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Saturday 15 September 2012

Hongkong food: Keung Kee Meat Shop強記飯店 , 兴记Hing Kee,The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong - MO Bar, honeymoon desserts, lucky Desserts, Mak's Noodle, Maxim, Shamrock seafood restaurant, Sweet Dynasty,Luk Yu Tea house, Hui Lau Shan, Yee Shun Milk Company



Keung Kee Meat Shop強記飯店
9-17 Tin Lok Lane, Hong Kong
Near causeway bay and beside a tram stop.
Go after breakfast.
The food is delicious and value for money



兴记Hing Kee
(19 Temple Street )extreme end of temple street, near Yaumatei MTR station
Oyster Egg,claypot rice, oyster egg and urine prawn
530-130am
A bit too oily for my liking



The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong - MO Bar
Near Central MTR station



Decided to try out high Tea in Hong Kong.
The high tea is around hk$200 and reservation can be made through email.
The food was not bad.
The interesting fact about this high tea is that they linked up with brands like marc jacobs, chloe and etc to come up. The food will be designed with the brand as the theme, a small gift is given for customers (while stocks last). No worries about the gift as is of high calibre and not some cheapo free gifts.
During the time period I was there, there were giving out this brand known as Qeelin. Although it is not a famous brand, the gift was well made and very beautiful.


Honeymoon Dessert
They have branches in Singapore but I have not tried them out yet.
A lot of branches in Hong Kong. I visited the one at Langham place shopping mall.



Lucky Dessert 發記甜品
G/F 532 Jaffe RoadCauseway Bay, Hong KongTel: (+852) 2838-3066/ 2838-5166Cuisine: Hong Kong/ DessertTransportation:MTR*: Causeway Bay (Exit D1)Payment: Cash onlyOpening Hour: 12:30-02:00G/F25-27 Soy St, Mong Kok 旺角豉油街25-27號Tel: 2332 89191pm-2am



Luk Yu Tea House 陸羽茶室
24 Stanley S Central Hong Kong Ph : +852 2523 5464
Price is a bit steep over there. One of the oldest and famous teahouse.. Interesting place to visit if you are not travelling on a budget as they still have the traditional touch.


Mak's Noodle 麥奀雲吞麵世家
Voted as one of the best wanton noodle
77 Wellington St., Central, Hong Kong, China.
The one visited is at the ferry terminal to macau. It is located in the food court. However, some people commented only the wellington is the real one and most delicious one. Will visit the one wellington one day to try it out.





Hongkong fast food MAxim
Sometimes I am just in hurry, because I want to shop. I just drop by Maxim for a meal.
Chinese fast food, standard is not bad. Sometimes the seasonal items are quite good.


Shamrock seafood Restaurant.
Located at Shamrock hotel. Just above jordan station.
The dim sum is slightly above average. This is a traditional teahouse so you see a lot of locals sipping their tea and enjoying dim sum.
The best part about this place is the price.



Spaghetti House
Located all over Hongkong
The food look much better than the taste.


Sweet dynasty
糖朝
100 Canton Road. (near TST Station)
One of my favourite place. All the food are delicious. SErvice is fast and the place is clean and nice. Good place for breakfast, lunch, dinner or supper.
Tel: +852 2199 7799
Opening Hours: Mon-Thurs [10am – 12am]; Fri [10am – 11pm];
Sat [7am – 1am];Sun [7am – 12am]




許留山Hui Lau Shan
Hong Kong famous mango dessert store.
It is everywhere.
Remember to try it out!


