I’ve officially given up on separating these three, fundamental life elements, so I’m back today with a full mash-up of Jazz, Tea, Curry and everything else. To put things in a little bit of perspective; I’m currently sitting in a sleazy diner-style 24-hours breakfasty place called The Flying Pan (their logo consists of several pieces of Microsoft Clip-Art stuck together at seemingly contradictory angles.) Yes. It’s located in an even sleazier part of Hong Kong in which scummy strip clubs adorn their street-signs with promises of
“PUSSY!!!cats” (classy, I know.)
I’ve been meaning to write something about Hong Kong’s slice of zen paradise, more commonly referred to as Lock Cha Tea House, and figure now might be an ideal time. It’s located in Hong Kong Park, which is basically a (much) smaller, more zenified version of Central Park in New York, although much safer and with less chances of getting stabbed while observing an especially titillating piece of fungi. It also has a fairly sizeable local population of turtles. Fascinating turtle demographics aside, the park’s highlight is without a doubt its tea house, which is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. The room is filled with Japanese-style rice paper, dark wood furniture, and an unbelievably friendly staff. One women - named “Witty” - who works there pours tea with a passion, and can actually make Jade Oolong tea taste better by pouring it in a certain way, or by adding boiling water of just the right temperature. Basically, it’s an amazing experience. You enter, and the first thing you see is a poster advertising the local university’s Buddhist Studies program. It’s that zen. So zen, the walls are adorned with Calligraphy scrolls and $100,000 parcels of tea stack the shelves (ok, so the last one was a blatant contradiction.) And damn, the tea is good. It’s so good. Like. James Brown good. Ahhhh. Vanessa, family, my beloved friends, all of you reading this - we’re going to this damn tea house! All of you, we’re gonna get on a plane, and take the flight to Lock Cha Tea House!
As for the curry, I’ve had mixed experiences, when I originally set out to write about curry I was inspired by a particularly good Tandoor in Soho that projected Bollywood-style Indian music videos onto a wall. Incredibly distracting, yet overwhelmingly Indian. They also had some unbelievably good Unknown-Carrotty-Rice-Pudding-of-the-Gods. But since then, I also had some of the worst curry in the known Universe which has since quelled my curry-pilgrimage.
I’d love to make this post a little more complete, but apparently American sandwiches are the size of a small child, a reality which is currently occupying the majority of my small yet serviceable (rubber?) Table.
Love & Respect,
Jason
