Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.... W. C. Fields

No, this post is not going to be about W.C. Fields, but I couldn't pass up his comment when I saw it, since this post is going to be about food. Not anything that I've cooked, this time, but street food that I found at the Friday night fair that is held each week in the underground carpark in Henderson. 

Unlike the foody travel shows on TV that you might have seen, I didn't buy and sample each item I'll show you. I had already eaten an early dinner at home, and I didn't want to spend a couple of $20's.  

I did buy one hard-boiled egg cooked in tea and spices though for a dollar, and some plums to bring home, but that was it.  

This is a view down one of the aisles at the fair. The fair starts at 5:30 pm and this was taken just about 6 I suppose. As you can see, the place is already jumping. I found that if I show up around 7 pm, it is so packed that it's elbow to elbow, too hot from all the grills and not as pleasant.  

So, lets get down to looking at some possibilities for a snack. Who doesn't like meat on a stick? There are lots of choices here...

These selections are fairly cheap, any 3 sticks for $5.

Sorry, my photographic skills are not evident in this next picture. The three items listed on the sign are garlic prawns, mussles, and squid tentacles.

Then there is the meat that goes into combination meals with an egg and the chopped up meat on top, and rice and some veggies down below in the bowl.(next picture down)  Not a bad price for a fast meal.

All this meat has made me thirsty, let's find a cool drink.

The girl working this booth looks unhappy with her job. It's true she didn't have any customers, at least not when I took this photo, but maybe that's because she was charging $5 for a coconut and everyone knows that you can buy the same thing at any fruit market around town for $1.99.

It's just not worth $3 to have someone knock a hole in the top and add a straw. 
Besides that, there is a thin layer of very tender, very delectable coconut 'meat' along the inside of the shell that can be scraped out with a spoon. I think it would be a shame to buy a 'drinking coconut' and then throw part of it's goodness away. 
Judging from the empty spaces in front of her booth, most people agree with me. 
Here is a photo from back in 2012 that shows the 'meat' inside.

Here's one of my favorites. They're called Khao Tom at an Asian market I frequent, but this version is a little better because they are grilled over charcoal just before they're given to a customer. It adds a little smokiness to the flavor too from the charring leaf. I'm sorry the photo is slightly out of focus. This is made by wrapping a length of banana in sweet, sticky rice and wrapping that in a banana leaf and steaming it. 

Khao Tom are delivered on Tuesday and Friday mornings to the Da Hua Market across from the Mall and since I shop in the morning, I often buy them while they are still warm from the steamer. 

Here is an in-focus photo I took of some Khao tom in 2013. These have taro inside instead of banana so the filling doesn't show up like banana would. (The sugars in the banana tend to turn it browner.)

This one is a 'Korean fritter' made with an egg batter and veggies or meats.

A kind of dumpling...

And here is my tea egg. It comes with a cracked but still attached peel. (I already peeled half of it)  You can make these at home. I found out that it's strong black tea and 5 spice powder. It tasted better than it looks but I'd prefer one of Jeanne's devilled eggs. 

These are waffles with sweet red-bean paste on  the inside.  

Purple rice congee is a rice porridge or pudding. It's sweet, but not too sweet.  I've had several kinds of congee since it is available canned in all the Asian markets. The can of congee also comes with a tiny plastic spoon so you can eat it on the run. Another fast food.

Finally, an old friend. Fritz's Wieners.  

Thank goodness for Fritz's Wiener stands. The first one I found, on my first trip by train into Auckland, was across from the Ferry Building. I tried their $7 spicy bratwurst. (In the photo, there is a pile of them on the right side of the grill and in the front row.) It was somewhat coarsely ground, juicy, spicy and salty. It is what all sausages ought to be. It's the kind of sausage that makes you want to eat it too quickly. These sausages remind me of home. 

Well, that's it for today. Are you hungry?                     -djf