These small but dense cakes filled with lotus paste and a whole egg-yolk centre symbolise the full moon, and it is the accepted practice to share a cake with friends, family and colleagues.
Ramen noodle dishes such as tan tan men (whole-wheat egg noodles and spicy miso with pork and spicy homemade sausage), dumplings and hot tapas (locals line up for the duck-fat fried chicken) are local favorites.
Kneeling close, you could see how deceptively alive the shell-y mud was: It harbored whole scuttling ecologies of oyster-drill snails, tiny shrimp and crabs, and floating egg cases.