Numb Nymph in Hong Kong

Finally have some time to catch my breathe and update on my trip to Hong Kong.
It's been exactly a decade since I ventured in mono to the Pearl of the Orient and frankly, aside from the sprouting of a few big, fancy skyscrapers and departmental malls, most of the hidden small alleys, road traffic and MTR stayed the same.

Fortunately, that's not the only thing that stayed the same. Dim Sum by the trolleys and steamers, roasted juicy meats and the simple wanton noodles were just as I remembered them, fabulous.


We stayed at the Lang Ham Place Hotel in MongKok. Amazing hotel, ample space, LCD TV with cable and DVD player if you happen to bring DVDs when you travel, and a luxurious toilet for the regular voyeurs.

So off the plane we were at a tired and hungry 2:45pm. Most of the tea houses and dim sum restaurants were closed to prepare for the dinner shift and we were both getting grouchy from the futile search for food and tired from the scorching sun. At our wits end, we hopped into a cab and headed to 'Luk Yu Tea House' - a place we were actually saving for brunch the next day.

Within 20 mins, the cab pulled along the narrow hidden treasure cove of famous cafes and food alleys. The tea house was sleepy, with only a few patrons leisurely finishing their dim sum and afternoon newspaper.

This tea house is one of Hong Kong's oldest tea houses and judging by the decor furnishings and wait-staff, so are they.

Our lazy afternoon was accompanied with a very strong brew of a tea. Served in a no-fuss silver teapot, the tea leaves were generous and the tea was very strong. A little bitter for my liking but it did the job, cleansing the palate and whetting our appetite.

For our first HK dim sum experience, this was a disappointment. Maybe it was the hunger, or the expectations, or the fact that half the menu was not available..even the classics - char siew pau and siew mai were only mediocre. I liked the pork ribs though, but the hubs didn't really take to them. The egg tarts - a must in my HK-to-eat-list were fresh, most definitely. The egg custard was smooth, rich and fragrant, unfortunately the tart base was a little soggy and quite clearly left out in the open for too long, they were losing their crispy flake.

Ok, we blame it on the bad timing in the afternoon when lethargy is prevalent, especially when the weather is hot. So since we had already blew like $40 on cab fare to Hong Kong island, we decided to try a few other recommendations within the vicinity.

Our next stop was just steps away on the adjacent Wellington Street - Tsim Chai Kee - a kooky little noodle shop serving up a total of 3 variations of their noodle soup. They had choices from beef, wanton and fish mince ball or a combination of all 3. Needless to say, we both shared the combo. The soup was subtle but distinct with flavour. The noodles were really springy and tasted so fresh. The shrimp wantons are gigantic, though I didn't get to try them, G tells me in between bites that they are very fresh.

With the 'eating' part of "shopping and eating" visit-Hong Kong jingle satisfied, it was off to shopping! H & M just opened along central and suddenly it feels like we are back in Spain. After a few streets, it was evident that most of the shops along Central were pretty high end. I was totally blown away by the variety of International brands available -On pedder, Marc Jacobs, Juicy Couture, Stella Mc Cartney, Jill Sander etc. If felt like Paris, Spain and the U.S all within one street.

Didn't buy anything, but I must say, it was quite an experience.

Luk Yu Tea House

24 Stanley Street - Hong Kong

Tsim Chai Kee

98 Wellington Street - Hong Kong