Hong Kong - your favorite breakfast?
Sep 9th, 2004, 04:18 PM
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Hong Kong - your favorite breakfast?
We will be spending 6 nights in HKG. Our hotel stay does not include breakfast. Usually when breakfast is not included, we like to eat outside of hotels when in Europe.
This is our first time in Asia, I collected all information on this board, re" restaurants, thank you for all your recommendations.
The question I have now - what is your favorite breakfast?
We will be staying in Langam hotel (former Great Eagle). Any good places to eat nearby? Not interested in American buffet breakfasts. Like good pastries and also will be interested in Dim Sum for breakfast and other Asian type breakfast food.
thanks
This is our first time in Asia, I collected all information on this board, re" restaurants, thank you for all your recommendations.
The question I have now - what is your favorite breakfast?
We will be staying in Langam hotel (former Great Eagle). Any good places to eat nearby? Not interested in American buffet breakfasts. Like good pastries and also will be interested in Dim Sum for breakfast and other Asian type breakfast food.
thanks
Sep 9th, 2004, 07:28 PM
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My favorite Hong Kong breakfast is cheong fun (steamed sheet of rice-roll) that's sold on the street from unlicensed vendors from a cart. It's steamed and rolled fresh, cut into pieces, and put into a little paper bag, with hoi seen sauce on top.
There used be a covered food-court just north of the Great Eagle, on Haiphong Road under the Kowloon Park Drive. It may still be there, and is just a couple of minutes from your hotel. They have all kinds of local Chinese breakfast stuff, like congee and the cheong fun I was describing. Check it out.
There used be a covered food-court just north of the Great Eagle, on Haiphong Road under the Kowloon Park Drive. It may still be there, and is just a couple of minutes from your hotel. They have all kinds of local Chinese breakfast stuff, like congee and the cheong fun I was describing. Check it out.
Sep 10th, 2004, 02:10 AM
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A very good dim sum place on the Kowloon side is the Wan Loong Court Restaurant in the Kowloon Hotel. It is basically next door to your hotel. Note that you may find that many dim sum restaurants do not open or do not serve dim sum menu items until 10 am or later, as dim sum is traditionally more of a brunch/lunch time affair.
Wan Loong Court Restaurant
Kowloon Hotel
19-21 Nathan Road,
On the Hong Kong Island side, a popular restaurant for dim sum is:
Maxim's Palace City Hall Chinese Restaurant
2/F, Low Block
City Hall, Central
Tel: 2521 1303
This restaurant is in the City Hall building, very close to the Star Ferry, and has a nice harbour view. They have carts, and is one of the few places left which uses dim sum carts.
Another good dim sum place on Hong Kong Island is
Metropol Restaurant
4th Floor, United Centre
95 Queensway, Admiralty
Tel: 2865 1988
http://www.heichinrou.com
Also has the carts. Good food and good value. No views. It is across the street from Pacific Place Mall and easily reached by MTR or the Tram.
I am sorry to say that good western-style pastries and bakeries in general are hard to find in Hong Kong (I lived there for 5 years, and now live in Switzerland where there are GREAT pastries.) One exception is the Mandarin Cake Shop in the Mandarin Hotel which has excellent pastries, cakes, etc. (The shop actually has its own entrance on Chater Street.) You might check other hotel lobbies which may also have pastry shops. I believe the Island Shangri-La has a good bakery in the lobby, it is also near Pacific Place.
There is also a number of outlets of the French bakery Fauchon as well as Deli France which offers breakfast and pastries. There is a Fauchon outlet in Exchange Square (near the Star Ferry terminal in Central) and one in Pacific Place. There are a larger number of Deli France outlets, go to http://www.delifrance.com.hk/delihome.html for locations. I have to say that pastries at Deli France are average, and after having the real thing in Europe, you may find them disappointing.
There is a local chain of coffee shops called Pacific Coffee Company which offers muffins, etc. It is like a Starbucks (but was there well before Starbucks showed up). Take a look at http://www.pacificcoffee.com/eng/home.php for locations.
A great thing to do for breakfast, IMO, is to go up to the Peak early in the morning and either bring breakfast or stop and pick up something at one of the little sandwich places in the shopping centre which forms part of the Peak Tram station on the Peak. It is usually not at all crowded, and you can take a walk around the Lugard Road circuit, which is a flat pedestrian-only road which leads off from the Peak Tram station, and circles around the Peak, giving great views of the city and the back side of Hong Kong Island. The walk takes about an hour. In the hot months (about 9 moths of the year) it is also nice and cool there. You can take the Peak Tram up or take a taxi from the Star Ferry Pier (I am guessing the fare would be about HK$25), or take the No 15C bus from the Star Ferry Pier. (No 15 bus also goes to the Peak, but 15C goes to the Tram Station which is a bit more convenient.) Of course don't do this if it isn't a nice clear day.
