One of the few exceptions of a city that has always been in the bucket list - Hong Kong - along with Tokyo, Venice, to name a few. So excited that I am finally visiting!
It was the first time I've heard, and flew on HK Express, a Hong Kong-based budget airline that flies direct from Penang. I can't recall much of the experience, unfortunately. I slept through pretty much the whole flight. Though I do recall that announcements were made in Cantonese too. Was a little odd to me.
A nap and a shower after checking in, we scoured the streets for lunch. I had a list of to-go places with me, recommended by friends and websites alike: top on the list is roast goose! We stayed at Causeway Bay and were just strolling when we saw a line snaking from a restaurant. Curiosity got the better of me and I poked my nose right into it. Whaddya know, a roast goose shop! With the massive queue, waiting time was at least 30minutes. We pored over the menu and leisurely picked our orders while standing outside. There is a numbering system, so we didn't have to stay in line.
Service was quick, our orders came within minutes - juicy, fatty roast goose leg and crispy suckling pork in their glistening glory. I also ordered the recommended preserved egg and marinated soy beans. Preserved eggs were gooey in the center, tasted a little too rich for me. Soy beans are alright, but didn't fancy it too much.
But OMG, the roast goose!!! I. Have. Never. Whoa. The fatty layer between skin and meat is almost buttery, they melt in your mouth. I couldn't get enough of them. Rice was fragrant and most excellently absorbed the goose fat.
And OMG the suckling pork!!! The crunchy skin with a fatty layer is to die for. What luck to stumble into this gem of a place!
Kam’s Roast Goose
G/F Po Wah commercial Center,
226 Hennessey Road
(I later found out that Kam's Roast Goose is actually a sister company of Yung Kee Restaurant - the posh, famed roast goose restaurant)
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Another gem in Hong Kong that probably requires no introduction, the Australia Dairy Co. I saw it on every food blog, and every friend who has visited Hong Kong were enthusiastically cajoling me to try the "steamed milk". First I went, no, I am not visiting an Australian restaurant while in Hong Kong and secondly, steamed milk? Seriously.
They all waved me off impatiently and shot back that it's just the name. Goodness me.
And true enough, it is as popular as they say. Both locals and tourists flock.
The line is excessive, I agree, but it is fast moving. We were in line for perhaps 5-10 minutes?
We ordered a number of items: The quintessential Hongki breakfast of macaroni and ham soup, steamed milk, scrambled eggs with toast and French toast.
Macaroni in chicken broth and served with ham - not my thing. Was a little maggi mee-ish and the ham didn't win me either.
Steamed milk - wow. I finally realized what the hype is all about. I ordered it warm and it was so soft, a little gooey but in a good way. It's a little sweet and while I was stuffed with our orders, I happily finished this one!
Scrambled eggs with toast - Vinnie vaporized this before I barely even got to look at it. He said they were good.
French toast - no photos but oh my! Easily the best french toast I've ever tasted. They weren't sickly sweet, something that most restaurants tend to do. Instead, the sweetness of the honey is offset by the salted butter. Most deliciously done.
Quick service and crowded, as always!
Australian Dairy Co.
G/F 47-49 Parkes St
(Jordan MTR)
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Moving on to dinner at.... Tim Ho Wan. How can we possibly visit Hong Kong without having dim sum?!
There are a few Tim Ho Wan outlets in Singapore too. They are almost like a dim sum fast food restaurant, except they serve delicious food (Michelin-starred) at an affordable price.
Ordered the usual favourites - Baked BBQ pork buns. They were smaller than the ones in Singapore, but the fillings are densely packed! Singapore's Tim Ho Wan has pockets of air in their buns, those cheaters. It's like wearing one of those padded bum jeans to make your butt look perky when they aren't.
Right- Pork liver rice rolls. I used to hate the taste of liver, but I almost crave for it now!
Pan fried carrot cake and siu mai. Pretty good quality and I think quite consistent with the shops in Singapore.
Tim Ho Wan
9-11 Fuk Wing St
(Sham Sui Po MTR)
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So the last time we planned a holiday in Phuket, there was a military junta and curfew in effect, but we proceeded with the trip anyway - and had tons of fun, minus the crazy tourist crowd. Then the plan to Hong Kong and suddenly there were reports of protests ongoing, train services halted..... someone up there has got a cruel sense of humor, but we didn't care!
