Hong Kong Jan-Feb '13

Alright, so I’ve given up on posting in a chronological order… I’ve realized that I’m way too behind to keep posting chronologically. Sorry, Korea, Thailand and Malaysia, you will have to wait :P

Alright, so let’s start with my arrival in Hong Kong this time around, in year 2013…

Quite interesting actually, attempted (and succeeded, somewhat) in waddling on a bus with two full-sized luggages, a carry-on and a laptop bag. NICE!... if I do say so myself.

First things first, I returned back to my default breakfast place for my pork bun… yum. This hole in a wall isn’t somewhere I would think of going to without someone else’s suggestion, but I’m glad I was shown this hole in the wall… such cheap breakfasts… and although you usually have to share the limited amount of table space with others, they allow for a lot of customization of your breakfast that usual cha chaan tangs don’t allow. So this is always nice.

The first day for me is always about wandering and fighting jetlag. This time was no different for me! I headed over to Mong Kok for a bit of shopping and getting some daily necessities… and wandered up the 13 floors (or more?) of Langham Place. For me this is more of a window-shopping experience than anything because this mall (and most malls to be honest) mainly sells skincare and makeup products. Still, I managed to scavenge an interesting place to sit down and eat at: Suzuki Café. The pretty decoration lured me in… some folded paper cranes and distilled drip coffee made the place look serene and authentic (though authentic in what sense? I don’t really know, that word just came to mind when I saw that place). Ordering a smoked salmon and mango salad along with their house distilled drip coffee I sat, and took some creeper pictures of the restaurant. Situated at the 12^th floor of Langham Place, the look down is pretty intense. Unfortunately my photography skills are not up to par (and my camera was bran-spankin-new back then), I didn’t really know how to take a picture of that effect… I hope I’ve captured the depth of this crazy mall. Also, that one escalator you see down below? Longest escalator of my life… and probably yours too… I’m quite willing to bet you a dollar on it :)

Fiddling with my new camera while waiting for food...

Anyways, as the food arrives, I discover that I like the coffee a lot more than the salad. Though to be fair the salad is really just that- a salad. Smoked salmon and mango are two things that I eat so much that they give me no specific food-induced adrenaline rush… unless you’re Norwegian salmon, then I bow to you because you make me tingle. But to the coffee, it had a rich aroma and a strong taste without having a burnt after-taste, which I really appreciate. I only added a little bit of cream and despite that, the coffee still remained super smooth. Definitely impressed. Though at a pricey-er price point than what I would expect, I don’t know if I would suggest this place to everyone. Though the coffee cup was so pretty… I think that’s where all the money for the coffee goes… Regardless, if you have a bit of money to spend, and want an interesting cup of caffeine, go here! But salad ordering is probably a no-no, so try a dessert instead?

an alright, but not great salad

a great cup of mojo! ~ love the cup

The next place I’d like to talk about is a place that I’ve been dying to go to for the past 6 years… Haagen Daaz. Now, why would I have to wait six years for ice-cream you ask? Well I answer that it is not simply ice-cream that I am after, it is the Haagen Daaz fondue that is only available during the winter season for which I crave. Little balls of different flavored ice-cream dipped into melted chocolate which immediately crisps due to the change in temperature results in heaven in your mouth. Ahaha… but no seriously, it’s quite good. And being limited edition? Elaine says yes! (I have a thing for limited edition things, consumerism controls my life) In addition to the ice-cream, you also get strawberries and bananas. According to my cousins, they used to offer a white and milk chocolate fondue along with cookie pieces. Obviously they’ve cheaped-out throughout the years and we are now only left with the option of a milk chocolate fondue and fruits… though you can still get the cookies, you just have to pay extra. Either way, it’s an interesting experience and a good excuse to eat ice-cream, chocolate and fruits all at once… a fun group even for sure! I’d recommend it to all who are near a Haagen Daaz restaurant during the winter season.

Haagen Daaz fondue Set

Ice-cream dipped in the fondue!

my craving? Satisfied.

Next up is café 103 at the Ritz-Carlton. The Ritz-Carlton is a hotel situated on the 103^rd floor of a building… and so the view was quite spectacular. A high tea lover… I was quite excited to hear that they offer a chocolate high tea and the theme of the day was spice chocolate. Thanks to my cousin and her husband, I was able to come here with people… if not I would have been by my lonesome self. First thing to note: my ears popped quite a few times on the elevator ride up… that was pretty cool. Second thing to note, they did not use the standard 3 tiered platter… they actually put in a box, and open the panels for you to enjoy everything in this box of surprises! Special mention to the chocolate truffle… tastes like chocolate when you first pop it in your mouth, but slowly a spicy flavor follows… its quite an interesting mix, and I personally really enjoyed it. The sandwiches however, were quite plain and average. Also, I must note, there were no scones… though I do not like bread… I really enjoy scones during an afternoon tea… the dryness of the scones pair perfectly with a good tea! Too bad. I guess this is why it’s more of a chocolate high tea than a traditional one… I should’ve expected as much. Either way, I would still highly recommend this for those who like chocolate but aren’t scared of heights… Very much an interesting (and successful) twist on the traditional afternoon tea set.

a comprehensive menu

103rd floor!

Waiting for our tea sets... thanks for coming!

The Chocolate Library Tea Set

Last but not least on the post today is the famous B仔冷粉 in yuen long. Thanks to my cousin and her boyfriend, I didn’t have to take a long bus ride into yeun long. Driving there from the city took about 45mins although they informed me that without congestion it only takes around 30mins to get here. Getting there around 7, we had a meal at a popular Taiwanese food shop which is famous for their beef noodle soup. It really was amazing! Even better was their fried chicken… so crispy and the sweet ketchup (their own invention) just completes the chicken. We got dry noodles instead of soup noodles, because we all prefer this type of noodles over the soup ones… there was so much food that I couldn’t finish my noodles… what a waste :( Bellies full, we head off to eat MORE food! At this point, I’m not even surprised… eating is an inevitable thing here in Hong Kong and gluttony is like drinking water… necessary for survival. 

Deep-Friend Taiwanese Pork Chop

Dumplings

Famous Taiwanese beef noodles

Finally getting to the famous B仔冷粉 store, we of course order the most famous thing. Let me explain. B仔冷粉 is basically grass jelly topped with a mountain of fruits, including but not limited to watermelon, honeydew, kiwi, jackfruit, aloe, cantalope, pineapple, papaya etc. its basically just a gi-normous bowl of wonderful freshness. Needless to say, we were not able to finish it and packed the rest home. Another dessert worthy of mention is the mango roll. A large piece of mango rolled in a mochi like wrapping and sprinkled with coconut… chewy and sweet! Despite my fullness, I still managed to eat two pieces. Again, the mango roll was also packed for home.  This dessert place was really good, though if you do live far… find a friend with a car, your journey there will be much more pleasant!

the excitement... its huge!

So much... of everything!

Mango Rolls... YUM! 

Hope you all like my first post of my 2013 trip to Hong Kong!

What are your favorite meals? Afternoon teas? Desserts? Everything in between?