Food and Travel: Hong Kong - Part IV

Day 15 (8.3.2015):
Shopping day with Auntie at Causeway Bay. Bf spent 2 hours, or even more at Zara. Never done that as a girl before..

SML @ Causeway Bay:



I didn't know the tea time menu means extremely small portions. Was thinking wow so 'dai' before I popped in, and couldn't understand why Auntie insisted on ordering more. The food was great, just wished the portions were bigger! This restaurant markets itself as an Italian Western restaurant, but they have everything from American to Asian. Confusing. It is amusing that they sell their mascot doll for about $20AUD, upon spending a rather extravagant amount at their store.

http://www.smlrestaurants.com/

+852 2577 3444

銅鑼灣勿地臣街1號
時代廣場食通天11樓1105號舖

千両 @ Causeway Bay:

Everything was overpriced. Served only the heads for the garlic grilled prawns. Seriously.

http://www.sen-ryo.com.hk/tc/
+852 2506 9366
銅鑼灣勿地臣街1號
時代廣場B2 B222號舖


Finally he agrees for a picture with me.

Day 16 (9.3.2015):
My sister came to Hong Kong for a work trip, so I met up with her for dinner. Apparently she was so busy I have to meet her at the designated time and can't be even a tad late. Ending up searching for food in Wan Chai for 15 - 20 minutes as she was reluctant to go to Causeway Bay that was 1 stop away.. I am glad we managed to settle for some ramen later!

Kamitora Ramen @ Wan Chai:

Pretty average to me but probably amazing in Hong Kong.

神虎拉麵

+852 2808 0635

灣仔廈門街23號 

Day 17 (10.3.2015):
Global Work Cafe by UCC @ Causeway Bay:

Seafood soy milk spaghetti! The Japanese Western cafe was located within the premises of the Japanese fashion brand Global Work. Didn't expect such a cafe to have amazing food but I was mistaken. Probably have to eat the spaghetti with every mouthful of soup for its best taste, but I gobbled the spaghetti before drinking the soup. Hits ownself on head.

Global Work Cafe by UCC

+852 3102 0518

銅鑼灣告士打道280號世貿中心3樓P301號舖

Peking Garden Restaurant @ Mongkok











Food wasn't bad here, other than the top tray of the Chinese high tea looking set was cucumbers with sauce smeared across. That was kind of disappointing.

北京樓
+852 2398 3228
旺角太子道西193號
新世紀廣場5樓525號舖

Day 18 (11.3.2015):
We received a free high tea for 2 coupon from Auntie to dine at the Intercontinental Hotel!

Lobby Lounge, Intercontinental Hotel @ Tsim Sha Tsui:





The view of Hong Kong's skyline from the Lobby Lounge was splendid! We even saw the traditional red Hong Kong sail boats, in other words a 'junk'. I loved the bottom tray of the high tea set - foie gras toast again. Bf enjoyed the scones and the middle tray was too sweet to our liking - personal preferences. I particularly liked their Marco Polo tea, even better than Madagascar Vanilla.

Lobby Lounge, Intercontinental Hong Kong
+852 2313 2323
尖沙咀梳士巴利道18號
香港洲際酒店大堂

Caught up with some Sydney friends and played 3 rounds of Mahjong after drinks. Bf lost too much and didn't want to let them off. I was so sick and tired, but definitely satisfied from playing mahjong again. Probably wouldn't be able to touch them for the rest of the year.

Greyhound Cafe @ Tai Koo:

Practically everything on their menu was spicy, and I thought this dish 'Miss Saigon' was not. No mentions of spicy or chilli in its description. I was wrong! Hence, a bad experience for me. Still, their ordinary looking Greyhound Famous Fried Chicken Wings marinated in fish sauce was unbelievably good.

http://www.greyhoundcafe.com.hk/

+852 2560 9668

太古太古城中心二期地下007號舖

Sugar @ Tai Koo

Nice scenery and ambience. It felt like we were on the 70th floor even though it was on level 32. Not sure if I was too hungry but their snacks - the bratwursts were so yummy! I have this concept that pubs never have good food. I liked the Flirtini bf ordered. He ordered girls' drinks again.

http://www.sugar-hongkong.com/

+852 3968 3738

太古太古城道29號東隅32樓

Day 19 (12.3.2015):
Last few days of shopping in Hong Kong.  Couldn't forget about the kitty socks I saw in Monki, so I had to go back to get them!





Ishiyaki+ Cafe @ Mongkok:







Ordered the dinner set for 2. Everything was good here, even the salad! What stood out for me was the Baked Potato Skins with Codfish Roe and Cheese.

Ishiyaki+ Cafe
+852 3514 9131
旺角亞皆老街8號
朗豪坊10樓19&20號舖 

Day 20 (13.3.2015):
We went to Causeway Bay again.


