Lunch at Hakka Masti, an Indian-style Chinese Restaurant in Delta
Saturday September 20th
We had a great turnout at the Hakka Masti Restaurant as we were all quite curious to try their Indian-style Hakka Chinese cuisine.
I'd booked the place and advised the manager, John, of the numbers ahead of time, but the restaurant is woefully short staffed and he was the only person on hand to service 25 hungry patrons! Understandably he looked rather frazzled as he took down our orders. Apparently there was only one cook in the kitchen too, so our food was VERY slow in arriving. The first two tables of eight people each were served within the first half hour, but we, at the third table, being late comers, fidgeted hungrily for a good hour or more, before the food eventually materialized on our table.
Conversation flowed across the tables as we waited, and it was a great opportunity to catch up on news from some folks who we hadn't seen for quite a long time: Gil and Barb McLaren from Mission and Vancouverites Leonie and Lorelei Todd. Joining us also from Vancouver, Eric Liu, an enthusiastic gastronome (and an ex Calcutta-wallah), and from Richmond, Lyce and Rick Rosario ( more about their adventures en route, below).
 John, our waiter, explains the menu to Lorelei Todd |
 Eric "shoots" me as Gil and Barbara McLaren look on. |
 Raywyn's 'fed up' at being 'un-fed' |
 Pam Soares chats with Rita, while Stan Soares and Ashley Orton look on |
 Backs to the camera, Brian and Freda D'Souza; Mark (looking away) and Olga Vaz, and Rita Watts |
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.JPG) Lyce and Ricardo Rosario with Lorelei Todd |
.JPG) Leonie Todd looks perplexed! Raywyn smiles for the camera, Ian looks serious - he's starving! |
.JPG) Yummm! Jacquie Michael and Rosemary Wright get ready to tuck in! |
Also with us this afternoon were Stan and Pam Soares who are rarely seen these days, and Bob and Deanne Fernandes who made time in their busy schedule to join us. It was great to welcome folks from the Seniors' group, Mark and Olga Vaz and Ken and Gladys Verhoven. Always welcome too, were Jacqueline Michael and her bro Ashley Orton, who like Rita Watts and Trevor and Rosemary Wright, are staunch supporters of our Club get togethers. Speaking of Rita and Trevor, a special vote of thanks goes out to both of them for phoning around to let folks know about this event.
 Gil and Barbara McLaren and moi. |
 Backs to the camera, Rita Watts, Pam Soares and next to her, hubby Stan, Ashley Orton, Brian and Freda D'Souza, Mark and Olga Vaz |
 Food's up! Trevor Wright, Deanne and Bob Fernandes are happy! |
Apparently the restaurant wasn't too easy to find, so the McLarens and the Todds went on a bit of a hunting spree around the area before finally spotting the restaurant billboard. Richmond residents, Lyce and Rick Rosario, however, are in a class all by themselves when it comes to getting lost. According to Lyce, they'd been driving for over 90 minutes having taken the wrong exit off the freeway and wandered through Ladner, Tsawwassen, Queensborough, Marine Drive, and heaven alone knows where else. Still hopelessly lost somewhere in New Westminster, Lyce frantically phoned the restaurant for directions. She regaled us with her meanderings, while we waited...and waited...and waited for our meals to arrive.
When our food was eventually served—mounds of orange-coloured Hakka Masti mixed noodles, fried rice, succulent spicy tiger prawns, and General Tso chicken etc.—everyone agreed that the food was excellent and well worth the wait.
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PS: Next time (in October), who's interested in trying the South Indian dosas at the Desi Dosa Madras restaurant next door to the Hakka Masti? Specially now that you know the way!
