WET markets are generally perceived as stuffy, dirty and, well, wet. They are not the kind of place one would think of as a gourmet's paradise but some wet markets - or, rather, the cooked food centres - in the new Urban Council buildings have some hidden gems.
Up on the comfort and cleanliness ranks is the centre in Sing Woo Road in Happy Valley, probably one of the area's best-kept secrets. Here, there are no English signs, no English menus, and not even the frayed tablecloths that have become synonymous with cheap Chinese restaurants.
Each table is covered with disposable plastic 'tablecloths'; although not environmentally friendly, it avoids having to wash and wipe each table, especially since turnover is really high.
There are only two cooked food stalls in the centre operating in the evening: Chu Kee and Sheung Kee. Sadly for Chu Kee, most savvy Happy Valley residents swear by their rival's cooking and often prefer to wait up to 30 minutes for a table even though Chu Kee has empty tables. However, unsuspecting diners are sometimes lured over by Chu Kee staff.
For those unable to read Chinese, there is little to tell which tables belong to Chu Kee and which to Sheung Kee (situated to the right of the elevator as you come out) except for the menus. The menu for the former is red while the latter is black.
On weekends, the Happy Valley crowds descend on the stall and diners are often left with the choice of a long wait or dining at about 9pm and risking the stall running out of live seafood.
We chose to go on a Sunday - half the population of Happy Valley obviously had the same idea. It was noisy and took almost 15 minutes to get a table. (Despite being a dai pai dong, there is a certain etiquette diners should observe: do not sit until you are seated by a waiter.) All the live seafood had already gone, except for some clams which we ordered steamed with spring onions and garlic.