Last Meal in Shanghai

Our trip to Asia blew by so quickly. I wasn’t homesick at all. In fact, I didn’t want to go back. Not yet. I wanted to go back to Hong Kong.

But if my parents and Aunt IS could’ve chosen one last meal in Shanghai, the majority of the group would’ve wanted to have one more breakfast at the Ramada.

Dad started with a savoury congee, with some salted egg, youtiao, and pickled veggies as condiments.

Dad’s second plate had some dumplings, youtiao, bread and an omelette.

My first plate was filled was familiar breakfast choices.

Mom had some toasted croissant with an over-easy egg, and a bunch of other pastries. She put the croissant through the toaster but it got stuck, hence the burnt top.

I filled up with a bowl of wonton soup. The wonton soup wasn’t as good as the bowl I had in Nanjing, but it was comforting nonetheless.

Mom and Dad were eager to eat the steamed custard buns again. They had been dreaming about them since the first breakfast.

The filling was apparently different from the first time. Mom and Dad were disappointed, but they still enjoyed these with a slight smile.

There were salted egg yolks in the egg custard. I tried a bite but since I didn’t try any on the first morning, I had nothing to compare it to. Still, these were on a different level than the stuff we get in Ottawa and Toronto, where the filling is a fully cooked paste.

After breakfast, we grabbed our luggage and boarded the tour bus one last time. Our friends from Connecticut and America also joined us on the bus. Although they left on different flights, it made the ride to the airport much easier.

While on the long flight back home, I could’ve help but think about how much we saw and how much we experienced in the past month. I knew I was lucky to have travelled around Asia with little health issues, Mom made sure to remind me (she still does). Believe me, I know I’m lucky. I’m not sure if I’ll ever get the chance to travel overseas again, but I’ll die happy knowing that I have already done so.

These are a few of my favourite images from the trip. Some of them aren’t strong photography-wise, but I like them because of the story behind the pictures. I'll attach a link to the corresponding article which you can read under each of the images.

To start off, here are some photos from Hong Kong:

Braised goose breast at the ChiuChow Garden.

Breakfast sandwiches in Hong Kong.

Galaxy Casino in Macau.

These daikon dumplings at Tung Yuen Banquet were one of the best things I ate in HK.

Spending half a day at the Hong Kong harbour was really memorable.

A stray dog around Ngong Ping and the Tian Tan Buddha area.

Smiling chefs at a dai pai dong in Hong Kong.

Walking from The Peak Tower area down to Aunty’s place, we were fortunate to see this view of Hong Kong at dusk.

Photos from Guilin:

Hot soy milk during breakfast in Guilin.

Aunt IS loved the noodle soups in Guilin. These bowls were made spicy by all the condiments.

The mountains in Guilin were gorgeous.

This was one of the amazing scenes you can see at the Guilin Ideal World Scenic Spot.

Photos from Taiwan:

Trying stinky tofu in Taiwan.

Bubble milk tea in Taiwan.

Warm milk tea at the Sun Moon Lake-area cottages.

A snail and an ant climbing up a papaya tree in the Sun Moon Lake area.

My first enjoyable meal in a few days.

Photos from Shanghai, Wuxi, Nanjing, Suzhou, and Hangzhou:

Fragrant and tasty skewers of lamb in Shanghai.

Nanjing Yantgze River Bridge.

I’m pretty sure I had an over-easy egg every morning during the Shanghai tour.

Wandering around the Jingci Temple in Hangzhou.

The Jingci Temple overlooking the Leifeng Pagoda.

Checking out the Pearl Tower in Shanghai.

The Pearl Tower at night.

Tiny soup dumplings inside a Taiwanese restaurant in Shanghai.

And lastly, winter melon tea inside a Taiwanese dessert restaurant in Shanghai. It's funny how we ended up eating Taiwanese food during our last night in Shanghai. But you know what? I didn't mind it at all.



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Last Full Day: Hangzhou to Shanghai

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More links from the Tea in Asia 2011 trip:

• Arriving in HK: Hello from Hong Kong!
• Day Trip to Macau: Window Shopping in Macau
• Arriving in Guilin, China: Breakfast and Tea Tasting
• Arriving in Taiwan: Seafood Dinner
• Arriving in Shanghai: Muslim Restaurant