Tag Archives: Hong Kong

The One With Frost In Hong Kong

17 December, 2010 9:45 am | 2 Comments |

Frost in Hong Kong

(Photo by Hong Kong Digital PhotoVision)

Could snow be heading to Hong Kong anytime soon?

The Hong Kong Observatory has been issuing warnings for the last couple of days of severe cold weather occurring all over the country. Even at the rural area like HK Island where yours truly dwell at, the temperature dipped to 7 degrees last night.

The coldest weather I have experience in Hong Kong was 10 degrees during the eve of Chinese New Year this year.

Needless to say, I am beyond delighted. The last time it snowed in Hong Kong (yes, it happened, and that was unbelievable) was back in 1975.

Could I be this lucky? I can’t wait!

Posted in: Daily Diary | Tagged: , , , ,

The One With First Impressions Of Hong Kong

25 November, 2010 8:00 am | 3 Comments |

It has been more than two weeks since the Novotel Bloggers Hong Kong 2010 event… and it certainly felt much longer than that. Had it only been two weeks? It felt like it had been months since that night when I met up with so many different bloggers all in one night.

Being a somewhat newcomer to Hong Kong (I moved here for slightly more than a year), I was curious to know the kind of impression these bloggers had on my new home. It is easy, even for someone like me, to feel a teensiest bored with Hong Kong, if you fell victim to mindless routine and endless rat race in the day-to-day life in this city.

So I snooped around a little to discover just what Hong Kong meant to these folks.

After a few years’ break since she last visited the city, Minh Giang was fascinated how the Hong Kong she remembered transformed right in front of her eyes:

It’s been almost six years since my last visit to Hong Kong and almost inevitably I’m told this every time someone asks if I’ve been to Hong Kong before. I’m a little stunned as I take in the skyline on the ride into the city, it’s one thing to remember the densely packed skyscrapers but another thing altogether to see towers lit up at night.

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Posted in: Blogging, Daily Diary | Tagged: , , ,

The One With The Sunday Day Trip To Shatin & Tai Po

22 November, 2010 8:00 am | 2 Comments |

There are only so many weekends a man could spend bar-hopping and club-dancing before he feels totally washed out and in need of a break in routine. It all sounded glamorous when one’s weekends are filled with dancing, drinking and merrymaking but, trust me, it gets stale. Sometime.

So in a bid of Doing Something Different, yours truly ganged up with some lovely friends to go up north towards the New Territories of Hong Kong, making a healthy day trip one fine Sunday.

Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery

Shatin Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery

Otherwise known as Man Fat Tsz, this is not an actually monastery as there are no residence monks. Located in Shatin, the monastery is some 400 odd steps up a hill at Pai Tau Village. The name, as you may guessed, come from the thousands of life-sized and small Buddhas at this place.

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Posted in: Daily Diary, Travelogy | Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

The One With Hairy Crab Season In Hong Kong

9 November, 2010 8:00 am | 3 Comments |

There is just something very special about hairy crabs and its season in Hong Kong. The decidedly local culinary delight is usually consumed by the kilos mainly between the autumn and winter seasons.

Hairy Crab 2010 V1

First of all, of course, there are the crabs. Our famous clawed friends were originally famous as a Shanghai cuisine and are prized for the female crab roe. According to the Chinese, the meat itself was believed to have a cooling effect (yin) to the body. Depending on season and origin, a piece of hairy crab can cost as much as HKD200 upwards.

There are many reasons why I love the hairy crab season.

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Posted in: Seafood | Tagged: , , , ,

The One With Novotel Bloggers Hong Kong 2010

4 November, 2010 2:18 pm | 7 Comments |

Also known as the Night With Too Much Wind. No, the bloggers didn’t do a flash mob to collectively fart in one place; though that would be a cool idea.

Now allow me to explain.

Novotel Bloggers Hong Kong 2010

The good folks of Novotel Hong Kong, with a generous blessing from the Hong Kong Tourism Board, invited a group of bloggers both local and overseas for the inaugural Novotal Blogger Hong Kong 2010. Organised by the social media pros of PRDA Asia, I was decidedly honoured to be part of the event; thanks to Josie for the invitation.

