Gai Daan Jai (Revised)

As defined by the Oxford Dictionary, a waffle is defined as, "a small crisp batter cake, baked in a waffle iron and eaten hot with butter or syrup". However, these aren't the waffles I am talking about. They may be golden, butter coated, and crisp, but thats where the similarities end. Round, melt in your mouth, 'Hong Kong-ese' Gai Daan Jai; now those are the type of waffles I'm talking about.  

One does not go about their day in the city of Hong Kong without coming across some Gai Daan Jai. The sweet aroma drifts through the streets, making its way to individual’s noses. The stall owners watch as crowds walk by, calling out to them different deals, negotiating prices. Once they’ve finally grabbed your attention by waving waffles in your face, shop owners say those 3 magical words, “we make fresh”. Those three little words is what gets me every time, because thats the best way to have them, fresh off the hot griddle.

Traditionally there was one flavor, original, but stall keepers have been keeping up with the trends, offering versions with various fillings. Red bean, green tea, custard, and even chocolate chips - they have it all!

Its as if each time is my first, I stand and wait excitedly, watching as buttery clouds escape from the gap between the two hot plates. The stall keeper will slowly open the pan to check on the waffles, and I follow by tiptoeing over the edge of the stall trying to eye the perfectly golden brown semi-spheres. I watch as the crisp edges are pulled off the pan and rolled into a cone-like formation. “Condensed milk? Peanut butter?” the stall keeper questions raising a knife to my perfection. I quickly shake my head and thank them as they hand me my Gai Daan Jai, egg waffles. 

Theres nothing that kills me more than watching some one bite right into their egg waffles, unevenly breaking through multiple bubbles. Theres a reason they are in bubbles, one is meant to start off by peeling a singular bubble off, and savouring the sweet-eggy taste in their mouth, before moving on to the next bubble and reliving the whole experience. 

People always compliment my “adventurous” taste in food, complimenting me on my ability to eat local street food. But Gai Daan Jai is more than street food to me, each individual bubble embodies parts of my childhood. What people fail to realize is that I am not some foreigner venturing out and trying “Hong Kong-ese” street food. I am local, I am “Hong Kong -ese”, and Gai Daan Jai is my favorite food.