Noodles with wantons!
Another location I got off the net. We both ordered the dry noodles version, though the recommended ones were soup noodles. I got the prawn egg noodles and V got the spicy BBQ pork instead. Bouncy noodles and generous dumpling fillings - hits the spot. Soup tasted very MSG, though.
Mak Unkee Noodle
77 Wellington St Central
(Central MTR)
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I badly wanted to go to a dimsum place that Ming Chee recommended, called Lin Heung Kui, for dinner that night. However, I overlooked the fact that dim sum may not be served all day and night and simply assumed they will be available. My face fell when they gave us a menu for zi char, so we ordered a few things but they turned out to be more misses than hits (a pork thingie that came braised and starchy, a mixed vegetable turned out to be vegetable soup...meh).... :( Still, 2/3 on Day 1 can't be all that bad!
No pictures in Lin Heung Kui for the zhi char dinner, but we came back another day for the main purpose: dim sum!
Spot the trolley dolley.
Busy, busy place! We had to find our own seats. Like hawk, we swooped down towards the table whenever someone lifted his ass off the seat. Got seats in minutes, proud of ourselves. Others were on hunting mode too. Whenever the dim sum trolley gets pushed out, it gets swarmed by hungry zombies. If you found your love in Hong Kong and want to reveal her true colours, bring her here, I reckon.
I was quite disappointed with the small range of choices, to be honest. Did not see any "lao sa pao". So we ordered the typical dim sum types. Not great shots but I didn't want to attract too much attention by taking multiple shots!
As you can see, the siu mai has very generous amount of prawns and pork piled on it. It was really good! Cha siew pau is also very yummy!
Lin Heung Kui Dim Sum
160-164 Wellington St
(Central MTR)
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Our last dinner in Hong Kong, after we'd finished with Disneyland (no, we didn't stay for the fireworks because Mr-Not-Keen-With-Fireworks don't fancy them). We wanted to have a nice dinner, to treat ourselves at a fancy restaurant. Because I've heard so much about Yung Kee - the famed roast goose restaurant - the decision is obvious.
Vinnie's hankering for sweet and sour pork (again) means we ordered that (again) and also stir fried beef slices with capsicum (again) hehe. I wanted my green veg fix, and ordered this special greens that is apparently unique to Hong Kong (?).
You look mighty fine!
Roast goose was as delicious as its sister company, Kam's Roast Goose. However, Yung Kee has the winning edge with their fermented soy beans that came with the bird. I'm no expert with soy beans but somehow, Yung Kee's version goes down really well with the goose. I've said it before, but I'm saying it again: Roast goose fat absorbed into rice is a delicacy of its own!
The pork and beef dishes were absolutely delicious too! Sweet sour pork was crispy and caramelized on the outside, and tender on the inside. Beef was cooked right, the green chillis add a bite to the dish.
Prices were hefty, extra USD8 just for the roast goose, and everything came to about $120. Still, a really good meal!
Yung Kee Restaurant
30-40 Wellington St
(Central MTR)
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Satisfied with the meal, we proceeded to stuff ourselves some more, cos there's always room for steamed milk.
This was another recommendation, from Sue Wern. We even took the MTR towards the Tsim Sha Shui area from HK island for Yee Shun, then back again to HK island later to our hotel. Proud of you, V, foodie you have become.
Verdict: Slight differences, but I much prefer the steamed milk at the Australian Dairy Co!
Yee Shun
513 Nathan Road
(Yau Ma Tei MTR)
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Finished with the food hunt, now I shall bore you with sickly pictures of us in Disneyland.
I've been told over again how Disneyland HK is the worst among them, small, frequented by insensitive and socially-inept Chinese tourists - I can sort of see why. At times, our experience were spoilt by the two men talking in loud voices, the children peeing into plastic bags, that sort of thing. But Disneyland is still a magical place to me, it brings out the inner child. I was tempted to break into a skip as we approached the main entrance!
The weather was perfect for walking around. Overcast and pleasant temperatures. We did not break into sweat and we did not even need our sunglasses. Couldn't ask for a more beautiful day.
Ended with a romantic stroll along the Arena of Stars boulevard and a view of Hong Kong island.
Caught a whiff of the most intoxicating smell..... Grilled cuttlefish!! So addictive!
