The Granville Connector is Open

The new "H-road network" on Granville

Yesterday as I walked along Pacific Street in downtown Vancouver, I saw that the new Granville connector project was finally finished. Cars turned off from the Granville Street Bridge onto this new exit ramp that takes them to Pacific Street very easily, while vehicles on Pacific can get onto the Granville Street Bridge. 

Pedestrians can also walk on this new stretch of road called Neon, Rolston and Continental streets.

Walking north towards Neon Street from Pacific

This C$50 million Granville connector project took over a year to complete, as they shut down the onramp to and offramp from the Granville Street Bridge; traffic on Pacific was snarled as three lanes merged into one. 

Apparently now with this new "H-road" network, the City of Vancouver claims it will improve traffic circulation and "provide access to future housing and local services on the City-owned land that was occupied by the loops."

It also helps pedestrians and cyclists get on and off the Granville Street Bridge safely which is a huge plus. 

We'll see what gets constructed in the empty spaces on the right and left of this new road, but in the meantime relieved this giant infrastructure project is done!

Storm Danas in Hong Kong

Heavy rainfall in Mui Wo, Lantau

A friend in Hong Kong told me about the "crazy thunder and lightning" where she was in Mui Wo, on Lantau Island, and the incessant rain has resulted in the authorities announcing there would be no day school tomorrow, Friday.

That's a first -- usually local officials don't decide until the morning of, leaving parents bleary-eyed watching the storm updates until late at night in a bid to anticipate if there's school the next day or not.

Storm Danas is moving across Guangdong, causing heavy rains and thunderstorms. This morning there was an amber rainstorm warning posted at 8.35am, which turned red, then back to amber at 10.40am, then back to red again two hours later.

"The active southwest monsoon to its south will generally affect the vicinity of the Pearl River Delta [on Thursday and Friday]. There will be torrential rain and squally thunderstorms over the area," The Observatory said.

It warned residents outside to seek safe shelter as soon as possible.

Hopefully there won't be too much flooding or severe damage in the next 24 hours, but it does sound like rain coming down in Biblical proportions...

Somewhat Crispy Tofu

Pan-frying tofu slices is a delicious way to get some protein

A dish we have on rotation for dinner is pan-fried tofu. I'm trying to get better at making it crispier, though I haven't resorted to using a mixture of potato flour and cornstarch yet.

We usually strain a medium-firm block of tofu by patting it dry, but I've read it's even better to press it down with weight for a few hours to squeeze out as much water as possible.

Tonight I hand pressed out a decent amount of liquid using paper towels before seasoning the tofu slices with salt and pepper.

In a cast-iron pan, we heated up the oil and then placed the tofu in there to sizzling effect. We let them fry for a few minutes until they turned golden brown and then flipped them to the other side; some might stick to the pan so best to use a combination of chopsticks and spatula to flip them.

If you're feeling ambitious, fry all six sides for a crispier finish. And for a garnish, chop some spring onion and throw them into the pan to cook with the tofu.

Dim Sum Restaurant Metropole to Close

So many dim sum options at Metropole in Admiralty

Every few days there's a story in the news that yet another eatery or restaurant chain has shuttered.

This time it's Metropole, a Chinese restaurant known for its dim sum trolleys that was in business for 35 years, but will close in September.

One of the last dim sum restaurant with trolleys

While it's a place not necessarily dear to my heart, it's where my relatives and I usually met up for Chinese New Year, or when relatives from out of town came to visit. 

The Admiralty location was convenient for most of us, right above the MTR station and near the bus stop, it catered to big groups, had a wide selection of dim sum and the prices were reasonable.

We wouldn't wait for the women pushing the dim sum trolleys to come to us -- we'd take our white card and hunt down food and bring it back to our table. 

Or we'd walk up to the middle of the restaurant, where they served dishes like radish cake and taro cake, "three fried stuffed treasures" of eggplant, peppers, and tofu, pig trotters cooked in vinegar with egg and ginger, and a dessert station that included tofu fa.

If har gao, chicken feet, spare ribs, char siu buns and spring rolls weren't enough, you could also order plates of fried noodles, congee and vegetables too.

