an elaborate dinner

2019/07/04 04:12:41 網誌分類: 生活

04 Jul

        　　In my previous column, I wrote about going to Penang for three days of R&R (rest and recreation) because I had a lot of work pressure doing TV shows and newspaper columns about the mass (huge) protests. But as I said in my previous column, even people in Penang asked me about the mass protests against an extradition agreement with mainland China. I could not even get away from work pressure in Penang! A Penang friend invited me to a famous seafood restaurant called Ah Chui Seafood in Ayer Itam (also called Air Itam) in a Penang suburb. A suburb is an area outside but near a main city.

        　　When my friends and I arrived at Ah Chui Seafood restaurant, a group of middle-aged tourists from Macau and Hong Kong recognized me from my TVB shows. Luckily, they did not talk about the mass protests. They just took pictures with me and talked about my TVB shows that teach English. They were eating durian and invited me to join them. I politely declined. As I said before, I have never eaten durian because its smell turns me off. If something turns you off, it means you dislike it or are disgusted by it. My Penang friend arranged an elaborate dinner for me and my other Penang friends at Ah Chui Seafood restaurant.

        　　The word“elaborate”used this way means planned with great care. We had local mussels, crab, prawn, fish ball soup, and steamed fish. We ate that with a French Grand Noir Chardonnay white wine and 15-year Glenfiddich single malt whisky. Red wine doesn’t pair well with seafood. The Chardonnay and single malt whisky paired perfectly with what we ate. I have avoided mussels for a long time. I get an upset stomach every time I eat mussels. The expression“upset stomach”means a digestive problem that makes people sick. But I love steamed fish and rice. I met the owner of Ah Chui Seafood and his daughter. The owner cooked the food and the daughter served all the customers. I told them the food was delicious.

         * * * *

        　　在上一篇專欄中，我寫到我去了檳城三天，來個R&R（rest and recreation，休息與娛樂），因為我做關於大型（mass）示威抗議的電視節目和報章的專欄，承受了很大的工作壓力。但正如我在上一篇文章中所說，即使在檳城的人都問我連番大型（mass）示威反對將逃犯引渡到內地的事。我連在檳城也不能從工作壓力中逃離！一位檳城朋友邀請我到檳城市郊（suburb）阿依淡的一家非常知名的海鮮餐廳，叫「阿水海鮮」。A suburb就是市郊。

        　　當我和朋友們到達阿水海鮮時，一群來自澳門和香港的中年遊客因為我的無線節目而認得我。幸而他們沒有談及大型（mass）抗議的事。他們只是跟我合照，談到我那教英語的無線節目。他們在吃榴槤，邀請我也一起吃。我有禮地婉拒了。正如我之前說過，我從未吃過榴槤，因為它的味道turns me off。若某事turns you off，即是說你很不喜歡它，或它令你感到噁心、厭惡。我的檳城朋友在阿水海鮮為我和其他檳城朋友，安排了一頓精心的（elaborate）晚餐。

        　　Elaborate在這裏是指精心安排的。我們吃了當地的青口、蟹、蝦、魚蛋湯和蒸魚，吃的時候配以法國Grand Noir莎當妮白酒，以及十五年的格蘭菲迪單一純麥威士忌。紅酒跟海鮮並不匹配；那莎當妮白酒跟單一純麥威士忌，跟我們所吃的食物就是完美的配搭。我已經很久沒有吃青口了，每一次我吃青口，都感到胃部不適（upset stomach）。習語upset stomach就是有消化問題、胃部不舒服。但我愛吃蒸魚配飯。我跟阿水海鮮的老闆和他的女兒碰了面，老闆負責煮食，女兒則負責服務所有的顧客。我跟他們說，食物美味極了。mickchug@gmail.com

        中譯：七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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