Yee Shun Milk Company 義順牛奶公司
Famous for their Steam Milk in Two Films and Steam Milk with Ginger Juice.
Not really a fan. I prefer our soya bean pudding.
G/F, 513 Nathan Road (Near Yau Ma Tei MTR)
Tel: (852) 2374 5460
Opening Hours: Daily 12pm to 12mn
Other Outlets
Causeway Bay
G/F, 506 Lockhard Road, Causeway Bay (Near Causeway Bay MTR Exit C)
Tel: (852) 2591 1837
Prince Edward
G/F, 246-248 Sai Yeung Choi Street South
Tel : (852) 2393 3301
Jordan
G/F, 63 Pilkem St, Jordan
Tel : (852) 2730 2799
Nathan Road




Friday 14 September 2012

Shi Shang Wan Jia(食尚玩家) hongkong food : Tim Ho Wan 添好運,坤記糕品,Lan Fong Yeun 蘭芳園,乐食府, 檀島咖啡餅店,有利豆腐乳,么鳳話梅王

Tim Ho Wan 添好運
Sham Shui Po
G/F, 9-11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon
深水埗福榮街9-11號地下
Tel: +852 2788 1226 or 2788 1220
Open: 8am-10pm
Tim Ho Wan Mong Kok
Flat 8, Ground Floor, Phase 2, Tsui Yuen Mansion, 2-20 Kwong Wa St, Mong Kok
廣華街2-20號翠園大樓2期地下8號舖
Tel: +852 2332 2896
Open: 10am-10pm
Tim Ho Wan Hong Kong Station
Shop 12A, Hong Kong Station (Podium Level 1, IFC Mall) , Central, Hong Kong
中環香港站12A鋪(IFC地庫一層)
Tel: +852 2332 3078
Value for money and food is good


坤記糕品
深水埗北河街,地鐵 B2 出口一出轉右就是
Sham Shui Po, Exit B2 turn right. Traditional food.
my sister love this place




Lan Fong Yeun 蘭芳園
Famous for stocking milk tea, pork bun, chicken chop noodles
Main shop: G/F, 2 Gage Street, Central, Hong Kong, Tel: +825 2544 3895
Branch: G/F, 4A-6 Gage Street, Central, Hong Kong
Branch: Shop No.26, B/F, Chung King Mansion, 36-44 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Tel: +852 2316 2311
I went to KOwloon and the service is bad.
Second trip: I love the food. 
http://mizztoee.blogspot.sg/2012/12/hong-kong-lan-fong-yuen.html

乐食府 central d1 
中環士丹利街28號
Roasted duck at stanley
Did not have the chance to try the roast duck but it is delicious according to a lot of reviews
檀島咖啡餅店 Honolulu Coffee Shop
香港島中環士丹利街33號地下G/F, 33 Stanley St, Central
Eggtart 

有利豆腐乳
港岛湾仔鹅颈桥坚拿道东1号A地下
Tung Lung street


么鳳話梅王
香港銅鑼灣波斯富街92號,電話:852 2504 2328
3 Foo ming Street, Causeway bay
Expensive but worth a try



大澳 (Tai o) 長洲 (cheung chau) 大屿山(LAntau)



長洲.
A few years back.
大屿山昂坪宝莲禅寺 
Vegetarian food. I like the food there.
The desserts are not included. We bought it at a small shop outside the resturant.

Dried seafood
D




Famous soyabean, seasame dessert and some kuey.

Took a bus to Tai 0

Hongkong : Accomodations/ hotels

view from langham place hotel






Langham place is ideally located near to Mongkok MTR station. Just one street away. 
Near langham place shopping mall and also ladies' market.
The room is not very big but quite big for a hotel in hongkong.
There is an ipod dock too. I do like the decor and the toilet and the room.
There is also a fresh food market behind langham place hotel. For those who are curious about hongkong market life. The internet is not free but there is a computer area with imacs
However, the price of room is a bit steep.

It is just one street away langham place hotel which means two street away from mongkok MTR station. It is around the same size as Langham place but slightly cheaper.
There is no bathtub and  the reception is not at the first floor. You do have to carry your luggage up a flight of stairs to reach the reception.
The room is not as comfortable or classy as langham place hotel but is not bad.



Prudential hotel is conveniently located above Jordan MTR. It is one the more spacious Hotel in Hongkong. I liked the sofa and the decoration of the room. When I stayed there 3 years ago, everything was new and clean.
Although it is located above Jordan MTR station, you do have to take the escalator down a few floor to reach the MTR. Jordan is near Temple street and also Tsim Sha Tsui.




