On the night that the so-called “Hong Kong institution” that once was Joe Bananas finally closed its creaky doors for the last time- another victim of the city’s spiraling rents virus- I met a friend for a very late night chat at Babu, the new kebab house down Cochrane Street and right next to Drop.
Even at 4am, Drop was bopping- mainly with- huh?- Eastern European males on the prowl and some other stragglers from Europe looking for some action.
After my friend having to cleverly talk her way outta some unwanted advances, we heard that earlier that night, the police finally arrived in full force and busted the posse of Nigerian coke dealers who have been openly doing business in that area for over two years.
This bust might have been prompted by the arrest last week of a 32-year-old expat carrying a substantial stash of coke, but by 4.30am, the same old pusher men were back in their “offices.”
Meanwhile, my Lebanese friend Joe, below, was manning the Babu fort along with one of his countrymen and a newbie staffer while we watched a group of Eastern European ladies see what they can get at what was now 6am.
As for Joe Bananas, like most “institutions”, the Fat Lady had sung for it five years ago.
It had grown as fat, old and fugly as the customers who still hung out there hoping for, well, anybody.
It’s lonely out in space and it’s even lonelier in Wanchai at a downbeat place like Joe Bananas which I hear has been sold to that cattle market almost across the road from it called Escape and who plan to turn it into another cattle market.
Jeez, with so many cows wandering around Wanchai these days be careful of stampedes.
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