Hong Kong Revisited

CEBU, Philippines – Quality time with family is an absolute must! What would you do in a bustling city like Hong Kong? Eat? Definitely!

For real Chinese food, a meal at the Yung Kee Restaurant located in Central offering award-winning dishes is one true gem! This restaurant was started 67 years ago by the legendary figure and entrepreneur, Kam Shui Fai. Ask any Hong Kong local and they’d suggest this to anyone. It’s well worth a visit though reservations are recommended.

I am a big fan of dim sum, tasty treats such as Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gao) in particular. For fine ingredients, I’d never fail to visit a restaurant called Zen for great Chinese cuisine located in Pacific Place.

For trendy dining, the local fast food is a must! There’s Café de Coral or Fairwood, my favorite fast food stars! How about the hanging ducks you will find on almost every corner of the city? It’s best eaten with steamed white rice and you can’t go wrong!

Making quality food count, distinct international gourmet Japanese food is Nobu at the Hotel Intercontinental or, Italian food at Isola located at the IFC Mall for a fabulous view of Kowloon.

Hui Lau Shan for healthy desserts recommend by my brother-in-law, Gerry Malixi, was where I sampled one new delicacy, Stewed Birds Nest with Harsmar in Coconut. Everything at this place is just so fresh! I was even intrigued to learn that their supplies of mangoes are flown in directly from the Philippines! Another sweet option is a trip to Ben and Jerry’s for ice cream or the local egg custard tarts you will find all over Hong Kong. Why not take-home some hand-made Dragon Beard Candy, an imperial sweet commonly known as the Noodle Candy for its thread-like appearance. This popular Chinese traditional dessert consists of roasted sesame, chopped peanuts and shredded coconut, which is just absolutely delicious and best taken with tea.

Hong Kong has so many rich shopping opportunities, too! For both quality and quantity, it is truly a shopper’s paradise. My two favourite malls are the IFC Mall and Pacific Place for a variety of exciting products and electronic gadgets. Opting for some knick-knacks and bargains? Best visit Granville, located at the Kowloon side of town. Or if you opt to stay on Hong Kong Island, you will find two alleys called Yuen Street West and Yuen Street East located near the central station. At the end of the alley, we witnessed a massive broken drainage with water flooding the street, roads being blocked and TV crews swarming! What an experience it was! I’ve never seen anything like it! Funny enough, I managed to videotape this incident myself.

Soaking up some culture, we did some sightseeing, as well. The Man Mo Temple located along Hollywood Road, in the street of antiques and handicrafts, was notable. Perfectly suitable for anyone of all ages, a trip to the Hong Kong Science Museum is worth a visit. Even just by crossing the Tsing Ma Bridge, one of Hong Kong’s best landmarks, is worth an experience. Driving around Hong Kong admiring the endless skyscrapers is yet another alternative. The best way to get around and to avoid huge crowds is by taxi or for the local experience, the MTR and tram. Or you might want to try a walk along Hong Kong Park?

Saying hello to our favorite Disney friends, the magic began at Hong Kong’s enchanted Disneyland Resort where we celebrated my nephew Ivan’s 3rd birthday. The Golden Mickey’s show was truly a highlight and despite the long queues, we managed to take a ride on Autopia, Space Mountain and the timeless It’s a Small World, which we all enjoyed. The touch of Chinese culture at this fairytale kingdom made me take endless photographs and purchase a whole lot of souvenirs!

Accommodation is never a problem in this city. Having stayed at one beautiful boutique hotel situated in the heart of Hong Kong Island made it very convenient for a real Hong Kong experience. This historic side of town where trading began is also just a short walk from the strip of restaurants, the famous commercial culture, Lan Kwai Fong.

Architecture and structure with the use of bamboo scaffolding to construct buildings was what I found quite interesting. When asked why this method of building is used, I was fascinated to learn that it is the Chinese traditional way, as it is known to give notice before breaking by creaking and giving way. Local builders prefer this natural building material to steel for safety purposes.

That’s what I love most about Hong Kong, that no matter how many times I would return, there is always something interesting to look out for, so much change happening around and variety to choose from. I reckon that it is a wonderful tourist destination!