Cheung represents the catering sector in Legco

In the end the total bill for a large table was relatively reasonable and we were all stuffed. 

An American friend living in Hong Kong wanted to know where to take visitors to have the trolley experience and I recommended Metropole. 

I warned him to make a reservation in advance because if you didn't, you'd be stuck waiting around for the next free table.

But when he went, the large restaurant was hardly full of diners.

And with people heading up north mostly on weekends to chow down on food at a fraction of Hong Kong prices, restaurants like Metropole are struggling to stay afloat, and it doesn't help that landlords aren't giving them a break on rent.

It's surprising that legislator Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, who represents the catering industry, has not raised concerns about the sector in the Legislative Council, or brought this issue to the attention of the Chief Executive and the Executive Council. 

The art of dim sum is fast disappearing in HK

And while the media has been reporting on each restaurant closing, no one has questioned the government on why it hasn't done more to save this industry, and in particular trying to help those who have lost their jobs to get the compensation they deserve.

What is particularly sad about Metropole is the amount of knowledge of producing dim sum disappearing. There are fewer and fewer people who know how to make har gao, char siu buns, steamed rice rolls and egg tarts.

Many restaurants use frozen dim sum made by factories in China because the labour is so expensive, or it's a way to cut costs. However, one can easily tell the difference between factory and handmade dim sum.

However, dim sum is practically synonymous with Hong Kong, considered a foodie city. So why is not more done to preserve this delicious piece of culinary heritage?

Metropole

4/F, United Centre

95 Queensway, Admiralty

852 2865 1988

 

Hardcore Whistler Race

Lost Lake was so scenic and peaceful as we watched the racers

I was in Whistler this past weekend to help my cousin with his race, specifically called Otillo Race where competitors have to run along a trail, swim across a lake and repeat until they reached the finish, wearing their wet suit, runners, googles and paddles throughout the entire course.

For the race at Whistler, there were three different categories: 

Whistler Experience is a total of 6.437km, with 1.45km swim and 4.989km run;

Whistler Sprint is a total of 17.059km, with 3.38km swim and 13.679km run;

Whistler World Series is a total of 38.302km, with 5.139km swim and 33.153km run.

Two competitors at the finish in gear

My cousin, attempting this for the first time chose the Whistler World Series and while he has been training in running, he didn't do much training specifically for this race because he was busy with work and looking after two boys.

He attempted swimming with his wet suit in open-water swimming in Vancouver, and tried running with his wet suit on to get used to the conditions. He said wearing light runners with holes made it easier to run.

Last night he tried to do a bit of carbo loading, eating some extra pizza slices.

This morning he started the race at 6am and very chilly -- jumping into the lake immediately woke him up.

A former Olympic swimmer, he was able to power through the swims, though in the trail runs he walked sections of it because he was tired. Nevertheless he seemed to do well time-wise.

We managed to catch him two-thirds of the way at Lost Lake Park. We saw him swim across the lake towards us and then get out of the water, have a quick water break and then continue on his race by foot.

By the end he managed to finish in under six hours, and placed ninth out of 17. The youngest competitor in this division was 21, the oldest 62.

Two competitors emerging from Lost Lake

Some competitors were tethered together, either two men or two women, or one man, and one woman; they have to do everything together tied together, while others, like my cousin, did it solo.

There were two men in their early 40s from Hong Kong who finished last in over seven hours, while the winner completed the course in just over four hours... 

My cousin also trained by running to Grouse Mountain and doing the Grouse Grind! 

Needless to say I think he's definitely caught the bug to do more ultra races. He says in marathons you are competing against everyone else on a paved surface, whereas ultra races are about completing the race, than the time.

He also said the trail was scenic. His first two swims were beautiful on the lake, with the early morning mist rising over the water before dissipating into the atmosphere...

Picture of the Day: Harvesting Peanuts

Mui Wo farmer holds bunch of fresh peanuts

A friend lives in Mui Wo, a rural town on the east coast of Lantau in Hong Kong. Every morning he walks around with his dog in a bid to avoid the midday heat.

He recently took several pictures and videos of his neighbourhood to show me.

Aside from showing off his new blue bicycle, the path he walked on was very clean, as in it was cleared of debris. Another was a doggy parlour, where the dogs posed post-spa/haircut to show them off.

