April 28, 2005

ChiComs Have Gone Too Far

It's one thing to take control of Hong Kong, one of the most free places on earth. But messing with the city's most popular cuisine may have pushed residents over the edge:

A report by the Hong Kong government suggesting that eating many kinds of dim sum regularly may be bad for your health is threatening to overshadow whatever else might be worrying the people of this city.

Practically every Chinese-language newspaper here has run a banner headline about it across its front page. Scrolling electronic displays in subway cars have flashed the news, and the report has become a topic of breakfast, lunch and dinner conversations at Chinese restaurants across the city.

Longtime dim sum lovers are indignant.

"The government is putting its thumb on every part of citizens' lives, and it shouldn't be telling anyone how dim sum should be served," said Wong Yuen, a retired mechanic and truck driver who says he has eaten dim sum every morning for the last two decades. "People can make their own decisions. If it's unhealthy, they can eat less. They don't need the government to tell them."

Now, where can a guy get steamed dumplings around here at 2 am?

"Dim Sum Under Assault, and Devotees Say 'Hands Off'"