Once upon a time, when I was younger and slightly better-looking, I used to pop into the Hong Kong Kitchen for some chicken curry and prawn crackers, or if I was really trashed, a battered sausage. As I waited for my take-away I used to ponder the menu on the wall since, really, there was nothing else to look at, other than some tinned lychees that featured electricity pylons on the label, and maybe Tuesday's Daily Express.
The menu had a section titled ENGLISH FOOD. Since people often ask me what English food is, and I am sometimes lost for words, I offer you the Hong Kong Kitchen definition, exactly as it appeared on the menu in October 1995:
Fish (Cod fillet)So there you have it. English food. Mmm good.
Chicken (Qtr)
Steak & Kidney Pie
Minced Beef & Onion Pie
Chicken & Mushroom Pie
Curry Patty
Spring Roll
Curry Sauce & Chips
Sausage in Batter
Saveloy
Chips
Chip Roll
Butter Roll
July 2, 2001