And then one of the pictures showed a hand holding a bunch of peanuts that were harvested from the earth. 

It turns out Lantau is a good place to grow crops like rice, sweet potato, taro, red onions, and peanuts!

Peanuts are grown under the ground, similar to carrots.

When the peanuts are ready, they are harvested from the ground and then dried before they can be shelled by the consumer, or they are dried and then shelled before being sold or processed into products like peanut oil, peanut butter, or seasoned with salt to package into snack food.

Earthquake Prediction in Japan Scares HK Tourists

An earthquake prediction has scared HK tourists to Japan

Last year a friend told me about a prediction that there would be a massive earthquake in Japan on July 5 -- an exact date.

Luckily I had already planned to go to Tokyo in March -- and was perhaps even luckier to miss the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Bangkok by two weeks. 

The March 2011 prediction did come true

The prediction, which was published in 2021, is from a manga artist, who had forewarned of a major disaster on March 2011, which was when an earthquake caused the Fukushima nuclear accident.

As a result of the upcoming July date, a lot of Hong Kong tourists did not plan to go to Japan these few days, and bookings for flights and hotels were down.

Because of this, Hong Kong Airlines has cancelled flights to two Japanese cities in July and August, citing sluggish demand.

However, there are some tourists in Japan who had no idea about this prediction and shrug, while others take no stock in what a manga artist thinks will happen with no scientific evidence.

And people who study earthquakes say it's impossible to predict them, while the Japanese Meteorological Agency has warned of an 80 percent chance of a large-scale shock measured at a magnitude of 8 or 9 would occur along the Nankai Trough running along the country's east coast in the coming 30 years...

HK tourists plan travel to Japan after mid-July

But things are looking up -- Hong Kong travelers are looking to visit Japan from mid-July onwards.

"Travellers may consider that it will be safe after that date," said Tommy Tam Kwong-shun, managing director of a travel agency. He believed the demand would soon recover, as Hongkongers love going to Japan and people will come when they feel it's safe to travel there.

The Japan National Tourism Organisation's figures show overall foreign arrivals increased by 21.5 percent, a historic high for May, though Hong Kong was the only place that had fewer visitors to Japan in that period.

The organisation attributed the drop in Hong Kong visitors to "information that an earthquake was occurring in Japan spreading on social media".

Celebrating Canada

Carney greeted people in Ottawa to celebrate Canada Day

Happy 158th Birthday, Canada!

This year is a special one, with a new Prime Minister, Mark Carney who is taking a measured, strategic approach in building Canada's independence from the United States and dealing with American President Donald Trump the best he can.

Speaking of which, Trump has made us more patriotic than ever. Ever since he made threats of ursurping Canada and turning into the 51st state, Canadians have put their elbows up in defence and are doing whatever they can to buy Canadian, particularly when it comes to food.

Canadian patriotism is on a high these days

This year could be a banner one for Canadian wines, and farmers are finally getting the support they need from consumers keen on eating Canadian (as much as possible). Every time Trump threatens Canada, people raid the "buy Canada" sections of supermarkets, and still refuse to travel across the border. It's has economically hurt border towns, but they will have to suffer for the next three years...

Meanwhile today we celebrate immigrants who have since become Canadians.

One interviewee who has become a friend, is now a Canadian citizen. She posted her swearing-in on social media.

She and her Canadian-born husband left Hong Kong and arrived in Vancouver just as the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020 and were jobless for a year.

Then they modified her grandmother's chilli sauce recipe and made their own using Canadian ingredients. Family and friends who tried it encouraged them to sell it and since then they've become a successful brand -- Canadian brand -- and collaborate with chefs, restaurants, and suppliers to create one-off items or new products.

A couple who make chilli sauce in Canada

It is so amazing to see them flourish -- not without a lot of "blood, sweat and tears", and at the same time they are so grateful for the opportunities that have come by or they reached out to ask.

Other Hongkongers who came here a few years ago are still finding their way, continuing to process their lives in exile and trying to forge a new path for themselves. They are still traumatised by what happened to their hometown, and how they were impacted. 

But despite the emotional toll, they have no regrets coming here.

Happy Canada Day. 

