Put on your suit jacket and grab a coffee...it's morning

Hong Kong

What else is great about Hong Kong? FOOD!! That was a very lame intro...I'm sorry. I already talked about the food culture in Hong Kong (according to ME...it's not the real traditional culture). I'm not going to type all that stuff again (nope, I won't even copy and paste it) so GO AND READ IT from the "Culture" section. Also, go to my "Shop List" section and scroll down to the restaurants, cafes, coffee shops and all that.

Because I know you won't read EVERYTHING that's here (because it IS a lot) so for quicker reference:
All food names are highlighted in RED
All shop names are highlighted in BLACK

Restaurants - Chinese

Chinese food is funki. OK, I'm not actually a big fan of Canton food (even though I feel bad for not really liking Canton food) but Beijing/Peking and Shanghai food is MUITA BOM!! Loooove Peking and Shanghai food! I actually haven't been out for dinner lately so I don't remember which places are nice and which aren't. I should still mention Canton food though. You can't go anywhere in Hong Kong without seeing a Canton restaurant so you probably wouldn't have trouble finding one. I don't like "Maxim's" actually, even though it's one of the most well-known ones. There are so many other ones which are better. There's one in Festival Walk which is pretty OK I guess...it's called the "House of Canton". I also know a really nice Shanghai restaurant in Festival Walk. I don't remember the name but it's right next to Page One. There's a nice Peking Restaurant in "Grand Century Plaza" (In Mong Kok). Don't remember the name either but it's on the top (7th) floor and if you're facing the "Golden Bull Restaurant", it should be on your right. Du-uh you can't go to a Peking restaurant without eating Peking duck. So order that...and I have no idea what it's called in English but it's pronounced "Wo Ba" in Chinese. It's rice that hard and you dip it in this tomato sauce and it's soooo good. Order that as well.

Restaurants - Western

Italian restaurants first. Amaroni's in Festival Walk is good. Very good. Also, Fat Angelo's is really nice (check where they are...because I don't remember). I don't remember going to any French restaurants recently so please E-MAIL me if anyone has any nice French restaurants they'd like to share. American restaurants in Hong Kong - typical Dan Ryan's, Ruby Tuesday (which is a Rolling Stones song!!!!!), Hard Rock Cafe (The Hard Rock Cafe in Tsim Sha Tsui has regular Jam nights with live music performances). I asked my Dad about his favourite restaurants in Hong Kong and he recommends "Bostonian" (Great Eagle Hotel, Tsim Sha Tsui). It's American and they have a buffet table. He took me there a few times before but I don't think I really remember it...I'm guessing it'll be similar to Dan Ryan's. OK, it's time to go on to SPANISH food. L.O.V.E "El Cid". They had one in Festival Walk before but stupidly, it ran out of business. There's one in Harbour City (but honestly, it's not as good as the one they had in Festival Walk) and I know there's one in Causeway Bay...I think. El Cid is my favourite Spanish restaurant in Hong Kong. The seafood paella's really nice, they have nice tapas (especially the fried mushroom and something ham...dun remember). The salt baked fish is sooooo nice. That's really something because I don't like fish and I actually LOVE that. I've always wanted to go to "Ole" in Central...so have to go there sometime. For the rich people of Hong Kong, go try out the very very hot "Spoon". It's a new hot restaurant they opened in Hong Kong (yes, it's that really famous one), everything looks nice but too $$.

Restaurants - Vietnam

I've actually only been into 2 Vietnam restaurants in Hong Kong (feel so bad). One in Festival Walk (makes me feel even worse) and one in Grand Century Plaza. The one in Festival Walk is called "Viet's" and it's near the ice rink. It's actually really good...the food, the interior, the service. They also have really nice drinks (try the mint coffee and the special "horoscope drinks" if they still have them). The one in Grand Century is amazing. It's called "Golden Bull" and they have REALLY nice food. I don't have any special recommendations because everything's really good. There's a dessert there (don't know the English name but the Chinese Pronunciation is "Suk Mai Lo Mai" ["Suk Mai" as in Corn]) that my sister LOVES...it's a white thick type of gooey soup dessert (I know it sounds icky...but it looks alright). It's served warm and it's really nice. So try that (That'll be my recommendation [Credit to my Sister]).