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Posted in: Blogging, Daily Diary, Food & Dining | Tagged: , , ,

The One With The Mecca Of Mooncakes That Is Hong Kong

6 September, 2010 9:00 am | Leave a Comment |

Four Seasons' Lung King Heen Mooncakes

Cream Custard Mooncake with Toasted Pine Nuts from Four Seasons’ Lung King Heen

Mooncakes. Ah, the bane of my life. I remember there were times when I consider myself a fan of mooncakes, having sampled a large variety back in Malaysia. Like, I can tell the difference between a double and triple and quadruple yolks (the answer lies in the counting, see?).

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Posted in: Food & Dining | Tagged: ,

The One With Dim Sum Square At Sheung Wan

31 August, 2010 9:00 am | 1 Comment |

It is common folklore among food bloggers that the best food are often found in ma-and-pop shops at little known alleyways. With the advance of social media, such gems are now easier to be discovered, thanks to snap-happy friends who upload and comment on every other thing under the sun.

That’s how I discovered Dim Sum Square, a small, probably family-run outlet located at 88 Jervois Street. There are a couple of reasons why I love this place:

1) It is very near to my home
2) The price is insanely cheap
3) The service is usually good, depends on the time of the day
4) I always, always manage to get seats, whether on my own or with friends

Dim Sum Square, Jervois Street

Most importantly, the menu is offered in both English and Chinese! That is very important for “banana” like me; yellow on the outside, white on the inside. Ordering dim sum has always been a challenge for me wherever I go in Hong Kong. At Dim Sum Square, getting my favorite dishes is a breeze; just check the box and pass it to the passing wait staff. They will first present you with the bill (that’s rather common here) and then the dishes will start to arrive.

Here are my favorites.

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Posted in: Dim Sum, Sheung Wan | Tagged: ,

The One With 7 Reasons Why Summer Is Fabulous At Hong Kong Beaches

25 August, 2010 8:45 pm | 7 Comments |

When I first moved to Hong Kong in mid of summer 2009, I couldn’t understand why the locals were overjoyed with the soaring temperature. What was so great with stinky armpits and sweaty foreheads? Perhaps I have lived in Singapore for too long, summer is a “year-long” season for me.

Then came winter, of which I enjoyed tremendously. Donning outfit after outfit of winter bests, seeing your own breathe fogging up right in your face were new experiences to me.

Too soon winter was over, and suddenly it is hot all over again in Hong Kong. But this time round, I start to see this season of holiday through a Hong Kong-er’s eyes, and begin to understand why summer in Hong Kong can only be described as fabulous.

It is the beaches. With over 200 outlying islands, and a long coastline full of spectacular bays and beaches, there are more than enough beautiful beaches in Hong Kong to frolic your days away at.

So I don my new swimming trunk (thanks Dennis!) and slap on luxurious amount of sun block, and off to the beaches I went to explore.

Lazy Afternoon at South Bay Beach

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Posted in: Cheung Chau, Hong Kong, Lantau Island, Mui Wo, Travelogy | Tagged: , , , , ,

The One With The Foodie Day in Sheung Wan

18 August, 2010 11:53 pm | Leave a Comment |

Dim Sum Square, Jervois Street

Living in Hong Kong comes with many pros and cons… or at least, it depends from the way you look at it. For me, anchoring myself in the western town of Sheung Wan comes with both, but I am rather undecided on one aspect – it’s food culture.

You see, Sheung Wan is brimming with food outlets both good and bad, big and small, east and west. There are so many choices available, you can eat your way through your life here… or at least in theory.

But I did some of the groundwork for you and came out with a compelling food itinerary (as published on Sparklette.net) on how you can spend a day in my “hometown” sampling some of the best food Hong Kong has to offer.

Now while you are it, excuse me while I give my treadmill some loving.

Posted in: Food & Dining, Sheung Wan, Travelogy | Tagged: , , , , ,

The One With The Day Trip To Mui Wo

1 August, 2010 4:57 pm | 7 Comments |

Welcome to Mui Wo

Hong Kong outlying islands provide an endless supply of fascinating spots for the newcomers (like yours truly) to visit. This sunny afternoon I decided to sail for Mui Wo, located some 30 minutes by fast ferry from Central Hong Kong Island.

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Posted in: Hong Kong, Lantau Island, Mui Wo, Travelogy | Tagged: , , ,