A Tale about a Cocktail Bun

Fluffy, and sweet cocktail buns in Chinatown

Today we had lunch in a cha chaan teng in Vancouver's Chinatown and for dessert we ate a cocktail bun, something I haven't eaten in quite a while.

It's a fluffy soft milk bread with a filling of desiccated coconut mixed with butter and sugar inside and topped with sesame seeds.

Cocktail buns (雞尾包) is literally translated as "chicken tail bun". But the origin of these pastries apparently dates back to the 1950s when a baker ground up unsold buns from the previous day, added sugar and coconut to make a new filling and inserted into freshly-made buns. They were given the name "cocktail" as the baker mixed the ingredients like a bartender.

Most Chinese bakeries in Chinatown have these buns. But you can make them at home, as there are several recipes online! While this would be fun (and delicious), the dilemma is that once you make a dozen of them, you'd have to eat them all! 

Photo of the Day: Summer Sunset

Tonight's sunset while driving along the Arthur Laing Bridge

Loving the long summer nights, when the sun is setting at 9.52pm...

Museum Celebrates Cantopop with Fundraiser

Museum CEO Melissa Lee addressed attendees

The Chinese Canadian Museum will celebrate its second anniversary on Tuesday, and the other day I attended Spark Community Dinner fundraising gala at Floata Seafood Restaurant in Chinatown. 

Seven hundred and fifty people were in attendance, and it was quite the struggle to meet and greet people as tables and chairs were close together. The numbered tables were randomly placed all over the room which made it hard for me to find where I was sitting!

Nevertheless, it was good to see a handful of familiar faces and meet new ones, and some politicians who came out in force, including Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, Hong Kong-born Prince George Mayor Simon Yu, federal, provincial and municipal politicians too.

My friend sitting next to me remarked how it was only in Chinese gatherings were politicians given a lot of time to speak on stage (while everyone else in the room chatted); I suggested perhaps because the hosts were reliant on them for donations and handouts?

A lot of speeches were made before the evening finally kicked off, and perhaps the highlight was Lawrence Mok, who won a karaoke competition, sang two songs that brought everyone back to 1980s Cantopop with Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing's Monica. Everyone remarked how laser discs, reminders of karaoke machines, were suspended from the ceiling. 

Wish Mok could have sang a few more songs to keep the lively atmosphere going, because the tone shifted to how there were 750 people in the room and we all had to chip in to keep the museum going.

First was a live auction that was not particularly exciting partly because the prizes didn't quite match the crowd, and the starting bids were stratospheric. Oh and every single person had their own personal paddle too. Luckily these were all sold. 

Then if that wasn't enough, the emcee Fred Lee suggested that it was time that people start matching donations. MLA George Chow wasn't able to make the dinner, but pledged CA$10,000 and challenged others to do the same. Eventually four others raised their hands and gave $10K each.

That wasn't all -- Lee began soliciting for $5,000 donations, then $2,500, $1,000, and $500. When he got to the last amount of $250, two people at my table shot their paddles up, and I followed suit. 

But there needs to be an incentive to get people to donate -- just promising a tax receipt isn't a good reason. How about offering two free admission tickets, T-shirts, a sneak preview to something or an exclusive event? 

In the end the museum managed to raise over $300,000, but is that enough to keep this cultural institution going? We don't want to see it shutter either...

Vancouver Mayor's Personal Gym is No More

Sim in the meeting room turned personal gym space last year

A year ago there was a big uproar about Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim converting a boardroom next to his office into his personal gym.

But 365 days later this personal workout space is apparently gone.

Wearing white sneakers at Remembrance Day

Following the by-election in early April when his ABC Party was completely trounced by Cope's Sean Orr and OneCity Vancouver's Lucy Maloney, it seems Sim has seen the writing on the wall.

"He's not wearing athletic wear to council anymore... but I don't know that it necessarily addresses some of the underlying faults," observes councillor Pete Fry.

Before a few months ago, Sim was still refusing to wear blazers and proper shoes to council meetings and formal events, opting for T-shirts or polo shirts; many noticed when he wore a hoodie and white sneakers to a Remembrance Day ceremony.