The Peak Lookout restaurant on the Peak may do breakfast, including local dishes. I have not been there since it reopened. It used to be the Peak Café with a great breakfast of mostly Thai and Indian dishes, and had outdoor tables with views over the backside of Hong Kong Island. I am not sure what they do currently. Take a look at
THE PEAK LOOKOUT
121 Peak Rd.
Phone: 2849-1000
Another fun thing to do in the morning is take the No. 6 bus from the main bus terminus at Exchange Place in Central (near the Star Ferry) up over the mountains and down into Stanley, a great ride for about US$1. Get a seat upstairs in front (buses are double decker) for the best thrills. You will find restaurants strung along the beach here, and there is a Deli France and some other café type shops. You can also do some shopping when the stores open. (Don?t take the 6A or 6X bus from Central, as they go through the Aberdeen Tunnel, missing the best bits of the ride, IMO, which are up and over the highest mountains.)
Finally, I hate to say it, but McDonalds does a good breakfast and is very, very cheap. The locals like it too, so you will be in good company.. . .
Not sure if you will be there for mid-Autumn Festival which is celebrated on September 29 this year, but really runs for most of September and also a bit into October. If so, be sure to try the mooncakes!! Also go to Victoria Park on the evening of the festival to see all the lanterns which people bring out. A great place to watch this is from the bar on top of the Park Lane Hotel, which overlooks Victoria Park.
Wan Loong Court Restaurant
Kowloon Hotel
19-21 Nathan Road,
On the Hong Kong Island side, a popular restaurant for dim sum is:
Maxim's Palace City Hall Chinese Restaurant
2/F, Low Block
City Hall, Central
Tel: 2521 1303
This restaurant is in the City Hall building, very close to the Star Ferry, and has a nice harbour view. They have carts, and is one of the few places left which uses dim sum carts.
Another good dim sum place on Hong Kong Island is
Metropol Restaurant
4th Floor, United Centre
95 Queensway, Admiralty
Tel: 2865 1988
http://www.heichinrou.com
Also has the carts. Good food and good value. No views. It is across the street from Pacific Place Mall and easily reached by MTR or the Tram.
I am sorry to say that good western-style pastries and bakeries in general are hard to find in Hong Kong (I lived there for 5 years, and now live in Switzerland where there are GREAT pastries.) One exception is the Mandarin Cake Shop in the Mandarin Hotel which has excellent pastries, cakes, etc. (The shop actually has its own entrance on Chater Street.) You might check other hotel lobbies which may also have pastry shops. I believe the Island Shangri-La has a good bakery in the lobby, it is also near Pacific Place.
There is also a number of outlets of the French bakery Fauchon as well as Deli France which offers breakfast and pastries. There is a Fauchon outlet in Exchange Square (near the Star Ferry terminal in Central) and one in Pacific Place. There are a larger number of Deli France outlets, go to http://www.delifrance.com.hk/delihome.html for locations. I have to say that pastries at Deli France are average, and after having the real thing in Europe, you may find them disappointing.
There is a local chain of coffee shops called Pacific Coffee Company which offers muffins, etc. It is like a Starbucks (but was there well before Starbucks showed up). Take a look at http://www.pacificcoffee.com/eng/home.php for locations.
A great thing to do for breakfast, IMO, is to go up to the Peak early in the morning and either bring breakfast or stop and pick up something at one of the little sandwich places in the shopping centre which forms part of the Peak Tram station on the Peak. It is usually not at all crowded, and you can take a walk around the Lugard Road circuit, which is a flat pedestrian-only road which leads off from the Peak Tram station, and circles around the Peak, giving great views of the city and the back side of Hong Kong Island. The walk takes about an hour. In the hot months (about 9 moths of the year) it is also nice and cool there. You can take the Peak Tram up or take a taxi from the Star Ferry Pier (I am guessing the fare would be about HK$25), or take the No 15C bus from the Star Ferry Pier. (No 15 bus also goes to the Peak, but 15C goes to the Tram Station which is a bit more convenient.) Of course don't do this if it isn't a nice clear day.
