It was December, 2018, and Hong Kong was chilly and damp. I saw the city as a futuristic London; the British colonisation influenced the double decker buses, and fusions of architecture, old and new, crammed together in narrow streets teaming with diverse culture, but the double decker trams, and wide highways cutting through the skyscrapers, more lights than Piccadilly Circus, made it like London 2.0. Of course, Hong Kong certainly has its own identity, with its idyllic location, surrounded by sea and mountains; it is stunning to look at from a distance. But when you’re in the heart of it all, dwarfed by buildings, traffic noise filling your head while you try to navigate the 7.4 million people around you, it’s the glowing lanterns of restaurants and food stands, and the rich smells of Chinese cooking that remind you where you are, warming your cockles in the cold December chaos.
Breakfast
We were hosted by a friend, Cecilia, who lived in a typical tiny flat in Kowloon City. The first meal of our visit was brunch, so Cecilia took us to a small cafe around the corner from her place to try Hong Kong style breakfast.
Congee – a Chinese porridge made with white rice. We tried it with and without beef, (I preferred it without) it was fairly bland and savoury, unlike Western oat porridge. We also tried Cheung Fun – Cantonese steamed rice noodle rolls, with seafood or pork, and on the side we had some egg rolls and stir fried noodles. It was a heavy breakfast for me, and Cecilia admitted that she would usually have fruit and toast, and save this kind of breakfast for special occasions!
Symphony of Lights
A short ferry ride across to Hong Kong Island brings you into the shopping district and tourism hub. We rode the double decker tram around the city, which was all lit up and filled with crowds. Christmas was in the air, and once again I was reminded of the dark, winter afternoons in London, Christmas shopping in Oxford Street. It was on Hong Kong Island that Cecilia introduced us to a sweet treat from a roadside food stand – Put Chai Ko.
Put Chai Ko is a traditional Cantonese desert, popular in Hong Kong. A starchy rice pudding with sweet red beans, it is sugary and creamy with the texture of soft Turkish Delight.
Every evening after sunset, Hong Kong Island puts on a musical light display, which you can view from across the water, at the Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront. Thousands of people flock here every evening to see the Symphony of Lights, and it’s free to watch, so it’s a great way to end a big day of maxing out your credit card in the shopping district!
To top the evening off, Cecilia took us to a Taiwanese Craft Pub where we met a friend of her’s. Hong Kong’s multi-cultural history means that it’s taken the best bits from its influences over the years, and the pub scene is roaring. There are many craft beer pubs and tap rooms scattered all over Hong Kong, and there is such a diverse amount of different beers from different places, it’s hard to be disappointed. I was too busy ordering tasting paddles with every beer on the menu to take any photos!
Lunch
Cecilia wanted to show us an authentic food hall for lunch, where groups of people go for casual banquet style dining. This can be a business lunch, or just an outing with family or friends, where dishes are shared around the table, rather than ordering a meal per person.
We had some classic steamed shrimp Dim Sum, crispy, crumbly taro nests, and of course Cecilia had to get us a Millennium Egg to try! The egg isn’t really 1000 years old, but it can take weeks to months to complete the curing process. It came with plenty of pickled ginger, which helps disguise the strong flavour of the egg, which had turned to salty jelly. Millennium Eggs are safe to eat, and surprisingly, don’t taste too bad! We finished with something scrumptious – fluffy steamed custard buns.
Victoria Peak
If there is one thing I could say is a ‘must do’ in Hong Kong, it would be to climb Victoria Peak. There are so many national parks in Hong Kong to explore, that it can become overwhelming trying to figure out the best way to use a short amount of time. So, go simple! Victoria Peak is easily accessible, and is probably one of the most trodden paths in Hong Kong. At 552m, it’s Hong Kong Island’s highest hill, and the views at the top are a beautiful showcase of the contrasting landscapes.
As you climb the paved footpath of the ‘circular walk’ you get glimpses through the bushes unveiling views on either side. Victoria Harbour towers up from below and the mainland districts frame the mountains beyond, while country parks and oceans on the other side give you two totally different views.
Sunset is a popular and busy time to go up Victoria Peak, but as the sun sets the ocean on fire in one direction, the skies and mountains over the city are painted with ever changing pastels, reflected in the shining buildings, and as the colours fade the lights come on.
I was surprised to find a tower at the top of the peak, with a cafe inside, open ’til late, and a bus and tram station underneath! Public transport was welcoming, now the sun had set and taken all its warmth with it, but the queue was insane. Once we made our way back down to the city on a busy bus, (which took twice as long as walking) we’d built up quite the appetite.
Dinner
Cecilia took us to a Szechuan restaurant for dinner. Szechuan cuisine is popular due to its bold flavours, with liberal use of garlic and chilli, which is warming when you’re cold, tired and hungry. We had a slow roasted duck and rice claypot, with Chinese kale and fried noodle crackers on the side. During my time in Asia, claypots turned out to be some of my favourite dishes, old fashioned and wholesome with varying spices. The meal was served with real Chrysanthemum tea, which was beautiful and florally refreshing.
Herbal tea is drunk regularly in Chinese culture, as an accompaniment with meals, for general health, or a pick-me-up when you’re feeling run down. Chinese tea shops are all around the city, usually a stand or window with various cauldrons filled with steaming herbal teas lined up on display. You can choose your tea according to your ailments, or simply by flavour, and they either serve it in a little plastic bowl for you to drink there, or in a takeaway cup. Cecilia took us to one of these windows, and we tasted a medicinal tea for general colds & hangovers.
Night Cap
An evening in Hong Kong wasn’t complete without a trip to the local supermarket to pick out a beer to take back to Cecilia’s. The supermarkets are similar to British supermarkets, in that you can purchase alcohol from them, and the range is quite extensive. I chose to try a TsingTao Stout, which is a classic dark beer with bold flavours, and the next night I got a Hong Kong Amber Ale, which was delightfully malty. It was the perfect end to the day, before falling asleep to the subtle city sounds in the streets below.
Jaimie's Travels 