The design of the Uniqlo store at Lee Gardens is incredibly unique. Space-themed with enclosed fashion product displays and floating mannequins!


Ordered Durian Pancake at the dessert store located in the food court near Lane Crawford. Received it in a ready packed Honeymoon Dessert plastic packaging, labelled with expiry date. Thought I was going to receive some freshly made pancake, but no. Still, the durian pancakes were great unexpectedly!


Subsequently, we had soft serve with some danish biscuit toppings from the store right opposite the food court. Simple and delicious.

Day 21 (14.3.2015):
Bf flew back to Sydney, stopping over at Singapore for a day. We had to wait for each other for about 2 hours as we took different flights.


See you again soon in Hong Kong.

Food and Travel: Hong Kong - Part III

Day 9 (2.3.2015):
Can't exactly remember what we did on this day, mostly hanging out with Auntie? Feeling bad because I always get treated when we are out together.

Star of Canton Restaurant @ Tsim Sha Tsui:

Nice scenery (although foggy as usual), great ambience, but food is overrated. Your usual dim sums. The crab gratin looks awesome in the picture, yet just gratin with hardly any crab meat at all. Maybe crab gratin means crab husk stuffed with gratin to them.

http://www.starofcanton.com.hk/
+852 2799 9368
尖沙咀彌敦道63號
iSQUARE 國際廣場24樓2401號舖


I was taking pictures with the cats in and outside of iSQUARE. My unparalleled love for cats.

A huge fortune cat!

Day 10 (3.3.2015):
No make-up day for me, literally nothing on my face as we are heading off for a facial. With all the pretty Hong Kong girls blotched with make-up on the streets and I am out with my bf, it does feel kind of insecure? Prayed to not bump into any friends!

Itacho Sushi @ Mongkok:



This restaurant must have the best sushi deals ever! Everything was so worth it. Their 'car seats' were cushioned right up to the ceiling and spacious! Comfortably seating around 8 people? The lunch set consists of Asari Clam Soup, Chawan Mushi, Side Dish (e.g. Croquette), Drink and your Main. I loved the Soft Shell Crab Stone Pot Rice Set and Kaisendon Set! Bf had the Sashimi lunch set and they were fresh.

http://www.itacho.com.hk/

+852 3583 1100

旺角彌敦道625及639號
雅蘭中心2樓209-213號舖

Proceeded to facial with my boyfriend. The beautician wouldn't remove the blackheads for me because it was bad for the skin to squeeze them. So..what should I do with them? After we are done, I 'die die don't want face' went shopping with him at Tsim Sha Tsui. While we were trying to catch the MTR, he was ahead of me and did not look back, focused on the arriving train. He ran for it and slithered his way through the closing door, only to see me left at the station platform. Maybe he didn't want to be seen with me without makeup.






Dressed down, trying to be invisible (and looking disproportionate in the picture). One of my favourite shops in Hong Kong, Donguri Republic! Every merchandise adheres to the theme of Studio Ghibli's movies! I was really tempted to buy one of the puzzles to pass time and frame up at home..but considering my baggage allowance.. Bf wanted to grab a keychain for me but I will probably lose it or leave it somewhere collecting dust in years to come. Appreciate it!

Day 11 (4.3.2015):
Went off to the salon and dyed my hair purple! I have always dyed my hair yellow so this was something new to me. Absolutely loved it, the colour was dark enough for work.

Mini Bangkok @ Kowloon City:

We already noticed this place while on the bus earlier because of this cute mascot! Hence, we were appalled when Auntie brought us here. Especially when restaurants resort to these tactics you would think the food aren't up to par.




The television was playing snippets of Thailand celebrities live performances, that were really similar to Koreans. The food here wasn't bad, just that most of the dishes were spicy. I really wanted to eat the curry crab! Downing water the whole time and ended up with a sore throat after that night. Guess I am not made out to savour spicy food.

小曼谷泰國美食

+852 2716 7800

九龍城南角道9-11號地下

Day 12 (5.3.2015):
Was brought out to the flower market! Didn't know such a place existed in Hong Kong. Initially, I thought it was a flower bazaar opened just for the new year. Feeling like a tourist, or maybe I am one in fact..

花墟年宵市場 @ 旺角:



Bf offered to get flowers for me and Auntie. Conspiracy in the making.

Sushi Nagoyaka Tei @ Prince Edward



Supposedly this day we were to be vegetarians because of the Chinese New Year's custom. However, the vegetarian store we were heading to was crowded. A wait of approximately 2 hours? Ended up eating at the Japanese restaurant beside it. Sea urchin! And I loved the vanilla ice cream and yuzu sorbet that came with the set. Food made in Japan are undefeatable.