I stayed in Park hotel a few years back. It just underwent renovation so everything was new and in good condition.Although it is very spacious, it is located around 10 minutes from the nearest MTR exit. Will not recommend it unless you love big rooms and don't mind the walk. 


 This is the photo of citadines hongkong ashley. The room is quite small but the decoration of the room is the most stylish. The toilet has no bathtub and is located around 5 minutes walk from nearest MTR exit.


I stayed in  Kowloon Hotel, Imperial Hotel and Shamrock Hotel before. few years back, so not sure if things have changed.

Imperial Hotel and Shamrock Hotel are old and small. The plus is that it is very near to MTR station. Will not really recommend them
Kowloon Hotel is definitely good in location as it is connected to MTR station, however the room is very small.

My favourite is definitely prudential or langham place.




Wednesday 12 September 2012

3g Sim card hongkong

Getting a 3G sim seems essential for travel, to check the map and keep ourselves connected. We can instagram and facebook and foursquare...

It is too expensive to subscribe for roaming as it cost around s$15 a day if I use my singapore number.

I will recommend that you get it at the airport unless you are well verse in cantonese. I tried buying at 7-11, and I went to a few shops but no one could not understand my english and chinese.
I read up on this. Will try this when I visit hongkong in novemeber.


What I gathered online.

To buy the prepaid 3G card at the airport.
Once you reach Hongkong airport. Go the shop called IOIO at the level 7, departure terminal, lane G.
You can buy a microsim or a normal sim, works for iphone and other phone user and android phone user.
Microsim retail for HKd100. Normal sim at hkd88.
Hkd $78 for 7 days unlimited
Hkd$28 for 1 day unlimited
Hk$8 for 1 hour unlimited

The remaining amount can be used for phone calls and etc. Local phone calls priced  hkd0.05-0.12 per minutes. It is definitely to ask the people at the shop to get everything done for you before you leave the shop.
Can pick up extra top up voucher if necessary.

The Sim card expire after 6 months.

Travelling around Hongkong

MTR 
The most popular form of transport.

Tourist Day pass.
It cost hk$55
It is worth getting only when you travel more than 8 times in a day or you are travelling to far away location. A trip from TST to mongkok is hk$5 and TST to causeway is hk$10.50.

It is definitely worth getting the octopus card as there is discount to train ride.
If the Octopus card is refund within 3 months of issue date, there will be a charge of hk$9. Refunds of the octopus can be done at the airport before departure at the airport express counter.

Adult: Deposit $50 + Stored Value $100 = Price HK$150
Child: Deposit $50 + Stored Value $20 = Price HK$70
Senior: Deposit $50 + Stored Value $20 = Price HK$70

The octopus card is usable in MTR, Light Rail, Trams, Peak Trams, Star Ferry, Buses, some minibuses, convenience stores such as 7-11, Circle K, supermarkets, fast food outlets, or public telephone booths.

The MTR map is not confusing and there are lot of entrances to the MTR station so there is little chance you not able to find the MTR entrance. ON the other hand, MTR station has a lot of exits so it is very important to get out from the correct exit. Use a map or sign board to decide on the right exit. 


MTR can be used to travel to Shenzhen.





Ferries
The ferries can be taken from TST to WanChai or Central.
The price is cheaper than taking the MTR. 
However, it is recommended if you stay near star ferry or will be going to places near the ferry terminal.
It is an interesting experience too.
http://www.starferry.com.hk/services.html
Ferries also cater to outlying islands, macau and zhuhai.
The advantage of taking the ferry is you do get to a nice view of the hong kong island and kowloon during the short ride. Will post some photos later.



