Parker Place Food Court in Richmond, BC: Hong Kong-style breakfast

One of the top features of the Hong Kong-style breakfast at The Parker Place food court on Number 3 Road in Richmond, BC is its dirt cheap price. In Hong Kong, you can get a breakfast for about $3 CDN. The prices aren’t that far off at Parker Place.

A breakfast bonus is the accompanying beverage, usually an intense and creamy milk tea made from evaporated milk and heavily steeped black tea, or an iced cold lemon tea. Most breakfast items include a hot beverage though a thirsty customer can upgrade to a cold drink for 50 cents, Hong Kong-style.

I ordered a ham and egg macaroni soup with hot milk tea from Tin Tin’s Kitchen for $3.75. The words “tin tin” in Chinese mean "every day." The Chinese name for the food stall directly translates to "every day fine foods."

"Macaroni in soup" is a popular item at fast food joints in Hong Kong for breakfast. The soup is a light broth and includes mixed vegetables such as small peas, carrots and corn. The result is a comforting bowl of simplicity that conjures up childhood memories of Hong Kong.

I spoke with Mr. Ng, who chatted with four friends as he enjoyed his breakfast this morning. He’s a regular at the Parker Place food court. Mr. Ng said that he visits Tin Tin’s kitchen for a sense of sentimentality and familiarity. After slurping down my macaroni soup, I, too, understand why.

Yummy Yummy advertises freshly made rice flour rolls for $3.50. They are only available until 11 a.m. or until they run out. Rice flour rolls are glutinous sheets made from rice that are then shaped into a flat roll. Meats and vegetables can be wrapped inside and the rolls are served with sauces such as soy sauce, hot sauce and sweet hoisin sauce.

I ordered rice rolls with cilantro and fish tucked inside, served with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and soy sauce. There’s no doubt that the rolls are freshly made. They’re served piping hot and quickly melt in your mouth as you bite into their chewy texture. It’s no wonder so many shoppers gather in front of the stall to start their morning with rice rolls.

Although not a breakfast food, egg waffles are a common street food in Hong Kong. They are made with a waffle iron that transforms batter into little round puffs. Rainbow Café makes them fresh before your eyes for $3.50 a batch.

The owner boasted about her precious recipe as she poured the dough into the metal mould.

Crisp on the outside and doughy on the inside, the egg waffles finish off a delicious morning at Parker Place.

Here's a summary and a quick language lesson of everything I ordered at the Parker Place food court: