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Hawkers selling food often have dubious health measures, and you can never be sure if they are legal or not. Best bet is not to be tempted to have a bite to eat with them just in case, you might ruin the remainder of your holiday.
I had some free time to go to Lantau, an island off Hong Kong, which is reachable by road and rail.
This is actually most people's arrival point, as Hong Kong's new airport was built on an artificial piece of land that was added to accommodate the huge structure.
The island is home to some amazing little fishing villages (Tai O), where locals go at weekends to buy their dried fish, as well as Big Buddha, the biggest outdoor buddha in the world. Next to the Big Buddha temple, is a monastery, where its possible to eat some fantastic vegetarian food, with beautifully decorated and ornate surroundings.
A great afternoon out, and the chance to be outside of the polluted areas like Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
a restaurant. First went there in the 70s and again in the noghties. Fantastic, authentic food with crispy duck to die for
42 Mody Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon Nathan Rd.)
Hong Kong
2723-3637
Hong Kong Island has some fantastic beaches on the south side of the island.
Accessible by minibus, taxi and bus, these beaches can be a fantastic half-day out away from the city.
The beaches, from west to east, include Deep Water Bay, Repulse Bay, South Bay and over the point to Stanley.
Deep Water bay is a great place to enjoy the sun and sand and is connected to Repulse Bay around the point past Middle Island by a promenade (20min walk).
Repulse Bay is fundamentally a high-end residential area with a large beach and shops.
A short taxi ride from Repulse Bay is South Bay beach. This gem is usually less crowded and great for swimming and has a decent restaurant for snacks.
Over and around the point is Stanley (famous for its market) which has two beaches of note – the first is the main beach facing east (a short stroll from the main bus terminus); the second is St Stephen's beach. Facing into Stanley Bay, its a 15min walk along Wong Ma Kok Rd (taking you past one of HK’s many military cemeteries from WW2 – a sombre reminder of what went on here in recent history). Great for picnics and just enjoying the scenery, you can also take part in dinghy sailing and kayaking if you have the energy.
From Central Exchange Square terminus: to Stanley – 6, 6X, 260, 66 (6X, 260 via Deepwater Bay) all routes pass through Repulse Bay.
To South Bay: take a taxi from Repulse Bay (£2).
If you want to eat in LKF try running the gauntlet of Wing Wah Lane which is just off D'Aguilar Street (where most bars are concentrated).
As soon as you set foot on the street out come the chasing pack of touts trying to divert you into their restaurant but it is worth holding out and going round the bend to Co Co Curry which has a wide and tasty variety of Malaysian and Thai food as well as the extremely tasty Roti. Tasty and excellent value.
Perfectly washed down by a selection from their wide range of bottled lagers.
Wing Wah Lane, Lang Kwai Fong
Simply walk up Theatre Lane from Central MTR Station and be greeted by D'Aguilar Street. WWL is up the hill on the right.
34th Floor Restaurant with 270 degree views overlooking Victoria Park, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and Victoria Harbour.
All you can eat dim sum, sushi, sashimi, miso soup, freshly cooked noodles, sandwiches, quiches, fresh Fruit, chocolate fountain, Haagen-Dazs and cakes. Add all you can drink sparkling dry white wine and a price of HK$200 each (about £15) and you have a full stomach, few drinks, happy wife and happy wallet.
And if you have not had enough you can go back on a Sunday. Less of a buffet, more of a meal, and unlimited champagne instead of Sparkling Wine. HK$250 each.
Saturday Sparkling Tea Buffet is 1pm to 4.30pm.
Sunday Bubbly Brunch is 11.30am to 3pm.
Book early to get a window seat!!
www.excelsiorhongkong.com/
281 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay MTR Exit D1
Go at 5.30pm, see the stunning HK skyline by daylight in one revolution, then stay for a second revolution (it takes 66 minutes) and witness the lighting displays switching on one by one in many of the bigger towers. One of the famous ones plays hard to get and waits until all of the other flashy ones have shown their best before it suddenly lights up. The restuarant has a very nice buffet dinner starting after dark but you can stand at the bar for sunset drinks only. Staff are friendly and efficient. It isn't cheap but is excellent value for the location and entertainment. Be careful when you go to the toilet (in the central core) because in the five or ten minutes you are in there, the view changes and you can feel disorientated and lost.
The Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen's Road East, on the south edge of Wan Chai at the foot of the steep slope. Take a taxi (cheap and highly efficient) or take a 15-minute walk over from Wan Chai MRT through the narrow lanes and market stalls.
Dessert houses are small shops spread across the main city areas of Causeway Bay, Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui, serving desserts of all types. Most of them are offered chilled, with the main ingredients been exotic fruit and pudding. Desserts are very popular amongst the locals and also ideal for anyone looking for sweet refreshment after an exhausting walk under the hot sun. Prices are very reasonable as well.
A local chain of Italian-style eateries. Adapted to local tastes but excellent value, very large portions and very family friendly (kids will love it).
There are about six branches dotted around Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. One is in Soho half way up the big escalator; www.fatangelos.com
This is the oldest traditional teahouse in HK. Straight out of the 1930s – the decor came from the original restaurant 100 years ago. The teahouse has a fantastic retro atmosphere. There’s excellent tea, great dimsum at lunchtime and at night the food is good, but it can be quiet.
Luk Yu is straight out of the movies, and is the actual scene of an old-style triad killing.
24 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong; tel: 852 2523 5463
To the North-East of the Happy Valley racetrack is the Happy Valley market, a concrete covered market which is thronging with all sorts of food during the day. However go upstairs and there are a couple of open courts with the ubiquitous plastic stools and tables where remarkably cheap and fantastically fresh food is served. Get your tea in a beaker and hit the fish in particular, but frankly you can afford to buy so much at the prices just to have a bit of everything.
Happy Valley, north-east of the racetrack, Happy Valley tram.
Go here for some of the finest curry outside India. On the steps outside, men with business cards might haggle with each other for your custom, but most of the restaurants inside the Chungking labyrinth are well worth checking out. Go in large groups so you can share as many dishes as possible.
The prices are excellent too: You should be able to feed five people for no more than £30 (under 500 HKD).
Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
American Peking Restaurant on Lockhart Road for Peking duck (no need to pre-order) and all day dim sum at the Luk Yu Tearooms in Stanley Street, Central. Two musts for any visitor to Honkers.
Amercian Peking - Wan Chai MTR (Exit A4)
Luk Yu - Central MTR (Exit D4)
Fabulous restaurant on Lantau Island. There’s an enormous patio (stoep) under the trees on a wide, sandy beach, serving South African food (interesting, quite delicious with a Malay influence, and some of the best bread I have ever tasted).
Really friendly staff with a good, relaxed approach makes for a welcome break from the frantic pace of Central. Great stop-over on a day trip to Lantau for a long lunch, some sunbathing and swimming.
Near Tong Fuk village, Lantau Island
Vegetarian south Indian restaurant with several north Indian dishes. Dosas and sweet lassis are wonderful. Very good value. Staff are great.
61 Mody Road, Mirror Tower, Kowloon
I ate here 10 years ago. Great atmosphere and the best Pekinese food i had in Hong Kong during my three year stay. Cheap too.
20 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai
Get yourself down to Happy Valley racecourse (Causeway Bay MTR station) on a Wednesday night for the horseracing.
A one of a kind setting, and one of Hong Kong's favourite past times. Nearly everyone in this town loves a flutter. Minimum wager HK$10, less than a pound, and all profits are reinvested in the community, so you can soothe your conscience as well.
Good selection of food to suit western and Asian tastes, and beer readily available.
As expensive or cheap as you want it to be.
As mentioned Causeway Bay MTR station, Exit A, then a short walk to the race track. It's on the maps inside the station and is about a 5-10 minute walk
Take the MTR (rail system) to Choi Hung station, then get a 1A bus to Sai Kung all the way to the bus terminus at the seafront. The restaurants are right there and all of them are good. Someone on the staff usually speaks English.
For coffee, wander along the front away from the terminus to where it meets the road, turn up the road and you'll come to a big square, where all the action happens. There are several cafes there where you can sit out. Jaspa’s coffee is the best.
Another way to spend the time (you could combine the two) is to take a taxi from Sai Kung (it costs very little) to Pak Sha Wan. Tell the driver you want to go to the pier.
On the pier, boat people will approach you. For HK$10, you can jump on one of the kaidos (little boats) and they'll take you five minutes to Trio beach. It's a government run one, which means it's shark-netted and has a loo and a very basic cafe. Walk along the beach from where the boat drops you to the second little beach – it’s always emptier. There's a kids playground up the steps beside it. The boats keep coming back and forth all day. Just keep an eye on which flag yours was carrying, as a way of identifying it.
It’s a lovely spot to watch the big sail boats and the tycoons’ yachts from.
Note: there are no places to stay in Sai Kung, but if you get stuck out late you're only a $200 taxi ride via the Eastern Tunnel from Central.
Although it is also called Rat Alley, there are rats and mice everywhere in Hong Kong so this shouldn't put you off.
The food is OK, and a lot cheaper than nearby Lan Kwai Fong. You also get to eat outside, which is not always possible in Hong Kong.
There are some nice western restaurants (Jaspa's, Sauce and Cru) in the main square with outdoor tables. The major dessert place is called Honeymoon Dessert and is located by the crossing and traffic lights just as you come into town.
To get to Sai Kung from Hong Kong Island take the MTR to Hang Hau, then take the 101 minibus. It's easiest if you get off at the terminus, otherwise alight just after the traffic lights by Honeymoon Dessert.
From Kowloon, take the MTR to Choi Hung, and take the 1A minibus
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