However, since the Lapu Lapu Day incident, when a drive allegedly killed 11 people at a Filipino event, Sim has been wearing collared shirts and jackets and taking things much more seriously.

Will this new look help change people's perceptions of Sim? 

Sim's new serious mayoral look these days

Probably not, as residents remember him chugging beer on stage, and making flippant remarks about how hosting next year's World Cup is worth 30-40 Super Bowls. He claimed he would find cost savings to cut bureaucracy in City Hall, but in fact added more staff and increased his own office budget...

Taste of the Philippines with Sisig Pizza

Encapsulating Filipino cuisine on a pizza with sisig and egg

Just Pizza is a local pizza joint that offers Asian flavours on some of their pies and I have to say this month they nailed it.

To celebrate Filipino month for June, they created a sisig topping that was so delicious.

Sisig is usually the leftover bits of the pig, such as the head, ears and cheeks. While lechon is about roasting a whole pig stuffed with rice and other ingredients, sisig is a tradition from the US airbases in the Philippines. 

The American commissaries sold pig's heads for cheap because they didn't use them, and the locals boil it to make it tender and then grill or broil it. The sisig is served on a sizzling platter and is usually eaten with rice.

The end result is a whole bunch of textures, slightly crunchy from the collagen from the ears, or soft and tender from the cheeks, and they are cooked with chopped onion and seasoned with calamansi juice, and soy sauce.

So imagine that (pork jowl and belly) on a sourdough pizza with garlic white sauce, with dabs of calamansi sauce, a few spicy birdseye chilli, and topped with chicharrones, or deep-fried pork rinds, and a fried egg too.

The pizza beautifully encapsulates sisig with a slightly elevated touch. Needless to say it was delicious.

Looking forward to the next monthly flavour and slowly eating my way through the menu!

Just Pizza

1629 Kingsway

Vancouver, BC

604 566 8888

Keung To's Misadventure Brings More Questions

Keung reveals red scratches on his arms

Mirror band member Keung To is currently in Paris -- which experienced a massive rainstorm yesterday -- allowing him to escape further scrutiny following his accidental fall into the sea in Western district.

Before he left for the City of Lights for fashion week, Keung explained he had taken painkillers for a headache and drunk "a small amount" of alcohol before jogging along the waterfront.

He claimed he did not rely on alcohol to relieve stress, but rather exercise.

Keung says he's fine on his Instagram

"But I don't think these are the biggest factors [to my fall]. That goes to my own carelessness," Keung said.

The singer said he only realised he had fallen after hitting the water, and apologised for taking up public resources for his rescue.

At this point witnesses need to come forward to recall what exactly happened.

Surely Keung knew he shouldn't mix medication with alcohol... or he didn't? What a bizarre situation.

Some are peculating the stress of fame is hitting him hard, or if it's become more challenging for Mirror to stay relevant in Hong Kong, with more overseas stars coming to the city to perform or fans going elsewhere to attend concerts, and the local boyband doesn't have anything particularly new or interesting to give fans.

On Instagram he took a few pictures of himself in the mirror -- with scratches on his forearms and elbows, saying "I'm OK", while fans asked him to take care...

Mirror's Keung To Rescued After Falling into Sea

To thanks people for their concern

Is one of the hottest performers from the group Mirror OK? 

There were reports yesterday that Mirror fan favourite Keung To had accidentally fallen into Victoria Harbour in Western district, where he was apparently jogging along the harbourfront.

Hong Kong Police received a call at 4.36pm that a man had fallen into the water near the Western Wholesale Food Market. He was rescued and taken to the Central Government Pier on Man Fai Road and then transported by ambulance to Queen Mary Hospital for treatment.

He apparently fell into the water in Western

He was then moved to a private hospital, ostensibly for privacy.

Keung's manager posted a statement at 8.20pm on her Instagram on the star's behalf, saying: "It was just a small accident due to my own carelessness. I am OK, please don't worry. [I] hope there won't be any further speculation. [I'm] truly sorry for making everyone worried."

Mirror's management company, MakerVille, said in a statement that Keung felt dizzy while jogging by the sea in Sai Wan and became unwell.

"He was rescued when he regained consciousness," it said.

Keung is one of the 12 members of the group Mirror that became famous in 2018 following a ViuTV reality talent show.

