Hong Kong
- Ria Gandhi
- Aug 6, 2018
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 25, 2022
Hong Kong was my last stop during the three months I spent in Southeast Asia, and I visited during my last weekend in the region. Many of my friends were in HK this weekend as well, and it really helped to have people who spoke Cantonese with me. All signs in HK are written in English as well, but it is a little hard to communicate with taxi drivers and waiters at restaurants if you don’t speak Cantonese (or Mandarin at the very least).
Also, I would recommend getting an Octopus card and using the MTR to get around the city. This is a very convenient, cheap way to get around, and the Octopus card can be used at many chains across the city (i.e. 7-Eleven) along with the MTR.
Below are the places I visited in the 3 days I spent there.
Capital Cafe
My first meal in HK was at Capital Cafe in Central HK. My friend took me there to experience some classic HK brunch food. We ordered truffle scrambled eggs, macaroni soup with ham, bread with ham and eggs, and milk tea.
The truffle scrambled eggs served on top of white bread were something I had never tried before, and despite only a bit of truffle sprinkled on the eggs, the taste was pervasive. I really liked this dish and thought this was the best part of the meal.
The macaroni soup tasted quite different from what would be expected when combining pasta and ham with soup in the US. The soup is quite salty, and the dish is a very traditional comfort food in HK.
The milk tea in HK was very different from the ones I have had in Singapore and the US. It has a different flavor due to the fact that condensed milk is used, making the drink thicker and creamier. I really enjoyed this, but after being accustomed to Westernized milk tea for so long, I think I’ll stick to my usual choices.
This brunch was definitely an authentic start to my trip, and I would highly recommend any visitor to HK go to this cafe.
Causeway Bay
This is the main shopping district of HK. Many Western brands can be found here, with Victoria’s Secret and Tiffany & Co. having huge, multi-story stores. I mostly ate lots of local desserts in that area (left to right: coconut milk with saga jelly, matcha egg waffle, earl grey shaved ice), though I did get to see the world’s busiest crosswalk.
Dim Sum: Tim Ho Wan and Crystal Jade
Of course I couldn’t go to HK without having lots and lots of dim sum! Having had Din Tai Fung a lot in Singapore, I was excited to compare my experience to the other Michelin-starred dim sum chains in HK.
Tim Ho Wan (left) offers a very traditional Chinese menu, with eccentric meats that aren’t common in Western culture (eg. chicken feet, braised liver, intestines, etc). My friend and I opted to stay safe and ordered these dim sum: bean curd + pork, glutinous rice + pork, beef, and fried pork.
Crystal Jade (right) has similar food but is more suited to the Western palette. I tried truffle pork dumplings and dan dan noodles! The truffle pork is definitely an acquired taste, but I had been dying to try it since Din Tai Fung’s version of it is very expensive. The dan dan noodles are very spicy and served in soup - really yummy!
I’m really glad I tried these chains for some affordable, delicious dim sum.
Victoria Peak
Wow, HK’s main attraction has crowds that speak to its popularity, as in a 2 hour wait to get up to the peak on a Saturday afternoon. :( Fair warning - I visited in early August and got mild heat stroke from standing outside in the HK heat, so be prepared for a long wait in awful temperatures if you visit at peak times.
Tip: Stop by earlier in the morning and buy your tickets then so you can skip the line later in the day.
After buying a ticket (USD $12) and taking a cable car up the hill (you can taxi if you want to but it’s more expensive and you won’t get access to the viewing deck at the top without paying more), I walked through a 5-story mall to get to the SkyView Terrace, where panoramic views of the city and ocean can be seen.
The ideal time to visit Victoria Peak is around 5:45pm to see the city during the day and watch the sunset, but since I was only there for a weekend, I had very little flexibility with the time I picked to go. Nevertheless, the views were gorgeous, and I got some amazing pictures.
Definitely a must-see if you’re in HK!
Light Show
Many cities in Asia are famous for their own versions of light shows, and HK is no different. Their version is a city-wide light show on its many skyscrapers, which can be viewed by taking a ferry from Central HK (Star Ferry Pier #7) to Tsim Sha Tsui (TST). The ferry will drop you off at a promenade, where music is blasted while you look across the bay at the show. The entire show lasts about 10 minutes and is pretty much the same throughout, but it’s amazing to see the coordination across so many of the city’s major buildings.
Big Buddha
I had around 6 hours on my last day and really wanted to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city, so a friend and I hopped on the MTR to Tung Ching. Then, we decided to take the cable car up the mountain to see the Big Buddha, as a bus would take a lot longer and not offer the same views.
Tip: Buy your cable car tickets on Klook for USD $25 - it’s cheaper and allows you to skip the line at the entrance.
The ~20 minute cable car ride is absolutely gorgeous and offers panoramic views of the airport, greenery, and ocean. Definitely have no regrets on taking this mode of transportation.
Once you get off, you're welcomed by a cute little town with restaurants and souvenir shops. The Big Buddha and a monastery are a 10 minute walk away. The Big Buddha statue is very impressive and can be seen from miles away, and climbing up the stairs is worth it in order to see the statue up close.
We also stopped by the monastery and visited a Buddhist prayer room before heading back to the city.
All in all, Hong Kong is pretty much a combination of San Francisco’s hills and New York’s hustle and bustle. However, the heat and humidity are definitely an adjustment, even for me after having spent almost 3 months in Southeast Asia already.
Really glad I managed to make a trip here and see some familiar faces for an amazing end to my time here in Asia!
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