Richmond Night Market

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Love notes in the Wishing Trees

Monday, August 6, 2012 in Canada, Richmond | 1 comment

Wishing Trees, Richmond Night Market

The cherry blossom Wishing Trees at the Richmond Night Market. Photo by David Lansing.

I spent some more time at the Richmond Night Market this weekend (so much food, so little time). The Care for Life Foundation, a charity focused on helping intercity youths in China, has this amazing Wishing Tree Pavilion. They have set up a couple dozen faux cherry blossom trees and if you make a $5 donation, you can write your wish on a piece of paper and hang it on one of the branches of the cherry trees, which look quite spectacular at night.

There are a lot of the usual wishes (“For Peace and Happiness for All”; “I wish everyone to have a great year”) as well as the expected pleas for “me to get through this quarter of college without flunking out” or “to make mom healthy again.”

But the ones I found most evocative were the plaintive love letters: “I wish I can win my love back.” Or my favorite: “Max –For us to meet again in a different place + time.  jen”

It’s like the beginning of a short story or a movie, isn’t it? Can’t you just see this trio of college buds—two roommates and one of the guy’s girlfriend—wandering  around the Night Market and the two guys goes off to get the girl some dim sum and while they’re gone, she writes down her wish and pins it to the tree? And then they all sit under the note and eat their sushi? Without the guy she really loves ever knowing what she’s done? Of course, sooner or later he’d have to find out? Right?

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1 Rotato, 2 Rotato, 3 Rotato, 4

Saturday, August 4, 2012 in Canada, Richmond | 1 comment

Rotato at Richmond Night Market

Mijune offering me a bite of her Rotato at the Richmond Night Market. Photo by David Lansing.

I’ve told you that Mijune can eat like she’s a contestant in one of those hot dog chow downs. Last night we went to the Richmond Night Market where there are something like 88 vendors. I was afraid she was going to make me try all of them.

Within minutes she was dragging me over to this vendor called Rotato. “I love these things,” she said, getting in line. “What flavor should we get?”

They had bbq, sour cream & onion, salt & vinegar, roasted garlic & pepper, cheddar cheese, ketchup. Here’s the thing: there were at least 20 people in line ahead of us. And every five minutes, as we edged up a little bit closer to the front, Mijune changed her mind about what flavor she wanted. First it was the cheddar cheese, then the bbq, then the sour cream & onion.

I knew what was going to happen. Mijune ordered all three. “Mijune,” I said, “I’m not even sure I want any. It’s just a potato.”

“It’s not just a potato,” she said, offended. “It’s fabulous.”

Here’s how they make a Rotato: First a woman winds a machine to cut the potatoes into these swirly shapes. Then a guy skewers the potato, fans it out, dips it in a watery batter, and deep fries it. Then a young girl takes the fried swirly potato and puts the seasoning on it. For such a simple concoction, it’s quite a production. No wonder it was taking so long to serve everyone.

So we’re standing at the side and the young woman brings out one Rotato…and then another…and then a third. I held two of them while Mijune sampled.

“The sour cream and onion!” she proclaimed. “That’s the one. Try it”

So I did. And it was pretty damn good.
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