Holiday - Hong Kong Revisit

Revisiting Hong Kong again, simply because I just love this place for its unique clothings (shopping!), delectable food (think dim sum and noodles), and how this cityscape has another facade to it, comprising of mountains and island living. I guess part of the allure also comes from exciting Hong Kong dramas I was exposed to when young, depicting a darker side to this vibrant city. For review of my past 2 entries documenting past HK trips and activities, come here and here.

PLACES OF INTEREST

In the past, I have visited the popular touristy spots such as Victoria's Peak, Lan Kwai Fung, Stars Avenue, Ocean Park, Lantau Island and Stanley Market etc. What did we see, do and eat on this trip?

HONG KONG OBSERVATION WHEEL
33 Man Kwong Street, Central, Hong Kong Island
Tel: +852 2339 0777
Website: http://hkow.hk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AIAVitalityParkatHKOW
Fees: Adult HKD$20.00 / Child HKD$10.00
Duration: 15 - 20 minutes (per ride)

Also known as the AIA Hong Kong Observation Wheel, this 60 metres tall Ferris wheel sits on reclaimed land between Wan Chai and Central, offering breathtaking panoramic views of Victoria Harbour and the surroundings. There are 42 carriages in all, each carriage is able to carry up to 8 passengers.

VICTORIA HARBOUR
18 Harcourt Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong

Beautiful harbour on natural platform, Victoria Harbour is a bustling harbour area with striking waterfront scenery and popular nighttime light as well as periodic display of fireworks. With such exquisite views, it is no wonder we encountered many, many enthusiastic joggers along this stretch, taking in the cooling breezes.

STANLEY MARKET (赤柱)
Stanley itself is a small coastal town, a seaside village and well-loved tourists'  attraction with stunning sea views, cafes, pubs, restaurants, shopping malls, marketplace and the famous historical Murray House - a 19th century former barracks transported here via a ship (yes, the entire building!). Once a year, dragon boat races occur in the sea, in celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival Day.

THE ART OF CHOCOLATE MUSEUM
118 Peak Road 08-09A, The Peak Galleria, The Peak, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2882 0488
Website: https://www.theartofchocolate.com.hk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChocolateMuseumHongKong

Definitely interesting place for chocolate lovers - watch your chocolate made into Eiffel Towers, Peak Tram etc, as well as attend Chocolate Workshops creating your own chocolate gifts and souvenirs. There are also guided Chocolate Tasting sessions and sometimes, chocolate exhibition - definitely a chocolate haven. I bought some Chocolate Bars studded with fruit and nuts (HKD50.00), and enjoyed them pretty much.

LAMMA ISLAND (南丫島)  / HUNG SHING YEH BEACH
Southwest of Hong Kong Island

Last trip, we explore Chang Zhou, so this trip we decided to get away from bustling city life to another quiet island. Lamma Island is a charming little town accessible by ferry, comprising fishing village (Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan) to seafood restaurants to quaint little shops and a gorgeous Hung Shing Yeh Beach. This trip exuded a very different vibe from hectic, pulsating Hong Kong Island itself - this was a leisurely and laid-back village complete with trekking trails for the outdoor lovers.

SHOPPING

Hong Kong is a shopping paradise-  whether you are looking for locally-produced merchandise, local designers' boutiques or imported brands. Besides the huge malls, what other places are nice to shop here?

STANLEY PLAZA
23 Carmel Road, Stanley, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2813 4623
Plaza Website: http://www.stanleyplaza.com/StanleyPlaza/Pages/index.aspx
Market Website: http://www.hk-stanley-market.com

Stanley Plaza offers a wide range of shops such as dining needs, furniture, books, supermarket, etc - and is a dog-friendly shopping centre!  It has also integrated with Murray House so its scope of retail shopfront and services are even wider now. This shopping centre offers a great view of the gorgeous Stanley Bay. Stanley Market consists of many smaller stores in rows of shophouses, as well as a bazaar-style shopping area to offer tourists a different shopping experience.

CAUSEWAY BAY
Hong Kong's retail aorta, having its own MTR station, leading to streets and streets of huge shopping centres such as Times Square, SoHo, etc - carrying branded and well-known names to fulfill your shopping needs.

CITYGATE OUTLETS
20 Tat Tung Road, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2109 2933
Website: https://www.citygateoutlets.com.hk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CitygateOutlets/?fref=ts

Over 90 shops of branded outlet stores for your crazy shopping needs, right here at Citygate Outlets Mall - think Club 21, Burberry, Polo Ralph Lauren, Prada, Kate Spade, Nike, Adidas, etc. I always drop by here en-route to the air-port. My only complaint is that the luggage storage lockers are often taken up so I have to drag my luggage around the huge mall.

