When a dish is named after 'foo yong', literally 'white lotus petals', it denotes the food has the same soft and silky texture as the lotus flower. Egg foo yong derives from a Cantonese dish in which beaten eggs are fried slowly until crispy golden brown on the outside, while creamy and tender on the inside. It is time-consuming to make, which is the reason why egg foo yong is rare to find among student canteens in CUHK, where meals have to be served in a short time span.

Mr. Leo Lee, manager of the United College Student Canteen, dares to break new ground by serving egg foo yong on a sizzling plate, and thus delegating the slow-frying process to the hot iron. The hardest part is to select the right iron plate­—if too shallow, the fluid will spread over too wide; too thick, the heat it generates will burn the egg mixture. It was only after a decent amount of trial and error that Mr. Lee began to find the perfect container.

Ingredients of the incarnation of egg foo yong include shrimps, sliced sausages, shredded ham, bean sprouts and chives, which are stir-fried to 70% done beforehand. When receiving an order, the cook will take the pre-heated sizzle plate out of the oven, further fry the meat and vegetables until 90% done, and pour in the beaten egg to mix with the ingredients. What it takes is a mere 30 seconds. When the eater comes to fetch the food, two to three minutes have passed, and the lotus will already have actualized itself on the sizzling plate.

Mr. Lee suggested that after placing an order, one should pick up the food as soon as it is ready, lest the lotus egg becomes over-cooked and turns dry. The accompanying bowl of rice needs to be added into the plate and mix well to merge with the aroma of the eggs and the sweetness of the vegetables.