more things there are in heaven and earth than are dreamt of by the menu planners in our dining halls.

i want cold, crunchy, thinly-sliced lotus root, such as is served at charming gardens at the copthorne orchid. and thinly-sliced, fatty-marbly beef. steamed crayfish dipped in tangerine sauce. and roast duck - glorious brown-red and crackling and dripping with melted fat. grilled stingray on banana leaf. a mountain of lalas winkled out with toothpicks and dipped in lime and chili. sweet thick hunanese ham in flour wrappers. golden crispy mantou. minced quail in bamboo tubes. steamed fish that comes on raised metal dishes with tealights beneath and sweet, clear broth. ee-fu noodles with tiny stalks of green baicai and chopped duckmeat. teochew braised goose on a bed of taukwa. liver rolls. black pepper crab. and oyster omelette.