The Slow Guide To Hong Kong - Part 2

Written on March 4, 2008 by Tezza

This is the second installment to The Slow Guide To Hong Kong. While guides are great for practical research and disseminating information into a practical format it should never replace the spirit of adventure which took you so far from your home in the first place. At the end of the day guides are really just a reflection of one traveler’s experience and here is my continued synopsis of Hong Kong as viewed from my eyes. In this part we’ll cover the more important aspects of traveling Hong Kong such as food and shopping.

Eating

Hong Kong is rich with Asian cuisine and is a wonderful place to try out all your favourite Chinese dishes. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from and the ever favourite Yum Cha is widely available. If you’re adventurous why not stop by a local diner. It is usually filled with locals which is always a good sign when your looking for authentic food abroad. Don’t be put off by the plain furniture or the lack of English menu or pictures. You can always just point to a dish that looks appetizing from one of the diners near you or hope that someone speaks a little English.

If playing a weird game of charades doesn’t take your fancy everytime you have to order your food then the Chinese version of a fast food restaurant might be right up your alley. The most popular in Hong Kong are the Cafe de Coral and Fairwood chains. They have a wide menu selection in a kind of cafeteria style setting but there are many great value Chinese meals on offer.

The great thing about these chains are the service is good, the food is served quickly and the price is similar to what you’ll pay for at comparable fast food outlets like McDonald’s. Unlike western style fast food outlets the food here is relatively healthier. If Morgan Spurlock did the same experiment he conducted at McDonald’s in his documentary SuperSize Me he would have had a much more pleasant experience. He probably wouldn’t have had to endure the medical complications that resulted from his high fat, high sugar diet.

One point of observation is Hong Kong is not as rich in cultural diversity as other multi-cultural nations like America and Australia to name a few. Thus this is probably not the place to satisfy your craving for a good meal that reminds you of home. Most international cuisine restaurants are mediocre at best and are run usually by Chinese catering to foreign tourists as the local Chinese populace hasn’t quite embraced international cuisine as readily as you might have imagined.

This is not to say that there aren’t fantastic international style restaurants and there are off course many international franchised restaurants in Hong Kong. But with the rich tradition in Chinese food there really is no reason to go looking for an Italian restaurant for instance. Save that for when you make a trip to Italy or when you get back home to your local favourite Italian restaurant.

Shopping

While Hong Kong isn’t the haven for bargains as it once was, it is still a shopper’s paradise. There are many markets in Hong Kong to shop to your content. If you’re looking for a bargain you’ll be better off frequenting markets that aren’t filled with time pressed tourists bused in frantically searching for overpriced trinkets and souvenirs. Stanley markets is one such place worth giving a miss and markets in Hollywood Road come to mind which sell mainly antiques.

Try instead markets that service mainly the needs of locals like the Sham Shui Po flea market. This middle class suburb within easy access via the MTR spans several streets and is open daily till late. While much of the market includes mainly electronic goods and accessories, you’ll also find many items ideal for souvenirs including small replica statues. Other flea markets worth a look are the ones found at Yau Ma Tei. The Temple Street Night Market starts late in the afternoon and offers a range of inexpensive items. As with all street markets bring your bargaining skills to the table but be respectful.

If flea markets don’t constitute your ideal shopping experience then Hong Kong has an abundance of large shopping malls to satisfy you. You’ll find everything from specialty stores to mega international brands. Shopping malls like everywhere else in the world caters to different markets depending on location.

Places like Pacific Place and the IFC mall which are located in the heart of the city target the wealthy and foreign market. You’ll find major luxury brands here in a posh mall setting. Other places like Hollywood Plaza in Diamond Hill and the Dragon Centre in Sham Shui Po are located in places that aren’t frequented by tourists as much and thus the prices are generally healthier on your budget. You’ll find a wide range of different stores from clothing outlets, specialty stores, electronic goods to department stores that sells a bit of everything.

Free Things To Do

If after your shopping spree you find your wallet needing a little break there are things to do in Hong Kong that don’t cost a cent. Kowloon Park puts on a Kung Fu demonstration every Sunday at 2:30pm. Several local martial art schools come out to perform. While you’re there you can visit the Aviary and Observatory.

As mentioned in Part One, museums are open free to the public on Wednesdays. Be prepared to share the museum with groups of school children on excursion though.

You can’t really visit Hong Kong without making a quick detour to what the Guinness World Records calls the world’s longest covered escalator. Ordinarily there is nothing special about an escalator ride but this one is built on a steep incline which takes you from Central to the mid-levels without having to take the steps. In Soho you’ll also find many international restaurants and bars.

Photo the copyright of Tezza

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