We're puzzled as to how he accidentally fell in...

His ardent fans celebrate his birthday by buying giant billboard space and renting a tram and decking it out. 

As someone who used to walk along the waterfront especially around Western district almost daily, it's kind of hard to "accidentally" fall into the water as the whole waterfront has barriers to prevent people from getting into the water. One would have to actively climb over the fence to get in, and if he was dizzy, that would be hard to do...

Taipan Bakery, Inventor of Snowy Mooncakes Suddenly Shutters

Taipan Bread and Cakes invented snowy mooncakes in 1989

Taipan Bread and Cakes, most notable for inventing snowy mooncakes, has shuttered after 41 years in business.  

On its website 12 shops were listed across Hong Kong. 

12 shops shuttered, and 80 people are jobless

"Due to many unpredictable and irresistible shocks recently, our company regretfully announces that it will officially cease operations from [Tuesday]," a notice said on several chain branches.

"Thank you for your support and love for our company over the years. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause."

The sudden closure caught customers with memberships off guard, as some had coupons and could not use them.

"How could you have known? They all closed suddenly. Now, my coupons are nothing but out-of-print souvenirs," said a 68-year-old woman surnamed Lee, who had a Taipan membership.

Days before Taipan shuttered, the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions said on Facebook that the bakery owed salaries to its 80 staff, while landlords had taken the company to court for unpaid rent.  

The brand created chilled mochi mooncakes

The bakery was started by Kwok Hung-kwan in 1984 and became famous when it introduced snowy mooncakes, which were chilled, not baked, and covered with a mochi-like skin with various sweet fillings, like mango, red bean, and durian. At its peak, Taipan had 27 shops in Hong Kong.

Mainland Chinese media reported the son's owner supported the 2019 protests, which led to Taipan removing the snowy mooncakes from its stores across the border ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The brand was sold two years later to Vast Luck Group that was described by Wen Wei Po as "a Hong Kong brand that loves Hong Kong and the country." 

Unfortunately Hong Kong didn't love Taipan enough to keep it going...

B.C. Ferries Political Kerfuffle

B.C. Ferries put out a tender for new vessels to be built

B.C. Ferries was in a lot of hot water for its vessels breaking down, causing not only delays but cancellations of sailings, leaving passengers stranded or waiting for hours... and hours... and hours.

It finally got a loan from the federal government to purchase new ferries and put out a tender to build four of them.

Earlier this month B.C. Ferries announced China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards had won the contract to build the four vessels, overseen by B.C. Ferries staff, while the sensitive IT equipment will be procured from Canada and installed by B.C. Ferries' personnel. 

Freeland asks why China is building the ferries

No Canadian companies bid for the job.

But that didn't stop politicians from loudly complaining.

First up was BC Transport Minister Mike Farnsworth, then his boss Premier David Eby, and then federal transport minister Chrystia Freeland weighed in as well, wondering why a Chinese company -- state-owned no less -- was building these ferries considering China has imposed "unjustified tariffs" on Canada.

She wrote a letter to Farnsworth expressing her "great consternation and disappointment" with the ferry operator.

"I am dismayed that B.C. Ferries would select a Chinese state-owned shipyard to build new ferries in the current geopolitical context," Freeland wrote.

"I am surprised that B.C. Ferries does not appear to have been mandated to require an appropriate level of Canadian content in the procurement or the involvement of the Canadian marine industry."

B.C. Ferries says no Canadian firms put in a bid

May we remind the politicians that there were no Canadian shipbuilding companies that put in a bid. None. Nada. Zip. 

And if B.C. Ferries had looked to Europe, it would have cost many times more.

B.C. Ferries defended its choice. 

Jeff Groot, executive director of communications with B.C. Ferries, said Weihai Shipyards was chosen following a rigorous and transparent procurement process.

"It was the strongest bid by a significant margin," he said in a statement.

He added Canadian companies have acquired around 100 vessels built at Chinese shipyards over the last decade.

Touche.

"Globally, only a few shipyards have the capacity to deliver complex passenger ferries on the timelines and budgets required."

