I almost bought this hamburger phone, but then I remembered that I don’t have a land line. Darn.

Cracker lighters.  Took me a while to figure out how to turn it on.

Foam bread.  Softer than the real thing, but I had no idea what purpose they served.  Mouse wrist pads perhaps?

Key chains.  Do not ingest.

Bacon cell phone leashes.  Too bad my iPhone doesn’t have a leash loop.

Majesty Restaurant
3/F Prudential Ctr 216 – 228A Nathan Rd
Jordan Station, Exit E

Chicken Bundles, these things were ginormous!

The inner workings of the cha siu bao (roast pork bun).

Looks a lot like a jeen dui (fried gluttony sesame ball), but it’s something else

It’s deep fried bread with red bean paste and banana paste filling.  It was so good, I can still taste it.

The Fishing Villages

Hong Kong is synonymous with seafood.  The selection is plentiful, fresh, and affordable.  One of the perks of seafood dining in Hong Kong is that you can pick what you want to eat right from the tanks, and it will be cooked to your preference in no time at all.  How’s that for fresh?

The Fishing Village of Sai Kung

The seafood tanks in front of one of the restaurants in Sai Kung

Upon stepping off the bus at the central terminal, the senses are treated to the wavering scent of seawater and the scene of the locals selling their daily catch.

Fried Fish Skin

Fatty Beef Brisket

The Fishing Village of Lei Yu Mun

Lei Yu Mun is one of the older fishing villages.  In the past, the only way of getting there was by car or boat, but now it can also be accessed after a 15 minute walk from the Yau Tong MTR stop.  Walk east up and down a small hill and you will see a large gate.  There are many seafood vendors to choose from, and you get to pick out your own seafood as well.  Once you’ve selected the seafood you want, the vendors will bring it to one of the local restaurants to cook to your liking.  We went to the Dynasty Restaurant for our seafood dinner.  It’s a little further back, but it’s worth the small hike.

Clockwise from top left:  Clams, Lobster, Cuttlefish, Mantis Shrimp (Peeing Shrimp)

Giant Razor Clams

Salt Baked Mantis Shrimp (Peeing Shrimp)

Garlic Steamed Scallops

Fresh Steamed Fish

Jumbo Prawns

Ginger and Scallion Crab

Clams in Black Bean Sauce

Hong Kong Eats:  Tea Time, Fast Fixes, and Street Eats – Part One

Hong Kong Eats:  Tea Time, Fast Fixes, and Street Eats – Part Two

Hong Kong Eats:  Dinner Time

The first day I arrived at Hong Kong, I met up with my relatives for dinner and for a special birthday celebration (not mine).  It had been 16 years since I’ve seen my aunt and uncle, and I saw other relatives for the first time.  The food was impressive, but  I was so busy catching up with relatives and stuffing my face that I didn’t get a chance to take pictures of every dish.

Chinese Cold Cut Platter – Pork, Chicken, Seaweed, and Tofu

Sauteed Lobster

Roasted Dried Oysters Wrapped In Fried Rice Noodles

Dried Scallops Stuffed in Squash

Abalone and Duck’s Foot

Chinese Fried Chicken

Four Season Pot Rice
Arthur Street near Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei

Claypot Rice with Chicken and Preserved Dried Meat (Chinese sausage, pork, duck)

This claypot rice (bo jai fan) joint was featured on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, so we had to see what the hype was about. We went around 10pm and the place was packed.  The food was great and cheap, in fact, we came here twice for dinner.  Aside from the claypot rice, the fried oyster dipped in batter was top notch.

Look at those prices!  And that’s HKD by the way.  So that’s $2.32USD for a basic order of pot rice, and $2.71USD for the specialty pot rice.

Deep Fried Battered Oyster and Scallion Pancake w/ Hot Sauce

Claypot Rice with Chicken and Salted Fish

Claypot Rice with Chicken and Northern Mushrooms

Victoria Harbour Roasted Goose and Seafood Restaurant
1/F, Golden Era Plaza, 39 Sai Yee Street, Mongkok

I’m pretty sure this is the place where my cousin, Yolanda, and I went for dinner on Wednesday night.  You can have a family style dinner here, or go the Chinese Hot Pot (Shabu Shabu) route.  There are tables made specifically for hot pot as there is a heating element attached to each table in the center.

The roast goose was mighty tasty.  The sauce was a bit too salty though.

Sweet and Sour Pork done right.  This is the real stuff, cooked with peaches, strawberries, and pineapples.

Sucking Roast Pig and Jelly Fish

Just your typical baby bok choi sauteed with oil and garlic.

Hong Kong Eats: Tea Time, Fast Fixes, and Street Eats – Part One

Hong Kong Eats: Tea Time, Fast Fixes, and Street Eats – Part Two

Hong Kong Eats:  Dim Sum and Seafood

Lan Fong Yuen
G/F Gage Street, Central (near the escalator)

Lan Fong Yuen is home of the famous pork chop sandwich and ramen platters.  The pork chop sandwich was simple and well made.  It’s a piece of fried pork chop sandwiched between a buttered sesame seed bun, tomato, and mayonnaise.  Simply beautiful.  We also ordered the French toast with coconut and cream filling, French toast with condensed milk and peanut butter, silky milk tea, and red bean ice (one of my favorite drinks).