Restaurants - Japanese

There are LOADS of Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong...LOADS! (Note: Still, when you go into one, make sure it's clean...you don't want to be eating raw fish in a dirty shack!) the popular "revolving sushi" restaurants...which I don't really like that much but loads of people do...which is fine. One of the most popular Jap restaurants especially amongst the younger people of Hong Kong is "元氣壽司"...I try not to go in there because "Twins" and "Boy'z" helps promote it...so that's disturbing. There's a nice place in Grand Century Plaza called "Fung Yuet Tong" of "風月堂" and it's really nice. It's serves Japanese style pasta, steak, basically Japanese style Italian food (:D Oishi!) They have nice desserts as well. There's a Jap restaurant in Harbour City, TST (it's not in the main building. It's near the Starbucks outside of the building) that pretty OK and I've also been to a nice Jap restaurant in Telford Garden. Again, I don't remember the name (am so crap with restaurant names) but you're bound to find it once you get there. They have the nicest "Flying Fish Roe" sushi (which is my favourite :D ) I've had so far in Hong Kong. Still, so far, my favourite Japanese Restaurant would HAVE to be "Ka Ma Do" (火間土) which is a new restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui (8F, 1 Peking Road). They have a AMAZING view at night. The food is sooo nice and the servings are big...also, it's pretty cheap considering the serving size and the fact that it's Jap food. The interior is also amazing. It's the nicest restaurant I've been into in HK. The atmosphere's great and whoever did the interior is a genius. The service is ok I guess...you can't blame them though because the nice seats (they have pull down blinds) make it hard for them to serve the food. The desserts are so [Love Explosion-ish]! I liiiiike! I had the Vanilla Ice Cream in Coffee which was veeeery nice. I also tried the Creme Brule and the Green Tea Tiramisu which was also very very very nice. I also spent most of my time going "The plates are sooooo nice" because they were. The cups and plates and bowls were all sooo nice...I so wanted to buy them off the place. [Nothing makes people happier than nice bowls and cups]. (The nice pic on the right is of "Ka Ma Do". It's the VIP room...nice si?)

Restaurants - Other Ethnicities

I don't have anything to write here yet. However, this coming Chinese New Year holiday (after the mocks), I'm determined to go try "Taco Loco", the Mexican place, that Argentinean place, the Portuguese restaurant, the Cuban restaurant and that Brasilian restaurant I read about. So there WILL be stuff here soon!

Coffee Shops

Coffee Shop = Starbucks! Yes, love for Starbucks...NOT Pacific Coffee. There are loads of Starbucks in Hong Kong and one thing bad about them is that they're usually REALLY crowded and that's sooo annoying, can't even get a seat. My favourite ones are: The one in TST (the one near HMV), The other one in TST (near the Star Ferry), The one in Central (Opposite Alain Mikli) and the one in Causeway Bay (just down Hysan Avenue). Number one rule when looking for a seat in Starbucks - look for the comfy sofa seats and seats near the window FIRST. Anyways, It's the winter season now and that means...Gingerbread Lattes and Peppermint Mochas! Gingerbread Lattes are seriously addictive, I think I've had over 10 in the past 2 weeks. This winter in Hong Kong, people who've been walking around Causeway Bay might have noticed that European looking outdoor coffee shop - The "Hysan Avenue Winter Cafe". It's on Hysan Avenue and it's seriously beautiful. It's only up until the end of January I think so it's worth going down there. There's also live music on weekends and it's as close to Italy as you can get in Hong Kong (but the fact that "Cookies" was advertising it was a little scary). There are also other nice looking small coffee shops around Hong Kong. I've seen a couple of nice looking ones around Causeway and Central. (Shown on the right is a Chicken Pie and Gingerbread Latte [My 3rd of the week] from Starbucks).

