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2008-12-26
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60 years is a long time.Those who work (or worked) in Central should have been to the "Snake Pit" for a quick escape from work -- for fun or for gossips. Those who haven't though, should still visit it while it's still here. For nostalgia and collective-memory's sake, a group of us has revisited the Snake Pit to give our final bow of respect and reminiscent of the fun we've had, and can possibly be had here, as the Snake Pit waves goodbye after 60 years of running.On the night of the gathering w
Those who work (or worked) in Central should have been to the "Snake Pit" for a quick escape from work -- for fun or for gossips. Those who haven't though, should still visit it while it's still here. For nostalgia and collective-memory's sake, a group of us has revisited the Snake Pit to give our final bow of respect and reminiscent of the fun we've had, and can possibly be had here, as the Snake Pit waves goodbye after 60 years of running.
On the night of the gathering we browsed through the menu for ChiuChow Fare. For a hungry party of 12 armed with cameras and more cameras -- typical Openrice dwellers, We unanimously agreed that Hot Milk Tea ($13) is the best item on the menu. As we sipped through the smooth beverage while agreeing on the dishes, we have eventually made up our minds and ordered a whole list of things that by the end of the ordering we didn't quite remember everything we ordered.
The food came in a flash. After our surrounding attack of flashlights and snaps, the first dish was pickles! They were delightfully sweet with a crunch, and the tang from the vinegar was clean and prominent after one bite into the pickle. While many considered it a great appetizer to start the meal with, I preferred it as a palate cleanser! Next were an array of ChiuChow fare. The Oyster Congee was runny like any ChiuChow congee. Served in a big metal bowl fitted into a wooden 'bucket' you often see carrying tofu dessert, the oysters may be small, but they were sweet at the same time. The congee took flavour from the oysters' liquor and the presence of Chinese celery for the green colour and a refreshing crunch. Oyster Pancake was next -- chockful of oysters inside a deep fried pancake, thin but filling. I considered it a little too fried, with the deep golden brown colour. But the crust is crispy and well seasoned. The 'Mixed Platter' is a mount of mix-match everything piled up messily on a plate. There were never enough for everyone. The pig's ear was crunchy, and slices of Marinated tofu were flavorful throughout. The sausage was as it is; Marinated goose slices got divided attention. Mine was moist while the other friend's was claimed 'tasteless and overcooked'. I couldn't stop wondering whether I was just lucky to have the good slice or was the platter composed of meat from different goose?!
Next came a double-order of Blood Jelly with Chives. The blood jelly, slightly jiggled and has a funny taste to it, was everyone's favorite. The broth it's cooked in also took on the chive's greener flavour. It disappeared in a flash, as everyone's head turned when two plates of Scrambled Eggs with Barbequed Pork settled on the table. Golden flakes of eggs with date-red chunks of BBQ pork laced thoughout. The top may be fried, but the middle was still runny for a bit. It made good pictures and the egg was soft and pillowy. The BBQ pork was forgettable, but then again it's the egg that matters. Deep Fried Bombay Duck were cut bite-sized and deep fried. The batter was thin and served tossed with salt and pepper. The fish was good enough but it was slightly too small in pieces. Then the big star of that night arrived -- Fried Tomato Pancake. Prepared the same way as the oyster pancake we had earlier. Tomatoes were seeded and chopped, with its juices blended into making the batter. The pancake's appearance reminded me of a gigantic plate-sized Italian Pepperoni. It's sweet and chewy at the same time, pleasantly surprised at the deep taste of tomato -- so concentratedly tomato. It's something new I've never had before. Definitely worth the try for it.
The night rounded at $70 dollars per person. It's a worthy trip to the 'Snake Pit' if you haven't been. Dinner, I heard, was not as good as the daytime food's quality. Our party disappeared into the deepest of night to our next stops. Our tummies were full and tastes satisfied. We made a date that we would come back on the last day and witness its closing. But that's not all.
Less than 24 hours later I was in the wooden booth again inside 'The Snake Pit', this time realizing the true purpose of a quick esacape from work's hustle. The milk tea was a no-mistake choice. Over hot milk tea I was more than happy to have the 'three treasures' all in front of me for yet another fabulous 'happy hour'. Pictured here, the 'Mixed Pie' was made with a moist pastry made mostly with lard. The filling hasn't changed -- minced chicken, a slice of thick ham and a wedge of hard cooked egg. The flavor was as it was before, buttery and gave way to bite, and a little crumbly too. The Chicken Pie, however, was another matter on the crust. Made with a mixture of lard and butter, the crust was impeccable and the filling was filled with both minced chicken and chicken pieces. A few green peas added flashes of green into the otherwise greyish pale filling.
Before you roll your eyes in belief, check out a 'pineapple bun' ($3) with real pineapple in it. The bun was not much bigger than the ones you usually have elsewhere. The crust may not be as crispy and buttery like the ones you have in Kam Wah (金華), but one bite into it a familiar combination of sweet and tartness erupted in the mouth like you wouldn't believe it. At first bite you may not recognize it's pineapple after all, but on the second bite you should already have recognized it. There was no doubt that pineapple was minced evenly and blended into the dough before baking. The resulting bread turned out to be awesome and buttery with a slightest hint of fruitiness lacing through. There was no need for jam or butter in this one, it's butter and jam all mixed into one. This pineapple bun had always been my favorite, and having experienced some sold-out days, I was have an exhilarating time having all three (two pies and one bun) all in front of me. The milk tea helped a great deal as well.
Paying my check has been extremely difficult, I looked back at the tired waitstaff as they strutted upstairs and downstairs, front and back carrying trays of milk tea and breads from the warmer, I have then realized that despite a notice outside claiming the possibility of a relocation somewhere should the owners find a new place, I know deep inside that Central dwellers will forever lose a means of escape for a quick bite or a quick 'update' from their busy workstuff during the day. Now replaced with cake and coffee, we will all have our respective memories here at the Snake Pit, while we had all our 'snaky businesses' here... For me, cake and coffee couldn't replace the sweet charm of "Milk Tea and Pie/ Bun".
So Long, the Snake Pit.
張貼
