FFWD Weekly
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| FOOD Walking through Canton's street market and the small cafés nearby is an experience no one is likely to forget. Every foodstuff imaginable, and some unimaginable, is on hand from the edible to the incredible to the completely inedible, from chicken to snake to monkeys. They have a saying in that part of the world - if it swims, flies or crawls you can eat it. Well, some people can, but I personally draw the line at live monkey brains - call me picky if you want. While some of the more exotic dishes are not available at the Lambda Oriental Food Market (1426 Centre Street North), many of the more appetizing items are, and you can also sample these at the Sun Chiu Kee Restaurant next door. With over 266 items, the menu is as large as the Middle Kingdom itself. The restaurant is pretty big, too, with plenty of large tables for your extended family and friends to sit around and enjoy the feast. Appetizers include such delicacies as pickled chicken feet ($6.25), marinated duck tongue and kidney ($6.95) and deep fried pork intestine ($6.95). Irresistible as I know that sounds, my companion and I decided to pass on these and the more conventional opening offerings and moved straight on to the main courses. Now, of course, the best way to sample Chinese food is to get a whole gang together and order a great wall of options and then dip into each. Since there were but two of us, our alternatives were limited. They were limited further by the fact that the restaurant was out of its more famous duck dishes, which was no surprise given how packed the place was. We ordered the salt and pepper seafood ($12.95), the Peking pork chops ($8.95) and the vegetarian Buddha's food ($8.25), although it has to be said the various congee dishes looked particularly appetizing as they went by on their way to another table. The seafood was definitely more salt than pepper, but that was only to the good. There was a variety of seaborne animals involved and they all tasted fresh and delectable. The big winner, however, was the pork chops. Marinated and glazed in a delicious sauce, which was a delightful complement to the tasty but dry seafood, the small chops were succulent and tender and perfectly cooked. The vegetables came in a large bowl (no feeling hungry 40 minutes later here) and were crisp and fresh, but, to be honest, nothing spectacular. And, of course, everything came with mounds of steamed rice. Sun Chiu Kee is among the best of Chinese restaurants in town, with a range of prices from $5-plus plate specials to more expensive items. It is smoking friendly and wheelchair accessible, so there is really no excuse for staying away. And better yet, once you have tried the food, you can pop next door, pick up some produce and then go home to see if you can do it better than they can. Good luck. |