The Peak Lookout restaurant on the Peak may do breakfast, including local dishes. I have not been there since it reopened. It used to be the Peak Café with a great breakfast of mostly Thai and Indian dishes, and had outdoor tables with views over the backside of Hong Kong Island. I am not sure what they do currently. Take a look at
THE PEAK LOOKOUT
121 Peak Rd.
Phone: 2849-1000
Another fun thing to do in the morning is take the No. 6 bus from the main bus terminus at Exchange Place in Central (near the Star Ferry) up over the mountains and down into Stanley, a great ride for about US$1. Get a seat upstairs in front (buses are double decker) for the best thrills. You will find restaurants strung along the beach here, and there is a Deli France and some other café type shops. You can also do some shopping when the stores open. (Don?t take the 6A or 6X bus from Central, as they go through the Aberdeen Tunnel, missing the best bits of the ride, IMO, which are up and over the highest mountains.)
Finally, I hate to say it, but McDonalds does a good breakfast and is very, very cheap. The locals like it too, so you will be in good company.. . .
Not sure if you will be there for mid-Autumn Festival which is celebrated on September 29 this year, but really runs for most of September and also a bit into October. If so, be sure to try the mooncakes!! Also go to Victoria Park on the evening of the festival to see all the lanterns which people bring out. A great place to watch this is from the bar on top of the Park Lane Hotel, which overlooks Victoria Park.
Sep 10th, 2004, 04:46 AM
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Thank you all for great suggestions. Unfortunately, first 3 mornings we attend a conference(at Hong Kong convention center) so we will not able to have dim sum at 10am . But then we will be going to one day to Stanley market and another to Lantau Island so we will try these places Cucerone suggested. We actually will be in Hong Kong on September 29. Will try mooncakes. thanks! Sophia
Sep 10th, 2004, 07:59 AM
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While the fancier Chinese restaurants Cicerone recommends don't open till 10 or 11, most others do open at 7am, and a few even at 6am. Some of the Jade Garden or Maxim should open relatively early too, just not the ones in Central. But for the really early ones, you need to get into the more downscale areas north of Tsim Sha Tsui. Or in the older section of Wan Chai on HK Island. Local people definitely do eat dim sum for breakfast, not just for brunch/lunch.
Mooncakes used to be fun food to eat, but in recent years they've become a gift item and are priced so ridiculously high that we don't buy it anymore, in Hong Kong or in N. America. In fact, many traditional Chiense restaurants/bakeries make most of their money during this festival.
A mooncake now costs like US$4-5 each, and it's just flour, salty duck eggs, lotus paste. The incredients cost maybe 50 US cents or less. If you want to try one, get it the morning after the festival, where they'll be selling at a fraction of what it costs 24 hours prior.
Mooncakes used to be fun food to eat, but in recent years they've become a gift item and are priced so ridiculously high that we don't buy it anymore, in Hong Kong or in N. America. In fact, many traditional Chiense restaurants/bakeries make most of their money during this festival.
A mooncake now costs like US$4-5 each, and it's just flour, salty duck eggs, lotus paste. The incredients cost maybe 50 US cents or less. If you want to try one, get it the morning after the festival, where they'll be selling at a fraction of what it costs 24 hours prior.
Nov 7th, 2004, 11:59 PM
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Ahh Hong Kong is such a nostalgic place as you mention all these good food!
Personally, I find looking for good American Breakfast more challenging in this Asian City. The Best most relaxing Sunday morning breakfast to be had is at Dan Ryan's At Pacific Place. The pancakes there come thick and generous, best downed with American coffee (free flow).
I luurved the doughnuts at Mandarin Cake shop, they alternate weekly between vanilla cream and chocolate cream filling!
The best cheong fun I tasted and which I return again and again is the Har Cheong Fun (Prawn Steamed rice roll) at Times Square. The shop is at ground level, diagonally opposite Lane Crawford entrance, There are bamboo decorations at the shop frontage. Perhaps rkkwan can give us the name...
Personally, I find looking for good American Breakfast more challenging in this Asian City. The Best most relaxing Sunday morning breakfast to be had is at Dan Ryan's At Pacific Place. The pancakes there come thick and generous, best downed with American coffee (free flow).
I luurved the doughnuts at Mandarin Cake shop, they alternate weekly between vanilla cream and chocolate cream filling!
The best cheong fun I tasted and which I return again and again is the Har Cheong Fun (Prawn Steamed rice roll) at Times Square. The shop is at ground level, diagonally opposite Lane Crawford entrance, There are bamboo decorations at the shop frontage. Perhaps rkkwan can give us the name...
Nov 8th, 2004, 05:08 AM
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Now we are back from HKG and I filed trip report here. Search on my name and Hong Kong. To summarize, we enjoyed full buffet breakfasts in Langham hotel where was a variety of American, British, Japanese and Chinese food for breakfast. So I've tasted everything and my favorite was a dim sum for breakfast. With Congee, I probably did not use right ingredients on top so it tasted bland to me.
