Chinatown means happiness...

There is one little ritual I have when I come back to London and that is to meet one of my very best friends in Chinatown for yum cha. London's Chinatown is not that special in terms of Chinatowns around the world - for example, it is nowhere near the size of the one in Sydney and has far fewer restaurants and shops. I am partial to Chinatown because it reminds me of home and the scents and tastes of Asia. Growing up in Australia and in particular Sydney, as I did, Asian food becomes a regular part of culinary life and consequently my taste buds crave a healthy dose of spice every so often.

I have eaten 'Chinese food' ever since I can remember. As a little girl my parents would take me on a Saturday night to a restaurant in Sydney's Chinatown - this was quite unconventional way back in the day. As a student we always searched out the cheapest and the best 'Chinese' for our nights out. In the last ten years Thai food has probably given my Chinese love a bit of a nudge, followed closely by Vietnamese cuisine, but there is nothing quite like a yum cha. The original Cantonese meaning for the term, 'yum cha' or 'drinking tea' has changed; 'yum cha' refers to a meal that serves many small portions of different foods. It is customary to wash these dim sum or dumplings down with tea, as tea is thought to be an aid for the digestion. 

London's Chinatown is in the area of Soho, just near Shaftesbury Avenue and my friend and I always meet at the New World Restaurant. Every now and then we go somewhere different but ultimately we return here. This is no smart venue and has the decor you imagine - red velour furnishings, red patterned carpet, hanging lanterns, tropical fish and indoor plants. Girls in black and white uniforms push around the trolleys of dim sum and others pour bottomless cups of green tea. We eat the same thing every time - I seem to be partial to the barbeque pork buns (always the bad one....) whereas my friend is a lover of the prawn and chive dumplings. The New World is what some would describe as 'cheap and cheerful' and is always packed. Often we lament the paper serviettes and tablecloths, sloppy cups of tea and breakneck speed at which the food arrives but it is our place and when a place is your place, well.... it is your place.

Lunch is followed by a visit to the supermarket. This is a trap for all young players - the Loon Fung is filled with so many exotic goodies. The fact that I cannot read the labels or understand the purpose of most of these oriental foods does nothing to lessen the attraction - the packaging is entirely seductive and my adventurous taste has led me to some excellent purchases and some fairly strange ones. I am gradually learning to behave (to exert some willpower) and can successfully report that I am more and more able to leave the more flamboyant products on the shelves for those who know what to do with them. 

One thing I never leave Loon Fung without is a box of Jasmine Tea, actually several, as I like to stock up for France. Why would I carry this ordinary tea all the way to France when I can buy so many wonderful loose leaf teas there? (I am sure the security officials at the airport ponder on this when my bag is checked.) No reason, other than it is my favourite cuppa and that drinking this tea has become a part of my morning ritual. Why do I eat in a restaurant that is probably nowhere near as good as the one across the road or down the street? Because it is about the familiar and the comfort that comes with that. I love walking in and knowing that my sweet friend will be there to greet me, that we will chat and catch up on all our news, that we can share our woes if need be and that we can laugh together - in that way that only gal pals can. 

Rituals or habits can often be mistaken for boring... and that can be a mistake, because more often than not habit is about happiness, xv.