Short weekend trip to Hong Kong and Macau

I was very excited to come back to Hong Kong since I first arrived in 2006. I had recognised a few places and was a bit more excited on this 3-day trip. Back when I first came, I just stayed at the airport hotel and dined at the food court. I went to the city and feasted on a Chinese restaurant once. My next trip to Hong Kong was all about food and culture.

The first day kicked off and I arrived at the airport in the afternoon. I have seen the food court across the arrivals area and refused to have a look at the food menu. Just in time for dinner, I left my bags at the hotel in Chung King Mansions, Tsim Tsa Tsui. I can see the neon sign boards across the busy Nathan Road. The locals just finished work and were gathering the streets. I have walked down to Canton Road and reached the Silvercord Centre, home to the Michelin-star restaurant, Din Tai Fung. As I reached the top floor, the restaurant was full and I was welcomed with a long queue. I sneaked at the lower ground floor and dined at Food Republic instead.

The place offered a wide selection of dishes ranging from Cantonese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Korean, you name it. It’s all about Asian cuisine here and I picked a couple of shrimp dumplings at one food booth for AED7 (4 pcs). The dumplings were served in a steamed basket. The shrimps were cooked well and the skin was not too sticky. With the intention to make myself full, I have ordered a Cantonese chicken dish with pickled vegetables on a bed of coconut rice for AED25 (combo meal). The sliced chicken was tender; vegetables were fresh and mixed well with the coconut flavour of the rice. Overall it was a great dish and Far Eastern treat. The locals were enjoying their food, no spoon or fork anywhere so diners including tourists had to use chop sticks.

The second day started with breakfast at Mcdonald’s across the Nathan Road. Okay, it was not about cheese burgers or fries. They had local menu, Chicken with pasta hot pot style with soy milk served. The chicken tasted good very rich flavour with a local aftertaste. The soup was great and pasta was firm and cooked right. The warm soy milk was a great way to end the rainy morning.

I walked down the China Ferry Terminal which serves the Hong Kong-Macau trip for AED170 on a weekend return journey. The trip was approximately an hour and since the weather was not so good, I had to take a nap before my slight motion sickness triggered. I reached Macau in the afternoon just in time for lunch but waited for a while to finish my itinerary. The sign boards were written in Chinese and Portuguese since those two languages are the region’s official languages.

I visited the Museu Do Vinho or Wine Museum, located opposite the Sands Hotel on the same building with Grand Prix Museum in Macau. There was no entrance fee and it was a great experience. The staffs were accommodating and I had seen different wines placed on the racks. To name a few, there were Tapada Chardonnay, Mural White, Dai Mun White, Vinha Ervideira White, and Terras Ervideira. There was a dedicated lounge where a video on how to make a wine was being played. The barrels were displayed as well and some Portuguese-dressed mannequins near the wine displays. Wine tasting is available for AED5 per glass.

I had lunch at the Ferry terminal as I was keen to go back to Hong Kong before the sunset. I picked up some congee and deep-fried chicken. Both dishes were great and I was happy to have the Chinese –Macanese foods served that satisfied my palate.

It was time to go back to Hong Kong after a long day. As I reached Hong Kong via Tsim Tsa Tsui ferry terminal, I had my shopping at Mong Kok area in Kowloon, popular for street markets like Jade Market, Ladies Market and more. A holiday in Hong Kong is not complete without spending for clothes and accessories as they are affordable. As I walked across the end of Mong Kok street, I dined at a small Thai restaurant. I chose green curry chicken served with some steamed vegetables. I enjoyed the spicy treat of the dish and the chicken was tender. It reminded me of an authentic Thai green curry dish. Next up was seafood rice. The dish included big mussels, some squid and shrimps. It was a great dish with flavours bursting in your mouth. I noticed some tourists dining on this small restaurant. Locals were having a good time as well.

If you are travelling in Hong Kong, it is best to visit the local restaurants to have a great dining experience. A normal routine is to end your dish with a cup of tea. Did you know? Hong Kong is home to award-winning restaurants and I’ll make sure to visit more restaurants on my next trip to the place where East meets the West.

Mike for ExpatWomanFood.com
April 2013