TRams (ting ting bus)

Another cheap and interesting way to travel around Hong Kong island.
The entrance is at the back of the bus and the exit at the front of the bus.
Scan your octupus card on the way out.
This is a very useful tram map. I used it this time round and I am always getting down on the right stop. :D
http://www.hktramways.com/en/tramservice/routemapeastbound.html


Bus
I did not have the chance to take the bus except for the bus to airport. To me, is just need more planning so I just prefer the MTR.
For the adventurous ones,
http://www.hongkongextras.com/busservices.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bus_routes_in_Hong_Kong

Taxi
I have not taken the taxi before due to budget constrain.
I googled. A taxi ride from TST to mongkok cost around hk$60 and a ride from TST to causeway bay cost hk$100. not really sure about the charges.


Various apps regarding Hong Kong transport can be downloaded to help in planning your itinerary. A 3g sim prepaid card can be purchase to help.

Tuesday 11 September 2012

transport(taxi/bus/airport express) to city from hongkong airport..

Transport from Hong Kong airport to City(hotel) and around Hongkong

When you arrive at hongkong airport. You can either take the airport express, a bus or a taxi to your hotel. Just walk out and you will see the airport express counter, you can also buy an octopus card (ezlink) if you intend to take the bus.



Bus:
http://www.hongkongairport.com/eng/transport/to-from-airport/bus_from_hkia.html
http://www.nwstbus.com.hk/en/uploadedFiles/Cityflyer_leaflet_B.pdf
http://www.nwstbus.com.hk/routes/airport-bus/hotel/index.aspx?intLangID=1
The cost of bus journey is around Hk$33. I usually take bus A21 to Tsim Sha Tsui/Mongkok/Jordan as I stay around there.
I believe it is one of the cheapest form of transport.
I usually download the whole itinerary of the bus journey, so I can keep track of the stops and will be able to get down at the correct stop. The bus journey usually take around 45mins. For the first 20-30 minutes, just sit back and relax and enjoy the scenery, just pay attention when the bus reaches the city. there is a LED showing the stop they are arriving at, no worries about losing your way.There is special segment to put your luggage. There is segment for storing luggage. The minus point about the bus is during peak hours, the segment to store you luggage  will slightly packed. The luggage is also a problem for people who are not used to carry there luggage up and down the bus and around. I usually travel on budget and on a bus, so we have to drag our luggage around a lot.


Alternative bus/mtr route
The previous time I went Hongkong, my flight reached hongkong around 10 plus and hotel check time was 2pm. I decided to visit citygate outlets at Tung chung as it is only 10 mins ride from the airport and the bus journey cost hk$3.50 (s$0.55) . Tung chung is quite far from 38mins and cost hk$14.90 or Hk$17 (single trip) from Tsim Sha Tsui, it is better to go there before going to the hotel. Unless you intend to visit the big Buddha or Tai O, this saves time and money. The rental for the luggage locker at citygate and it is not very expensive. A medium size locker is sufficent for one big check-in luggage and one small hand carry. I took the MTR to my hotel at mongkok. I spent less than hk$20 for the bus and MTR to my hotel.
Bus to Tung Chung (S1, S56) hk3.50
http://www.citygateoutlets.com.hk/home/Pages/home.aspx
update: Dec2012. The lockers seems to be fully taken up especially on weekends. With a steady stream of tourists coming down to where the lockers are located but no lockers available.


Taxi
Prices of taxi. It send you right to the hotel doorstep. 
estimated taxi fare to tsim Sha Tsui will cost around hk$230
http://www.hongkongairport.com/eng/transport/to-from-airport/taxi.html

Airport express

It is much cheaper when you travel in a group
http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/whatsnew/promotions_4persons.html
Do note that you need to change to bus to reach your hotel. That is why I sometimes just prefer the bus as it is more direct.
Airport Express 1 journey + 3 days unlimited travel on MTR + $50 deposit + $20 stored value = hk $220
Airport Express 2 journey + 3 days unlimited travel on MTR + $50 deposit + $20 stored value = hk $300


http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/tourist/tourist_products.html

http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/fares_tickets/tf_index.html
http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/fares_tickets/aepass_index.html
http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/getting_around/complom_free_bus.html