和花亭壽司
+852 2148 2696
太子彌敦道750號
始創中心3樓334號舖

Home @ 翠竹苑:



Newly bought flowers and the blue roses with baby's breath (Gypsophila paniculata) bf bought me. Baby's breath symbolises everlasting love, purity and innocence. Blue roses can't be naturally attained but dyed. Signifies hope against unattainable love in Chinese folklore and portrayed as a symbol of love and prosperity for those who seek it in literature. What did I just pick.. Received flowers from him for the first time. He offered to get me flowers on a few occasions like Christmas, but I declined as I felt it was a waste of money. Since we are not going to meet each other for some time now..




Blackie got a new bone and he's so fiercely protective of it! Look at his face. Wouldn't let go of it, wouldn't let us touch it. This dog is so realistic. Prancing around all the time especially when there's food, but when he gets what he wants, the real Blackie surfaces.

Day 14 (7.3.2015):
If I'm not mistaken, we went to the temple this day as bf 犯太岁. They prayed for blessings while I 求签, basically asking about my future. First time trying it and I was interested in doing so as I saw them in TVB dramas. I was worried all the 签s will fall out as I was shaking the holder, but each time only 1 fell out at once! Not quite understanding how this happened.

北斗翁 @ Prince Edward:

Yum cha and I had 桂花糕 again! The restaurant staff were all flustered as it was peak hour. We had the same table number as another, which caused a lot of confusion and the manager being pissed off.

北斗翁
+852 2397 6633
太子彌敦道789號
健峯保險大廈地下及1樓 

Honeymoon Dessert @ Mongkok:

Finally, we had some lone time together to have some dessert before catching our first 4D movie, Kingsman: The Secret Service at Langham Place. Honeymoon dessert is famous in Hong Kong, so I had high expectations of it. Bf had 南北杏雪耳燉木瓜/ Stewed Papaya with Winter Fungus, and I had Coconut Milk Custard with Taro Sago. The Coconut Milk Custard is horrendous!! Thought it would be good because of the one we ordered at 金滿堂甜品. Should have went for safer options.

http://www.honeymoon-dessert.com/

+852 2191 6618

旺角亞皆老街8號

朗豪坊4A樓9號鋪

The movie experience was rather fun, considering the theatre being polite enough to not shake our seats drastically throughout the entire movie. Also, having the choice to switch off the water effects, which came on in scenes like sneezing..

Last part coming up!

Food and Travel: Hong Kong - Part II

Day 5 (26.2.2015):
Met up with a friend who came all the way down from Shen Zhen to meet me for a few hours, even when she had a flight to catch the next day. Touched! She has the exact same full name in English as me, a name I always got made fun of in primary school due to the word 'man'. So I get names like 'old man' and 'tarzan'..

雪村 @ Kowloon Tong:

We had the lunch set at 雪村 in 又一城, which comes with the choice of salad or dessert apart from the main, drink and snack. I ordered the beef bowl udon and asked for the dessert. Pathetically, the dessert was a teeny weenie ice cream mochi. Nonetheless, the food's alright.

雪村串燒
+852 2265 7712 
九龍塘達之路80號又一城L1層19A號舖

Subsequently, we spent 15 minutes simply trying to take a selfie because I was clueless as to how to take pictures with Samsung phones. Why can't they snap instantly like IPhones but come with a pause after you press the shutter or something? Met up and accompanied my boyfriend to having his lunch right after. Yes, this means watching him eat.

Amaroni's Little Italy @ Kowloon Tong:



I absolutely adore the restaurant's architecture! It's like travelling back in time to Europe. BF ordered the 'executive lunch set' because he wants to dine like a CEO... To end up being unable to finish his meal with substantial leftovers. The set consisted of bread, salad, soup and a main? I didn't try the food anyway as they looked kind of 'heavy' to me. The service was really slow.. We waited for 15 minutes after we have already asked for the bill time and again. Moreover, the restaurant was nowhere near full capacity so I was really annoyed.

http://www.windy-city.com.hk/amar/
+852 2265 8818
九龍塘達之路80號又一城LG1層32號舖

Met up with Emomo at night, who looked really different in a suit. Somehow, I had this 'oh my son's all grown up now' feeling..

Sushi Ta-Ke @ Causeway Bay:



 



Well, coming to this place for dinner felt more like a mistake as the one I wanted to order is from its lunch set - the sashimi rice bowl. The dinner prices are much more steep than for lunch, which I did not realise. Still, the food is so amazing such that it feels like reaping the rewards of working hard at a mundane job. Trust me, its worth every bit of your penny.

