.

After a bit of waiting, I finally got seated inside the restaurant and ordered a nice helping of dumplings. The taste of the soup and pork inside the dumpling is both fresh and juicy.
According to economics, baring the principle of depreciating marginal utility in mind, each bite following the last should be less satisfying. However, these dumplings proved economics wrong…each bite is just as satisfying if not more than the last.

The restaurant also sells these ginormous soup buns should you happen to not be satisfied with the amount of soup intake. These buns are made of mostly soup which you can drink through a straw.

So would I come back again. Hell yeah!