Cafes and Places to Lunch or Snack

Lunch means Pret a Manger. PLEASE, don't even THINK about the one in Harbour City...hellooooo~ it's INSIDE a shopping arcade! The one that you SHOULD go to it the one in Causeway Bay (Hysan Avenue - opposite Chanel). Seriously, this Pret is my favourite place in the whole of Hong Kong. It's absolutely perfect in every way. Anyone who've been to this Pret with me would know how I keep going on and on and on about how nice it is. The location is perfect (it actually looks like a part of New York), the interior is nice (big, spacey, lots of NICE lighting, looks very "New York"), the food is great and I really can't find anything wrong with it. When I open my own restaurant, it HAS to be something like this Pret. I am in LOVE with this Pret a Manger! The Roast Beef Pret wrap is reallllly nice and the selection of drinks they have is impressive. The Strawberry Banana drink was really funki. Ohmigosh...the cheesecake was soooooooo great. Sitting in this Pret and looking out the window really makes you feel like you're in New York. I can't believe there can be such a perfect place. Hahahaha...LOVE EXPLOSION...I'm sorry tho, This Pret is officially MY FUNKI HOUSE...! (Shown on the left is food from the Pret)

Oliver's Super Sandwiches is another place I love. Since the one in Tsim Sha Tsui is so ugly, I usually go to the one in Festival Walk (which is NOT something I like to do). THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE NOW because I just fell in love with the Oliver's they have in Prince's Building, Central. It's not like there's much of a difference food wise but the atmosphere is so much better...Oliver's = Corned beef baked potato and peach tea Snapple. CitySuper Cooked Deli (Silvercord, TST) is also a really nice place to eat. It's like a mini food court with Korean, Thai, Japanese, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Chinese etc. food. I'm actually more interested in the "Pit In" inside the place which is a small convenience store (it feels so "Japanese convenience store"...I like that feeling :D plus, they have loads of drinks in nice bottles).

I've been around Causeway Bay lately trying to gather places where you can eat. I passed a really nice looking Cafe several times on my way to the Pret. I have a picture of it but I don't know the name...(good job Dorothy). It's very European and I'm determined to try it at least once. I'm also tried "Ichipan Crepes" (Cannon St) - Japanese style French crepes. From the magazine I read, the interior looks absolutely amazing. I really want to try the "Tiramisu crepe" looks very very funki (I had the "Fresh strawberry / Custard / Chocolate Sauce / Whipped Cream crepe"). While you're in Causeway Bay, go to the basement floor of Sogo. That's the supermarket place but they also have ready to eat food on sale. I love Sogo because they have a lot of food products that you don't get in most local supermarkets (e.g. they have more Japanese food). Plus, they have "Beard Papa's" there. It's the Jap Cream Puff store > "Pipin' hot puffs" with cream filling inside *drool*...those who went on the first EVER "Eating Trip" will remember...

Desserts

If you read above (restaurants - Japanese) you'll see I mentioned "Ka Ma Do", that's a nice place to eat desserts. However, if you want to find places that specialise in desserts, you HAVE to go to "The Sweet Dynasty" or "糖朝" on Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. It's a really famous Chinese dessert shop (so...a lot of Chinese Sweet Soup). The "To Fu Fa" (Sweet Tofu) is soooooo nice! There's also another really nice Chinese dessert shop near where I live called "Old Friend's Dessert Shop" (老友紀) the To Fu Fa there is really really good and the "Mango grass jelly" is also really nice [Credit to Arthur for recommending it to me]. In Central, I know this really amazing "Dan Tat" or Egg Tart shop in Central. It's on Hollywood Road (It's 20 something Hollywood Road).

Western dessert wise, Haagen Dazs (there's one in Festival walk, Harbour City and Times Square) is a must go...even though, to be honest, I'm not a regular Haagen Dazs goer. Then there's Ben & Jerry's (who are my absolute idols)...there's one in Festival Walk, Harbour City and one recently Opened in Causeway Bay (near NU Front - the old "New Face by Sogo"). In Central, there's the "SoHo Cheesecake and Bagel Bakery" which is supposed to be really good. "Zoe's" a cheesecake shop in Happy Valley is also on my list of "Places to try" for the year 2004 - I've read reviews about it and it's supposed to be very very very good.