A Meal Like No Other

“Although having Poon Choi for dinner may not seem like a big deal to you, these children have never had it before, so this special treat means a lot to them.”

DaDa, a social worker from our Mong Kok Center who accompanied the children to the Yau Yat Chuen Garden City Club’s Poon Choi festival.

Legend has it that during the Song Dynasty, when the Mongols invaded China, Emperor Bing and his troops fled to a village in the New Territories region of Hong Kong. The villagers cooked them a delicious dishes with the finest of ingredients, only to discover that they didn’t have enough bowls to serve everyone. Their ingenious solution was to stack the cooked food, layer upon layer, in large wooden wash basins!

Over time the dish, which today is known as Poon Choi, became a tradition, with each basin being filled to the brim with expensive dried seafood and roasted meats. It is served at the grandest of celebrations and symbolizes blessings.

Ling, like many of the children in our After School Care Service at Mong Kong Center (MKC), come from very humble circumstances and had never tried the Poon Choi, as it is very expensive. Many of her school friends had told her about it, and secretly she longed to try it also.

After a break of 3 years due to the pandemic, Yau Yat Chuen Garden City Club organized a Poon Choi feast for 200 underprivileged people. They asked surrounding charities to nominate people and as a result 30 of our MKC children received sponsorships! Ling was one of the happy guests, and she was overjoyed that her dream had come true.

Ling and the other children were utterly intrigued by the metal pot that was filled with numerous delicious foods. It was almost enough to feed a whole village! After she filled her tummy full and could eat no more, she was even allowed to take some food home for her mom and siblings!

We are so thankful to partners like Yau Yat Chuen Garden City Club, who use their cooking skills to serve low-income families. If you want to help feed the hungry, please email to corporate@christian-action.org.hk and/or support us thru our Food Programme.

Siew Mei