Anyone who can say 'Schnapps Slurpy' three times in a row after drinking three Schnapps Slurpies, declares former reporter Tad Stoner, 'deserves to get one free Schnapps Snur ... er, Shlox Slap ... um, a free drink'.
Tad and Iris Stoner are perhaps the only husband-and-wife journalists who both gave up the Fifth Estate to become publicans. And while being fast on one's feet and fast with the retort is no guarantee of restaurant success, the Stoners seem to have made it on Peng Chau.
Peng Chau has no paucity of eating places, both Chinese and European. But, except for the jetty-setters on the weekends, the island still has a remote feel. Streets wind up hills, paths lead around the harbour, and it is so environmentally 'backward' that at night one can see the stars.
The Stoners lived on Peng Chau while working as writers. Then Stoner decided a change was necessary. He knew a chef, knew a location near his home, inherited a name, The Forest, and soon was in business.
And business is good: on weekends, the 60-odd outdoor seats on the harbour fill up early, with boatloads coming on the hourly trip. Weekdays, Discovery Bay residents turn up, either in their own craft or the hourly shuttle.
Some enjoy sitting inside, as Stoner presides behind the bar, doing his Cheers act with cocktails and patter. Most prefer sitting outside which, even on the steamiest nights, has a beguiling atmosphere.