Tai Cheong Bakery
35 Lyndhurst Terrace near Hollywood Road in the SoHo area, Central

On our way back from walking Hollywood Road, we stopped by Tai Cheung Bakery for its famous egg tarts.   The crust is light and brittle, and the texture of the egg tart is extremely smooth and silky, which makes it delicate to handle.  One of the best egg tarts I’ve had in a long time.

Mido Cafe
63 Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei,
Yau Ma Tei Station, Exit B2

We went to Mido Cafe on Thursday night for dinner, only to find that it was closed for the night.  No worries, we went back Friday morning.  We had to wait for a table, and it was only 10:15AM.  This place is known for their baked sparerib with rice and red bean ice.  Of the places I went to for red bean ice, Mido’s was the best.

The baked sparerib with rice dish takes fifteen minutes to cook, and it’s worth the wait.  The sauce is light and creamy, the spareribs are crispy and tender, and the rice is laced with pieces of scrambled egg.

The pineapple bun with butter is a popular staple in Hong Kong.  It’s just a pineapple bun (bor lor bao) cut in half, with a pad of butter shoved inside.  So bad for the arteries, yet so good on the palette.

Red Bean Ice, Done right!

French Toast Topped with Butter and Honey

Take note, it closes at 9:30PM

Leitaria I Son – Macau
7 Largo Senado (In Senado Square)

A trip to Hong Kong also warrants a visit to the nearby region of Macau.  Just a 45 minute boat ride on the turbojet, the location is perfect for a day trip.  The first order of business upon arrival was to get some steamed milk (sern pei lai).  So we headed to Leitaria I Son In Senado Square.

I usually don’t eat dairy, but steamed milk is too good to pass up.

Pork Chop Sandwich.  It was a bit on the dry side.  I liked Lan Fong Yuen’s version better.

There’s always time for a pineapple bun with butter

Pasteleria Koi Kei – Macau
8 Locations in Macau

Koi Kei is the place where most tourist buy food souvenirs to bring back home.  There are quite a few on the road  that leads up to the St. Paul ruins. There we had the famous Portuguese Egg Tarts, or Po-Taht for short.  It’s like a Chinese egg tart (dan tat) except the crust is light and flaky, and the top of the egg is lightly burnt.  Simply delicious and rich in flavor and texture.

Cafe E.S Kimo – Macau
Some where in Macau, didn’t take note of the address

Soy-Sauce Beef

Baked Pork Chop Rice

Curry Pork

A Random Dumpling Shop in Mongkok

Street Eats – Stinky Tofu
On the streets of Mongkok

No trip to Hong Kong is complete without eating street-side stinky tofu.  I had stinky tofu for the first time and it was difficult to get over the smell at first.  Boon, on the other hand, has acquired a tasted for them.  It’s like eating fried tofu that’s dipped in sewer water.  I had one from one of the street-side vendors in Mongkok.

Hong Kong Eats:  Tea Time, Fast Fixes, and Street Eats – Part One

Hong Kong Eats:  Dinner Time

Hong Kong Eats:  Dim Sum and Seafood

Cafe de Coral
Locations throughout Hong Kong

Right after I checked into my hotel in Mongkok, I went to the Cafe de Coral in the Grand Tower building for breakfast. The honey-baked chicken was sold out, so  I ordered the New Zealand Hoki Fish Filet w/ hotdogs, toast, and  Horlicks.   It’s like the Hong Kong equivalent of McDonald’s.

My last meal before heading back to the states was once again at Cafe de Coral.  I figured that it was appropriate to do so. I ordered the Haianese Chicken Rice Set.

MaximMX (Mei Sum MX)
Locations throughout HK

Another joint similar to Cafe de Coral that can be found all over Hong Kong.  It’s part of the Maxim restaurant group that operates different restaurant brands, such as Maxim Bakery (Mei Sum Sei Bang) and M.A.X. Concepts.  Compared to Cafe de Coral, the MX’s style is more trendy and modern, and the food is slightly different.  The food still falls in the same genre though.  I went to the one in Mongkok located by the primary Mongkok subway entrance.  Pictured is the Swiss Style Soy Sauce Chicken with French Toast

Mak Mun Kee Noodle House
Parkes Street in Jordan

A trip to Hong Kong should always include a visit to one of the local noodle shops.  Mak Mun Kee’s wonton noodles are well known, and so are the beef brisket noodles and braised pork feet.  They even make their own noodles!  The wonton only contains shrimp and the beef brisket is so tender that it falls apart in your mouth.

Cart Noodles
Wan Chai

Cart Noodles or Che Jai Mien can be found all over Hong Kong as well.  We went to one in Wan Chai.  The address is shown in the picture, but it’s in Chinese.  The anticipation of eating noodles took priority of writing down the address.  What made this dining experience unique is that it’s not a sit down place to eat.  You can eat by the wall on a small table ledge standing up, or do what me and my friends did, eat outside in the alley.  Che jai mien became popular in Hong Kong in the 1950s where many street vendors would sell noodles and numerous toppings out of their carts.  I ordered the thin noodles, with brisket, pork skin, fish balls, and greens.

Street Eats:  Fish Balls and Squid
Streets of Mongkok

Curry fish balls and squid are amongst some of the most popular items to eat from the street food vendors.  Some also sell stinky tofu.  You’ll know you’re near stinky tofu when the aroma of sweet rotting salty fish makes its way up your nose and overwhelms your olfactory senses.

Hong Kong Eats:  Tea Time, Fast Fixes, and Street Eats – Part 2

Hong Kong Eats:  Dinner Time

Hong Kong Eats:  Dim Sum and Seafood