Pun choi feast in Shap Long

We met a lovely man on our walk today who said he was on his way to the pun choi (big basin) feast in Shap Long. So that explained the yards of tarpaulin stretched across the beach area.

When we got there, it was still early afternoon so we got a preview of the feast.

Outdoor cooking. Do you see how huge the woks are?

As we hung around, a half-hearted lion dance came along to bring in luck to the celebrations.

It was followed by quite a delicious looking suckling pig.

The atmosphere was great and if we'd stayed longer I've no doubt we'd have been invited to dinner. But it was still only lunch time so we proceeded onwards to our usual lunch at Pui O Delicious.

Pun choi feast

We were passing Pui O by bus today and spotted a pun choi (basin vegetable or big bowl) feast about to commence. Just the sight of the big metal bowls was enough to make my mouth water.

I can imagine what's inside: The traditional pun choi has eight core ingredients, according to politician-turned-food critic Stephen Ip, has pork belly, radish, pig skin, fish ball, bean curd skin, shiitake mushroom, chicken and squid.

These days, restaurants also add fish maw, dried oyster, roast duck and goose, and seafood such as prawn and crab.

Everything is seasoned with sauces like soy sauce or fermented bean sauce, then cooked in the metal bowls – though in the old days, they were cooked in a wooden basin.

The radish at the bottom is the most coveted because it has absorbed all the flavors during the long cooking time.

Pun choi feasts are usually held during family gatherings, religious festivals and big celebrations – like the Lunar New Year.