With the tight budget B.C. Ferries has and the fact that it desperately needs new vessels as soon as possible, this is the best solution. In the meantime, by all means build up the Canadian shipbuilding industry, but really, it's hard to compete with China when it comes to price.

Steveston Treats

Fish and chips served in a cone at Pajo's 

Yesterday I was in Steveston, the southernmost tip of Richmond, and decided to check out Pajo's Fish & Chips, which just celebrated its 40th anniversary. It was started by two women, Patricia Branch and Joan Wettlaufer in 1985, making battered fried fish from the catches made by Branch's husband Larry, who was a fisherman.

Since it was overcast and a weekday, I figured I should take the opportunity to check out Pajo's, as it's quite popular and there was no lineup.

Picnic tables have holes to place your cone

Located down on the waterfront, customers need to walk down the gangplank to the shop on the water. The menu is extensive, with fish and chips made from wild rock snapper, cod, sockeye salmon, and halibut, and burgers, tacos and hotdogs.

I got one piece of the cod and it was presented in a cone with fries at the bottom. At first I wondered how I was going to eat it when I quickly realised there were holes in the picnic tables for people to place their food! How ingenious.

However, when you're eating outside, you need to beware of others keen on having some of your food. I had two crows eyeing my fish and chips. They paced along the railing and at times came closer. I looked them in the eye and put an arm around my cone to show I wasn't sharing.

The fish was a thin fillet that was bland and under seasoned, though the batter created a thin casing around the cod. The fries underneath were a bit on the soggy side, but again appreciated they weren't too salty.

Another cone... of ice cream!

For dessert I headed to Sally's Homemade Ice Cream and had a scoop of the passionfruit sorbet, a deep golden colour and tasted slightly tart and not sweet. As I was eating my ice cream cone, one local came for ice cream and admitted he was swinging by there twice a day!

Jimmy O. Yang the Greatest Influencer for HK

Yang is enjoying the view and raking in the dough in HK

The Hong Kong Tourism Board pretty much hit the jackpot when it invited Chinese-American comedian and actor Jimmy O. Yang to come to the city to perform and see the sights.

People were madly scrambling for tickets to his five shows -- at the Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom -- but the website kept crashing but somehow all the seats were snapped up.

Only Cantopop stars get to perform at the Coliseum, but Yang was the exception -- as he was invited by HKTB and by extension, the Hong Kong government.

He had five sold out shows in the Coliseum

While he was in his hometown, Yang visited the sights, like Man Mo Temple, and hung out in cha chaan tengs, ate stinky tofu on the street, showed viewers how to eat chicken feet, got a chop made in the lane in Sheung Wan, and even went to Chow Sang Sang's original Castle Peak Road store where he checked out their gold necklaces and apparently bought some bling bling.

"I spent my childhood in Hong Kong and have always felt the city's unique vibrancy. It's a place where tradition and innovation merge, allowing you to traverse between a century of culture and natural beauty in a single day. Every journey is full of surprises, revealing Hong Kong's diverse urban landscape," he said.

Sounds more like that's what the HKTB wrote his script.

Which makes us more curious about how much he was paid to perform and visit some requisite places to promote Hong Kong as a cool travel destination. From his video it looks like he stayed at The Peninsula...

Yang visited Man Mo Temple

With over 2.46 million fans following Yang on Instagram, the HKTB certainly got a lot of eyeballs on Hong Kong and it's a natural fit really. 

But since they figured it out, does he know he lost a lot of Hong Kong fans' respect after selling out?

The tourism board invited 650 KOLs or "key opinion leaders" in the first quarter of 2025, more than the total for all of last year. But that's not all. There will be another campaign called "Seeing is Believing", where Hong Kong will invite more than 100 international influencers in July and August.

Bringing in KOLs seems to be working. In the first four months of this year, Hong Kong welcomed 16 million international visitors, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year.

Man Arrested in Stealing Second-Hand Luxury Goods

The alleged thief was caught in Bangkok, and sent back to HK

When the economy is faltering, there are criminals who turn to stealing to make some money.

Robberies in Hong Kong are rare, and if they happen it's usually in jewellery stores. But recently one thief got creative and hit a store selling second-hand luxury goods.

Some of the 14 stolen Hermes handbags

On Wednesday a mainland Chinese man entered a shop on Hart Avenue in Tsim Sha Tsui where he allegedly rendered a female store employee unconscious and tied her up. 

