Hong Kong Trip Report
Oct 21st, 2012, 04:22 AM
#1
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Hong Kong Trip Report
Hi Everyone, I am sharing my Hong Kong trip report here to help anyone who is planning to go to Hong Kong.
My trip report can be found here:
http://asiatravelbug.blogspot.com/20...d-airport.html
Feel free to let me know if you have any questions, I hope this helps.
My trip report can be found here:
http://asiatravelbug.blogspot.com/20...d-airport.html
Feel free to let me know if you have any questions, I hope this helps.
Oct 22nd, 2012, 07:35 AM
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Perfect timing! A friend and I are going to Hong Kong for a few days next month and will be staying at the Kowloon Shangri-la. We have deluxe harbour view rooms and may decide to upgrade to Horizon Club. Will check Agoda's rates.
Oct 22nd, 2012, 03:10 PM
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Thanks for the nice reports and photos. I do have a few comments:
1. I would never recommend those hop-on hop-off buses to anyone. Regardless. Everybody seems bored on them, and transportation is so easy and cheap around the city.
2. You are either light eaters or light orderers. I'd expect most, especially Chinese, to spend at least twice, even three times, for eating at the Spring Deer and Shang Palace.
3. I have never eaten at Mak's on the Peak, but I recommend anybody to visit their original store in Central That looks like a real wonton shop, and serves basically nothing else. The Peak one doesn't resemble it.
4. Aberdeen Fishball places are for Fishball noodles and nothing else. Just like Mak's is just for wonton noodles.
5.. The Nan Lian Garden is a public garden owned by the government. It is however maintained by Chi Lin Nunnery across the roadway. The restaurant is also run by the nunnery.
1. I would never recommend those hop-on hop-off buses to anyone. Regardless. Everybody seems bored on them, and transportation is so easy and cheap around the city.
2. You are either light eaters or light orderers. I'd expect most, especially Chinese, to spend at least twice, even three times, for eating at the Spring Deer and Shang Palace.
3. I have never eaten at Mak's on the Peak, but I recommend anybody to visit their original store in Central That looks like a real wonton shop, and serves basically nothing else. The Peak one doesn't resemble it.
4. Aberdeen Fishball places are for Fishball noodles and nothing else. Just like Mak's is just for wonton noodles.
5.. The Nan Lian Garden is a public garden owned by the government. It is however maintained by Chi Lin Nunnery across the roadway. The restaurant is also run by the nunnery.
Oct 22nd, 2012, 06:27 PM
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Hi Rkkwan, Thanks for your additional insights. On your point #1, looking back, I felt completely ripped off by the Rickshaw bus tour. I should have taken the Ding Ding trams instead for a more authentic Hong Kong experience.
And yes, we're light eaters!
And yes, we're light eaters!
Oct 22nd, 2012, 08:59 PM
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Looking at your photos (and my own) more closely, I realize Mak's Noodles does have the same menu at the Peak and their other stores. But when I had the wonton noodles a couple months ago in Central, it was HK$32. It's $35 at the Peak in your pictures. But I'll emphasize again that it's their wonton (shrimp dumplings) noodles that are famous, not their beef ones. Their veges and everything else is not worth their very high price. When I go to Mak's, I just pay $32 for a wonton noodles and nothing else. [Similarly to you having just the Peking duck at Spring Deer and nothing else. ]
Also, what you got at the Aberdeen Fishball & Noodles is not "Peking Duck". I hope they didn't advertise as such, as it's clearly the local Cantonese-style roast duck. And that's also not "gai lan" you had there, but "choi sum". [What you had at Mak's is indeed "gai lan".]
The Chao Zhou restaurant you found near your hotel serves a specific type of southern Chinese food called "Chiu Chow" (or as they spelled it, Chao Zhou), which is an area in eastern Guangdong Province. They have a lot of cold dishes, like those geese hanging in your picture. The Chinese name of the restaurant is a play of words to sound like "shivering", but literally means a "town to eat cold dishes". There are plenty of Chiu Chow holes-in-the-wall all over HK, and I cannot comment on the quality of the one you visited.
Couple of more points. The Peak Tram on display at the Peak is one of the previous generation, which were replaced in the late 80's. I still recommend first time visitors to try the Peak Tram, at least on the way down to avoid the uphill lines, as it's quite an experience. Technically, it's also quite an unusual funicular - because of the turns it make, its varied incline, as well as its length. And its history too.
]Also, what you got at the Aberdeen Fishball & Noodles is not "Peking Duck". I hope they didn't advertise as such, as it's clearly the local Cantonese-style roast duck. And that's also not "gai lan" you had there, but "choi sum". [What you had at Mak's is indeed "gai lan".]
The Chao Zhou restaurant you found near your hotel serves a specific type of southern Chinese food called "Chiu Chow" (or as they spelled it, Chao Zhou), which is an area in eastern Guangdong Province. They have a lot of cold dishes, like those geese hanging in your picture. The Chinese name of the restaurant is a play of words to sound like "shivering", but literally means a "town to eat cold dishes". There are plenty of Chiu Chow holes-in-the-wall all over HK, and I cannot comment on the quality of the one you visited.
Couple of more points. The Peak Tram on display at the Peak is one of the previous generation, which were replaced in the late 80's. I still recommend first time visitors to try the Peak Tram, at least on the way down to avoid the uphill lines, as it's quite an experience. Technically, it's also quite an unusual funicular - because of the turns it make, its varied incline, as well as its length. And its history too.
Oct 23rd, 2012, 09:00 AM
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Hi rkkwan,
You seem to be a Hong Kong foodie expert!
Thanks also for letting me know Chao Zhou/Chiu Chow is eastern guangdong cuisine. I will probably look for other hole-in-the-wall Chiu Chow restos if ever I go back to China or Hong Kong.
You seem to be a Hong Kong foodie expert!
Thanks also for letting me know Chao Zhou/Chiu Chow is eastern guangdong cuisine. I will probably look for other hole-in-the-wall Chiu Chow restos if ever I go back to China or Hong Kong.
