Our dim sum gathering today turned out to be much more than simply having lunch together. It became another enjoyable afternoon filled with friendship, good food, lively conversations, and shared excitement about our upcoming BBQ karaoke gathering.
Earlier in the morning, Julie and I went to Rouge Woods Community Centre for our regular ping pong session. As always, the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. Most of us are no longer focused on winning or playing aggressively. We simply try to keep the ball on the table, stay active, and enjoy the game together.
After ping pong, a group of us gathered for dim sum lunch at YU Seafood Richmond Hill.
Since we had a fairly large group, we ordered two baskets or plates of many dishes so everyone could share comfortably. Before long, the entire table was filled with steaming hot dim sum and delicious Cantonese dishes, including:
- steamed beef balls
- siu mai
- chicken feet
- spring rolls
- ham sui gok
- beef rice rolls
- red rice rolls with scallops
- steamed pork ribs
- chicken buns
- Mexican-style char siu bao
- stir-fried beef noodles
- stir-fried four-season green beans with minced pork and olive vegetables
The quality of the food impressed many of us. Considering the environment and presentation, the cost of around $21 per person felt quite reasonable.
Naturally, the lunch conversation soon turned into a friendly “dim sum review conference.” Everyone shared opinions about the quality and value of different restaurants around Richmond Hill and Markham.
The general conclusion from the table was:
- Kingfield Restaurant 御品remains the winner for value and affordability.
- Yu Seafood 鱼膳房stands out for quality and presentation.
- The One聚尤轩 is also excellent, although booking large tables for more than twelve people can sometimes be difficult.
What made the gathering enjoyable was not only the food itself, but also the conversations around the table. Yum cha has always been about more than eating. It is about friendship, chatting, exchanging stories, sharing local food information, and enjoying time together.
Soon the discussion shifted toward our upcoming BBQ karaoke gathering.
Many exciting food ideas were suggested for the next BBQ menu:
- Pacific saury秋刀鱼
- Halibut collar鱼胶
- Giant squid
- Octopus八爪魚
- Oysters
- shrimps
- Sirloin beef ribs
- Pork neck
- Cheese sausages
- Chicken wings
- Salmon heads
- Sweet potatoes
- Corn
Some friends even suggested adding more seafood while trying to keep the budget around $25 per person. Once food became the topic, everyone became enthusiastic and full of ideas.
After lunch, several of us stopped by Btrust Supermarket to check out some promotional specials. We found smoked duck breast for $6.99 per box and boneless roasted duck for $8.99 per package. Quite a few friends happily bought some to take home. Sometimes these small discoveries become part of the fun of gathering together.
Our conversation also touched on ping pong skills and techniques.
Although most of us mainly play table tennis for health and enjoyment nowadays, we still enjoy discussing the techniques used by world-class players. Someone mentioned Zhang Jike’s famous backhand flick, while others talked about the newer forehand flick technique that has become increasingly popular among advanced players.
Everyone agreed that these are highly advanced table tennis skills requiring excellent reflexes, timing, touch, and footwork. For recreational senior players like us, they are certainly not easy to master. Still, simply appreciating and discussing these techniques adds another layer of enjoyment to the sport.
That is one of the beautiful things about ping pong. Even inside a community centre among friends, people continue learning, observing, and sharing ideas about the game they love.
Looking back, today’s activities were actually very simple:
ping pong, dim sum, supermarket shopping, and conversation.
Yet sometimes the happiest moments in retirement life come from exactly these kinds of ordinary gatherings — simple moments shared with good friends, good food, laughter, and something enjoyable to look forward to together.
#GrandpaJourney #DimSum #YuSeafood #RichmondHill #RetirementLife #Friendship #PingPong #ChineseFood #BBQParty #KaraokeGathering #SeniorLife #FoodAndFriendship #CantoneseCuisine
點心聚會與燒烤卡拉 OK 的期待
今天又是一個開心而充實的聚會日。
早上，我和 Julie 先到 Rouge Woods Community Centre 打乒乓球，之後與一班朋友到 YU Seafood Richmond Hill 飲茶聚餐。
回到家吃晚飯時，我其實只吃了一點點東西，因為中午真的吃得太豐富了！
由於我們人數較多，所以很多點心都點了兩籠或兩碟，方便大家一起分享。整張桌子很快便擺滿了熱騰騰的點心與菜式，包括：
- 牛肉球
- 燒賣
- 鳳爪
- 春卷
- 鹹水角
- 牛肉腸粉
- 帶子紅米腸粉
- 排骨
- 雞包
- 墨西哥叉燒包
- 乾炒牛河
- 橄欖菜肉碎四季豆
大家都吃得非常開心。以這樣的質素與環境來說，每人大約二十一元，其實算相當合理。
當然，一班華人長者聚在一起飲茶，話題很自然便變成「點心評論大會」。
大家討論 Richmond Hill 和 Markham 各間酒樓的點心質素與價格：
- 論價錢與抵食，Kingfield Restaurant 是冠軍。
- 論點心質素與賣相，Yu Seafood 勝出。
- “The One” 也是不錯的選擇，只是要訂十二人以上的大枱比較困難。
其實，飲茶從來不只是吃東西。
更重要的是聊天、交流、分享生活、交換「美食情報」，以及享受朋友之間的歡樂時光。有時候，大家的談笑聲甚至比點心本身更令人滿足。
之後，我們又談到即將舉行的 BBQ 卡拉 OK 聚會。
目前計劃中的食物已經相當吸引：
- 日式秋刀鱼
- 大魷魚
- 八爪魚
- 生蠔
- 西冷牛肋骨
- 豬頸肉
- 芝士腸
- 雞翼
- 三文魚頭
- 番薯
- 粟米
有朋友提議再增加一些海鮮，希望在每人約二十五元的預算下，把燒烤餐單再升級。大家一談到食物，立刻變得非常投入與興奮。
飲茶後，我們幾位朋友又順道到 Btrust Supermarket 看看特價貨品。
我們發現：
- 煙燻鴨胸每磅 $6.99
- 去骨燒鴨每包 $8.99
不少朋友都開心地買了一些回家。
除了美食與燒烤話題外，我們的聊天內容還談到乒乓球技術。
雖然大家平日打球主要是為了健康和娛樂，但對世界級球員的技術仍然充滿興趣。有人提到張繼科著名的反手擰拉（backhand flick），也談到近年開始流行的正手擰拉（forehand flick）技術。
大家都認為，這些已經屬於高階乒乓球技巧，需要極快反應、良好手感、 timing 和步法配合，對業餘球友來說並不容易掌握。不過，即使未必能真正做到，欣賞與研究這些技術本身已經很有趣。
其實，這也是乒乓球吸引人的地方。
即使只是社區中心裡的友誼賽，大家依然會關注世界級選手的新打法、新旋轉與新技術。運動不只是運動，也是一種持續學習與交流。
回想今天，其實活動很簡單：
打乒乓球、飲茶、逛超市、聊天。
但也許，退休生活真正珍貴的地方，正正就在這些簡單時刻之中。
人生未必每天都要精彩刺激。
有時候，幸福其實只是：
有朋友、有美食、有笑聲，還有一些值得一起期待的事情。
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