On the Menu | Hong Kong food heroes TamJai and Chicken Egg Boy the stars of Clockenflap’s eating options

Two things can be true at once: we can grieve and feel the full force of emotions that come following such a tragedy, and we can also commit ourselves to living life as fully as we can, while we can. For many, I think the festival offered an opportunity to heal through music while having a positive collective experience.

While feedback on Clockenflap has been a mixed bag over the years, I could not help but notice an uptick in glowing reviews this time among the local community.

Through my very unofficial research on social media, it appears that the biggest hit – foodwise – this year was the prominent presence of a local sponsor: TamJai, the Hong Kong-born noodle shop that has spawned brands including TamJai Yunnan Mixian, TamJai SamGor Mixian, and TamJai Mixian.

I thought it was brilliant – a local festival should centre on local heroes, after all, and this year’s TamJai Avenue proved a success, providing hungry music lovers with bowls of piping hot and spicy soup noodles as well as chilli-laced cocktails in collaboration with Perfume Trees Gin. Proceeds from the three days of sales were also donated to Tung Wah’s relief fund.