We ordered the stewed golden eye red snapper, grilled ling cod fish with saikyo miso and grilled miyazaki A5 wagyu beef. I love cod fish as usual, really well cooked with the succinct taste of miso, but the one that stood out was the wagyu. Everything about the wagyu was perfect and they were not stingy about the portions. It is so tender it literally melts in your mouth! Now I learned where this phrase comes from. This is something I will work my ass off for just to return to eat it again. I am actually not a fan of red snappers but this was really good as well with the fish soaking up all the juices. Wish the portion was bigger, oishisugi! No regrets. Emomo treated me this time round but I will work hard for us to come for a next meal!

http://www.sushitake.com.hk/
+852 2577 0611
銅鑼灣開平道一號Cubus 12樓


Walked around CWB's Hysan Place and there was this huge ultraman right outside. Childhood memories...

港澳義順牛奶公司 @ Causeway Bay:

Dessert after dinner. Every time I return to Hong Kong I will grab this! Usually I go to the outlet at Jordan though, didn't know there was one at cwb. I love their original 雙皮奶 (double skin milk?)! Ordered 雙皮奶 with ginger sauce this time round and I didn't really like it. Still my favourite double skin milk place!

港澳義順牛奶公司
+852 2591 1837
銅鑼灣駱克道506號地下


Joined up with BF again and we finally got our christmas cum valentines day gift - couple rings! Absolutely no regrets waiting to grab them in Hong Kong than Australia. Those in Australia look like wedding rings and over-simplistic designs. This brand, The Kiss, is actually from Japan, no wonder their designs are so pretty and immaculate. I forgot to wear the ring on several occasions though as I left them kept in the box. Too bad BF remembered to!

Haagen Dazs @ Mong Kok:

Decided to catch a movie after, so we wasted some time at Haagen Dazs. I was too full to have anything.. still nibbed a bit of the tiramisu cake though. And that's a hot chocolate.

http://haagen-dazs.com.hk/
+852 3514 9116
旺角亞皆老街8號朗豪坊4樓13號舖 


Can't remember what movie we caught? It's not Cinderella, merely found the glass slipper attractive. I caught Cinderella after returning to Singapore and the movie was bad, no songs and a cut-down storyline. What happened to all the talking mice and the big bad cat?

Day 6 (27.2.2015):
Started the morning with fighting monkeys. Should have expected this since we live near Monkey Mountain.





A wild monkey appears! :: Pokeball in hand ::


We were taking pictures of the monkies until one monkey started walking up to us. There were 3 in total. He then jumped onto the railing close to us, menacingly growled and was getting ready to pounce onto us. We ran away in fear.. bye mankey.

Outback Steakhouse @ Causeway Bay:

Hello little poop.


Nah it's not poop, it's bread. Bland and dry to the mouth.. Not a fan of bread. The Toowoomba Topped Sirloin looked nothing like the picture. Old and dry shrimps, likewise for the meat which was not tender at all. Seriously this price for the steak? Even the $10 steaks in Aussie pubs are better. I'm heading back to Australia. 

http://www.outback.com.hk/
+852 2881 8012
銅鑼灣百德新街22-36號翡翠明珠廣場2樓

Appolo @ Causeway Bay:

Was shopping around while we chanced upon this. The taste was really unique! I couldn't tell if its ice cream or yogurt. Apparently my bf always had this as a child, maybe I did too? Can't remember.

http://www.appolo.com.hk/
銅鑼灣記利佐治街1號金百利廣場UG1樓823號舖


Had this cheung fun at a random store while waiting for Auntie. Local and really cheap, think it was HKD$18? Great supper snack!

Day 7 (28.2.2015):
Caught up with some Sydney friends I used to hang out with when I was Year 2/3. Most of them have already settled down in Hong Kong but me, still jobless..

Dim Dim Sum @ Jordan:

This Dim Sum shop is a definite must-try! Hurray for Hong Kong dim sums! I tried 'ma lai gou' for the first time and its now my new favourite! I have not seen it at all the places I have been to yum cha, somehow. Also tried 'gui fa gou', which I have only seen it in chinese dramas set in the dynasty eras. Another new favourite!

點點心點心專門店
+852 2771 7766 
佐敦文英街文華樓23號地下

Visited Pma's place and shopped around before we headed for dinner.

魂拉面 @ Causeway Bay:



Good ramen, but not as good as Sydney's. This makes me appreciate the ramen scene in Sydney much more. I thought Hong Kong is superior in every cuisine than Singapore and Australia, but it seems not. Probably held too high expectations. On the whole, Hong Kong food remains to be the tip of the pinnacle.

魂

+852 2893 2699

銅鑼灣霎西街18C號地下

ZYNK Lounge @ Causeway Bay:



Bo brought us to his friend's bar which had awesome beer and shisha. Tried 1664 for the first time even though it is commonly retailed even in supermarkets? And I found a new beer love! So smooth in texture. Connie showed us her shisha skills in blowing circles, which bf was really jelly about. Ending up me and bf were racing each other to see who can consistently blow circles..

ZYNK Lounge
+852 2352 5333
銅鑼灣謝斐道460-462號楊耀熾商業大廈2樓

Part III upcoming!