Hong Kong
Activities & Sights
Tian Tan (Big Buddha)
Our first stop after landing in Hong Kong was at the epic Big Buddha on Ngong Ping Lantau island – a short distance from the airport. An incredible, cultural welcome to the city. Big Buddha definitely lived up to his name. The 268 step climb to get up close and personal with the big guy was definitely a way to jump right into this Asian heat & humidity! Thank goodness for the Cable Car (well worth the $255 HKD) ride we took from the base of Tung Chung all the way up to the top. Breezy & breathtaking views of the bay and Hong Kong – take a look for yourself:
PMQ (Police Married Quarters)
The journey to Police Married Quarters was a challenging, sweaty hike up San Francisco-esque streets on Hong Kong Island, yet a wonderful surprise! This old police compound was renovated into an eclectic assortment of co-working spaces, boutique shops, tasty cafes and artistic experiential establishments that are scattered throughout the 7 story building. We were drawn to a peculiar room that had music playing and was covered in “tiles” made of colorful silk.
A sweet girl named Polly invited us in to sit back, relax and enjoy the music genre of our choice (we picked classical). In a city that seems to be constantly bustling, it was refreshing to discover this little haven of tranquility! After we finished our musical escapade, Polly took us out front for a photo seen below. This experience reminded us that home is wherever our backpacks are!
Temple Street Night Market
Yau Ma Tei & Kowloon, Hong Kong
Somewhat of a glorified flea market, Temple Street had stall after stall of cheap electronics, knock off designer purses, Asian relics like chop sticks, silk dresses, elephant pants and much more! Since we’re traveling light we didn’t buy much except for a 3 in 1 fish eye, wide eye and zoom lense for our iPhones. At $30 HKD ($5 US) we got a steal!
Local Eats
I should preface the food section by acknowledging we are Anthony Bourdain fanatics and plan to follow his No Reservations Guides as we make our way through Southeast Asia. Most of his suggestions are hole in the wall, locals only places. Hong Kong did not disappoint!
** Edit: since the post was written, Anthony Bourdain has left this world. His legacy continues to live on and we will still follow his journey and continue to be inspired by his adventures and outlook on expanding cultural horizons.**
Tung Po Kitchen
99 Java Road, North Point
This spot is an unassuming gem! We cautiously wandered into the second story of what appeared to be a local market of some sorts, only to be greeted by a friendly, but busy hostess, who told us there would be a one hour wait to be seated! Of course there was no hesitation, as we came in search of the notorious Black Squid Ink Spaghetti (delicious, but as you can see, quite messy).
Thankfully, about ten minutes into our wait the hostess asked in broken English if we’d like to sit at a community table. This of course was a no-brainer since we were here to get the most authentic experience possible! We were seated with a family of three generations, (grandma, her son and his 13-year-old boy), all born and raised in Hong Kong. They were extremely kind and helpful to offer dining tips, such as use the hot water in front of us to wash our dishes before eating! We also got a mini-language lesson from TJ, the 13-year-old son, who taught us simple, yet important Cantonese phrases like m̀hgòi (thank you & please).
Sing Heung Yen
2 Mee Lin Street, Central
Just a short hop, skip and a jump away from PMQ, is another Anthony Bourdain recommendation, Sing Hueng Yen. We knew this place was going to be good when we were the only tourists trying to get a seat. Although the alleyway restaurant was jam packed, we were seated within minutes at yet another community table with locals who gave us a little look and smile but did not seem to speak any English (and with our lack of Cantonese skills, we’ve mostly resorted to universal hand signals these days).
What makes this place unique from most traditional Hong Kong restaurants is the menu which interestingly combines Western Food such as ham, sausage, and eggs with Asian Food like noodles and chicken feet. As we looked around us, it appeared the popular menu choice was a noodle bowl (choice of macaroni, ramen-like noodles, or rice noodles), roasted tomatoes and some sort of other choice ingredients thrown into the mix. Feeling like I needed some veggies in my life, I opted for the vegetable & tomato noodle bowl seen here while Sean made a more flavorful decision to order the sausage, egg and tomato bowl (which I stole a few bites from as we both unashamedly struggled to maneuver the noodles with our chopsticks). A nice elderly lady working there may or may not have come over and handed us forks while trying to stifle a giggle.