He then allegedly made off with 14 pre-owned Hermes bags, a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, and two mobile phones totalling almost HK$3 million (US$382,170).

One wonders how he managed to carry 14 Hermes bags outside on the street without attracting attention.

The robber then fled to Bangkok and was held in custody by the Thai authorities before he was sent back to Hong Kong. Most of the stolen goods were recovered. 

This is not the first time a store selling pre-loved luxury items was robbed.

In November last year, thieves broke into a shop selling consigned luxury brand goods in a grade A office building in Central. They stole 66 Hermes handbags worth a total of HK$10 million in five minutes.

Last November HK$10M in goods was stolen

The store had to compensate all the clients whose bags were consigned were either stolen or damaged.

While selling second-hand luxury goods is a good business, the threat of thieves stealing expensive merchandise is not for the faint-hearted. 

Summer's Time for Ice Cream

Strawberry ice cream is the taste of summer

The official start to summer is this Saturday but it's already that time of year when people start eating ice cream.

Last night after a friend and I had dinner, her husband picked us up and immediately made a beeline for Earnest Ice Cream, a well-known local ice cream brand started in 2012.

So many flavours, it's hard to choose

At first we swung by its Quebec Street location and saw the queue went around the block -- we promptly headed to the original location on Fraser Street. There was a line there too, but not as long, and it actually went quickly.

I hadn't been to Earnest Ice Cream for years, the last time was before the pandemic!

Everyone, like us, was there to have a sweet dessert before going home. 

The flavours they had included: whiskey hazelnut, cookies & cream, London fog, Tahitian vanilla, matcha green tea, lavender shortbread and birthday cake.

When we got to the front of the line, I had a spoonful of the cream cheese flavour to try. While it was tangy, it was also quite rich, and couldn't possibly finish a whole scoop of it.

I opted for strawberry on a waffle cone; my friend had London fog, and her husband had baklava and another flavour I can't remember.

Yes it really is seriously good

It seems the scoop size you get depends on the server scooping them for you -- it appeared some people had smaller scoops than others. Luckily ours was a decent portion! 

As we ate our ice creams inside, the line outside eventually disappeared and it was 10pm, closing time. 

Paying for the Privilege of the Beach

Spanish Banks was last beach in Vancouver with free parking

Summer is just around the corner, but to enjoy the beach at Spanish Banks, it's going to cost more to park there.

The Vancouver Park Board passed a motion go make paid parking a permanent fixture at the west side beach -- and to raise the rate to C$1.50 per hour from C$1 per hour.

The motion came about after the pilot project, which ran from July 2024 to May 2025, and brought in C$168,000 in revenue.

Permanent parking fee at C$1.50 an hour now

But not everyone is happy, because when the pilot was implemented last year, a petition collected over 4,000 signatures.

Spanish Banks was the last beach in Vancouver to have free parking, but it looks like the city is anxious to make as much money as possible.

Jas Virdi was one of two park board commissioners who voted against the motion.

"This was that one last place in Vancouver that everyone could enjoy," he said during the meeting. "It was very low barrier, it was a place for families to come out and enjoy it for free. And there's not much that's free for children and our seniors these days."

But Commissioner Tom Digby defended the motion, saying maintaining public spaces comes at a cost.

"I have to emphasise, it's so expensive to run any park," he said. "We have spent C$1 million last year putting in a water pipeline so Spanish Banks west could have flush toilets and have showers."

This may deter people from coming to the beach

It's also a way to stop people from parking their cars overnight, as some homeless people who live in their cars have done before the parking pilot last year.

It's a tough call, but surely the rate could be a bit cheaper? As a child I remember we enjoyed spending time at the beach from the early afternoon until early evening, several hours making sandcastles, wandering by the water's edge looking for shells, and eating food we brought in coolers before going home. 

Parking will now be an added cost that could deter people from coming, or stay for a shorter time. It's also sad when you remember how things used to be before, and how times have changed. 

The city is going through an adjustment period with so much construction, roadworks and now metered parking installed everywhere. For long-time Vancouverites, it's an adjustment that can be hard to adapt to.