SAVOURING THE FLAVOURS OF HONG KONG

The infamous Chinese egg tart

The last British Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, was well known for his love affair with the Chinese egg tart: a mouth watering confection made up of a velvety custard filling nestled in a buttery rich crust.  

This understandable addiction resulted in Mr. Patten earning the unfortunate moniker of “fatty patty”, the calorie count off the scale.

We’ve had the good fortune to visit Hong Kong a number of times over the years, this stay a stopover on our way to Bali.  On this particular visit we had planned a foodie walking tour of the lesser known haunts of Hong Kong Island.

Interesting wares line the sidewalk

We arrived in Hong Kong early morning from Vancouver, the warm sunny weather a blessing after a prolonged cold, snowy winter back home.  Once installed in the hotel we set out on the MTR - Hong Kong’s efficient metro – to check out the meeting place for the next day’s adventure. 

Ascending from the depths of the metro station concourse, we emerged into blinding sun and an assault of aromatic smells.   

The hustle and bustle on Des Voeux Road was evident with delivery trucks disgorging all sorts of goods without care for the hoi polloi on the sidewalks.   Fish hung on the railings alongside the curb, their scales glinting in the sunlight.  Merchants showcased their exotic wares, containers and cotton sacks spilling over on to the pavement.  Picking one’s path through this assault required extreme concentration, and a full stomach!

Satisfied that we had the drill organized for the next day we returned to the MTR, visiting the magnificent Marks and Spencer food floor, the Melton Mowbray pies absolutely outstanding.   

Another hop on the MTR took us over to Kowloon on the other side of Victoria Harbour and a sentimental visit to “the Pen”, one of the best hotel experiences we have ever enjoyed (last visit).  Afternoon tea was in full swing as the quartet on the Juliet balcony overlooking the Peninsula’s cavernous lobby played their hearts out. 

No stay in Hong Kong is complete without a ride on Star Ferries, it never disappoints.  Returning to Hong Kong Island our feet were barking.  Time to rest up.

Rather you than me

Next morning we met up with Richard, our foodie guide for the day.  A small group of nine made introductions and set out for our first stop – Dim Sum at the Lin Heung Kui Tea House.  The old restaurant heaved with humanity, Richard guiding us to the third floor “where it was less busy”.  

We're watching

“Busy” must mean something different here because the third floor was stacked with people, cheek by jowl, the smiling dim sum waitresses somehow finding a way to manoeuvre their carts to each table while a grizzled server heaved an oversized steaming kettle to infuse the waiting teapots. No one was going to get in his way! Dim Sum’s OK but I’ll never be able to square with chickens feet no matter how succulent the sauce topping the skeletal remains.

Waiving goodbyes to our toothless server, we ventured along Wing Lok Street, eyeing the dried seafood, shark fins, birds’ nests, dried caterpillars and other goods apparently essential to good health.  

Two well fed cats reclined lazily on overstuffed sacks of unrecognizable goods in one store, eyeing us suspiciously.  In house rat catchers perhaps.

Mak's excellent wonton house

A steady climb through the chaos over uneven walkways brought us to Mak’s Noodle House on Wellington Street across from the Graham Street wet market.  Mak’s – a wonton house – is quite the success story with outlets across the Territory and in Singapore.  

The original restaurant was discovered by Anthony Bourdain who cited the blend of delicious broth, al dente noodles, delicate shrimp and tender beef brisket made in this kitchen, in his opinion, a required “go to”.  It was. The chef dispensed the wonton with lightning speed while an associate worked feverously in the background assembling the next batch.

Milk teas all round

A walk through the wet market brought us to Gage Street and the Lan Fong Yuen milk tea emporium.  Overlooking the vibrant market below we joined a long line of customers who enjoyed the beverage concocted from various tea varieties and condensed milk.  We also tried the Yuen Yeung, a blend of tea, coffee and condensed milk. 

Both offerings were really good.  As we sipped on the beverage Richard took us up on the Central - Mid-Levels Escalator system, the world’s longest outdoor covered escalator system linking the hilly districts of Hong Kong Island high above the busy traffic.

View from the "ding ding"

Before heading off to the Wanchai district on the “ding ding” – Hong Kong’s famous open air tram – we stopped at the Apothecary where a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner dispensed his exotic wares while his assistants carefully wrapped the prescription ingredients in rice paper.  

The tram ride gave us pause to contemplate our experiences so far, but the best was yet come. 

A well earned Michelin star  

The Joy Hing Restaurant specializes in roasted meats and even has a Michelin star.  The restaurant capacity is small and as our group of 9 was guided into a space not much bigger than a walk in closet we realized this was not a place to linger.  You ate then left.  Nine stools magically became available as peer pressure governed the day.  

No sooner than the last morsel was consumed we left our seats, still chewing, the long line of hungry customers on the street eyeing us patiently for their turn. Despite the rush, the food was absolutely fabulous.

Our final stop was the Honolulu Coffee Shop.  Apparently the owner didn’t know what to call his establishment and settled on this.  The name did nothing to promote the delicious wares on sale, the star of which was the egg tart.  Richard served our egg tarts in a nearby park.  The experience brought a whole new meaning to “melt in the mouth”.  We understood how Mr. Patten had become addicted to this creamy confection.

Hong Kong is like that.  So much to savour.  When you discover something special it’s hard not to overindulge on the flavour!