Ozone
1 Austin Road, The Ritz-Carlton, West Kowloon
Treat yo self. While most of our Southeast Asia trip will be done adhering to a daily and monthly budget, we are firm believers in not holding back from splurging every once in awhile. Especially when it’s from the 118th floor of the Ritz-Carlton, overlooking the sweeping views of Victoria Bay and the lit-up Hong Kong Skyline. At $185 HKD a piece, these were not the cheapest drinks we’ve found around here, but by far the most delicious and exquisitely prepared.
The bar staff was hard at work prepping for evening service and we spent about 2 hours mesmerized by the art of their cocktail preparation and concoction.
Dragontini
Vodka • Raspberry • Lime • Elderflower • Basil • Yuzu Foam
Kowloon Buck
Bourbon • Mango / Lychee • Lime • Ginger Beer
Thai City Restaurant
27 Woosung Street, Jordan
Right around the corner from Temple Street Night market, Thai City Restaurant was a special find for us, because unlike our other dining decisions, this spot did not come recommended from Anthony Bourdain. We had walked past a few spots with geese, chicken and an assortment of other unmentionables hanging in the windows but nothing seemed to peak our interest. When we approached Thai City Restaurant, we were immediately drawn to this hole in the wall because every table was packed and the two employees seemed to be playing host, chef, and busboy too!
After a few hours of bargaining and bartering with the vendors on Temple Street, we were sure hungry for some hearty Thai food. Thank goodness for menus with pictures, as neither one of the workers knew much English at all – a telltale sign that whatever we ordered would be tasty! One thing we’ve found unique about ordering food here is that waving someone down to order your meal is quite customary, as opposed to very rude in the U.S!
We finally decided after much deliberation, to order some mixed vegetables, Papaya Salad, and Chicken Pad Thai. Pictured is only the Pad Thai because we scarfed down our Papaya Salad ravenous-style before either one of us could snap a photo.
Tim Ho Wan
2 Hoi Ting, Mong Kok
Otherwise known as the world’s cheapest Michelin Star Restaurant, Tim Ho Wan is famous for it’s mouthwatering Dim Sum. We tried a bit of this, a bit of that. Pictured you’ll see a simple dish of chicken, mushroom, and rice. There are many of these restaurants scattered around the city, definitely worth a try just to say you’ve been, but in our opinion, some more unassuming, local spots are higher on our list of the faves.
Juice Bar
Des Voeux West, Sai Ying Pun
Juice bars seem to be the popular thing in Hong Kong. And what a refreshing treat it is to sip on some fresh squeezed tropical fruit juice in the middle of a hot, humid Hong Kong day. This little spot was right around the corner from our hotel and has been in business since 1999! Seemed like a pretty straightforward choice to try it out. We enjoyed our mango/papaya and kiwi/papaya drinks so much, we went back a second time for more!
Hong Kong Brewhouse
21 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central
Where there is craft beer, you can bet we will find it. Our search for Bar George (which turned out to be out of business) led us to the nightlife area of LKF (Lan Kwai Fong). Bars, hookah lounges, and clubs lined this pedestrian-only party site, with people from all over the world spilling into the streets. After walking in circles looking for Bar George to no avail, we ended up at Hong Kong Brewhouse and were ecstatic to find an extensive beer list featuring brews from all over the world.
Be sure to check out Hong Kong Brewhouse’s underground live music area downstairs!
What We Found Helpful
Octopus Card
We used this prepaid transportation card to navigate the city with the underground metro system. No need to take taxis or buses when you have an Octopus!
m̀hgòi for the memories, Hong Kong! We can’t wait to come back!
