A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix (Remixed Classics)

by C.B. Lee

There are piles of round flatbreads baked directly on a hot stone, sold by a man with kind eyes, a thick, curly beard, and an intricately wrapped turban. There are giant baos the size of my palm, stacked impossibly high in baskets as women yell out their various fillings. One stall is overladen with rich-looking sweets, like dates dripping with honey, and some confections I’ve only seen during festivals and the new year—rice cakes smothered in sweet syrup and long strips of sugar cake, glistening sticky-sweet as they are pan fried or smothered with red bean paste and baked into sweet baos. At another stall, customers sitting on makeshift stools eat steaming bowls of noodles steeped in rich-smelling broth. I watch as one bowl is assembled with lightning-quick speed: A woman ladles thin, delicate rice noodles into the bowl, tosses in fragrant herbs and onions, and then places slivers of raw beef on top before she ladles steaming broth over everything. The meat instantly goes from pink to cooked, and my mouth waters; it must be incredibly tender.