The Flower Star restaurant filled up quickly, including about 20 servers who filled beer, Sprite and tea cups as we sipped; replaced our dishes; and fluffed our napkins as needed. One wall was aquariums where live fish were taken out for inspection by the interesting eating party’s approval.

At first I saw four Chinese all dressed in white and sporting white facial masks, looking poised for surgery – standing idly behind a glass partition. Idle until we ordered, that is. They had a stainless silver room and a little divider behind which they cut, diced, mixed, cooked and steamed, unseen.

The table had a large “lazy susan” on which each successive dish was set. We tried the 1,000 year old egg, actually about 30-40 days, but turned dark green and jewel green in the middle, served with cilantro and an orchid for Schönheit. An egg is still an egg, but the outside is like jelly or gelatin and inside is runny.

We also had a yummy steamed fish, minced meat filled steamed quick-fried dumplings, and Tsing Tao beer.

 

Thursday 19 August, 1999