The Oldest Kind of Fusion Food in Hong Long

"Soy sauce western" efers to a certain way that western cuisine is adapted to meet the preferences of the local populace in Hong Kong in affordable prices. Yet the idea is not just that soy sauce is used in the food. It is a phenomenon in the long evolution of Hong Kong’s local cuisine. As a cheaper version of proper western cuisine, soy sauce western emerged to meet the demand for all things western as Hong Kong people became increasingly keen in sharing in the privilege of the west in the mid to late 20th century or so. It is about the yearning to participate in the high society of Hong Kong, which was, in the beginning decades of colonialism, off bounds to the Hong Kong Chinese. The idea of soy sauce western is infused with cultural implications. At the most fundamental level, it changed the dining habits of the Hong Kong Chinese by introducing the custom to eat with a fork and a knife, even for rice. It is therefore a true expression of Hong Kong society’s world-famous character as it is the forerunner of “east meets west.” The Flying Eagle began its first chapter in Macau in 1971. It then moved to Hong Kong in 1977 and has been in Sham Shui Po since. It remains a business of the Wu family throughout the past decades. In its heyday, Flying Eagle positioned itself as a high-class restaurant for the merchants and factory owners to meet and discuss business. The aged brown walls, the light fixture of the 1980s, the memorabilia of a bygone era — all are the hallmarks that brings one back the early 1980s, at the cusp of a roaring decade that defined Hong Kong’s future in all matters of politics and economy. Its most famous dish is steak on a sizzling hot plate (HK$138), which is certainly a soy sauce western classic. Although that is served during lunch, I opted for the set lunch menu for HK$50. There were two choices, either pork chop or beef tongue, and I had beef tongue over white rice. I noticed that fellow diners ordered the pork chop, and they had the exact same sauce over their meat. #soysaucewestern #hongkongfood #foodie #shamshuipo #hongkongculture #hongkonghistory #fusionfoodhk