ACCOMMODATION

There are many choices of hotels when it comes to Hong Kong - major names such as Novotel, Hyatt Accor Group etc can be found aplenty in popular districts such as Causeway Bay and Central areas; whereas the L'Hotel Group with its harbour view hotels are more common along the Harbour City area.  For this trip, we chanced upon Eaton Hotel at Mongkok area - where I do most of my shopping at.

Photo Source: http://www.destination360.com/asia/hong-kong/hong-kong/eaton-hotel-hong-kong/hotel

EATON HOTEL
380 Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2782 1818
Website: http://www.eatonhongkong.com/en

A large, family-friendly hotel with a good location between Yau Ma Tei and Jordan stations, a 4-star hotel managed by Langham Hotel Group. Facilities are complete and there are good restaurants and bars located within the hotel itself. The service was incredibly impeccable and thoughtful, rooms were spacious and we enjoyed our stay here very much.

RESTAURANTS

What comes to mind when you think of Hong Kong food? Delectable Dim Sum? Mouth-watering Wanton Noodles? For the daring, Snake Soup? I love plenty of food here in Hong Kong, including Chinese-style desserts, congee, roast meat etc.

KAM'S ROAST GOOSE RESTAURANT
226 Hennessy Road, Po Wah Commercial Centre, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2520 1110
Website: http://www.krg.com.hk/!en/

Definitely a must-have while in Hong Kong - Kam's Roast Goose was so crispy and palatable, it made us both wish we'd ordered the whole goose instead of merely half portion. Expect long queue - yes, but do take note to get a number the moment you reach (we didn't know, and stupidly waited in line for nearly 30 minutes before realizing that a queue number was required). They take your order before you have a table, but do not collect any payment - this is to ensure that your share of the goose is available (yes, they do get "sold out" by around 8.30pm). Besides their famous roast goose, they also serve roast pork, suckling pig and goose liver and goose kidney etc.

WILDFIRE PIZZA BAR & GRILL128 Peak Road, L/2 Shop 1, The Peak, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2849 5123
Website: https://www.wildfire.com.hk

Thinking of handcrafted pizzas and delectable seafood pastas, or a glass of cocktail with magnificent views? Wildfire Pizza Bar offers that absolutely, with pretty good service too. Ok, that's the outlet up on Victoria's Peak. Wildfire has 3 other outlets situated at Kowloon, Soho East and Fashion Walk (Causeway Bay) - all the trendy places as well.  We enjoyed their Lobster Bisque, Pasta dishes and Cocktails.

KA CHOI FISHING VILLAGE (嘉彩漁村)
378 Nathan Road 1/F Nathan Hotel, Jordan, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2450 6333
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kachoifishing

Located right next to Nathan Hotel is Ka Choi Fishing Village - I walked past a few times with the impression it was a seafood restaurant, but my Hong Kong based cousin introduced us to it - turns out it is a popular dim sum joint. Yes, dim sum lovers - the variety here is good, and quality is definitely evident in the dishes.

TSUI WAH RESTAURANT (翠華餐廳)
G/F 77 - 81, Parkes Street, Jordan, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2384 8388
Website: http://www.tsuiwah.com

Tsui Wah Restaurant has many, many outlets across Hong Kong, Macau and China itself, promoting their well-known healthy culinary culture with an innovative touch, fusionizing Eastern and Western concepts to create delectable dishes based on traditional ones. We enjoyed their Shrimp Wanton Noodles very much.

CANTON'S DIM SUM (粤厨点心)
11 Humphrey's Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2705 1388
Website:  None supplied

A Cantonese Dim Sum restaurant of course, serving traditional Dim Sum with a modern twist, such as this Truffle Roe Shrimp Dumpling. I also enjoyed the Beef Tripe and Custard Buns with lava centre. The Dim Sum here were a little on the pricey side, just fyi.

WING WAH (榮華) CAKE SHOP
G/F, 544 Queen´s Road West, Shek Tong Tsui,Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2816 6480
Website: https://www.wingwah.com/eng
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wingwahhk

Another famous delicacy of Hong Kong is the Wife's Biscuit ("Lao Po Bing"). There are a few famous brands but somehow I still love Wing Wah's ones the best - for the taste, texture and variety of flavours available. Each time I am here, I will buy back boxes for myself and family members. Wing Wah has many outlets in Hong Kong itself, and they also sell mooncakes, wedding cakes and preserved meat items.

MAXIM'S CAKES (美心)
Address: Located at many MTR stations and standalone kiosks
Website: https://www.maxims.com.hk/en/main.asp

Part of the huge Maxim's Group of restaurants and cafes founded in 1960, Maxim's is the largest bakery chain in Hong Kong. Their offerings include good assortment of cake flavours as well as bread - I would buy a pastry or two from them whenever I pass by a store.

MAXIM'S JADE GARDEN
1 Sky Plaza Road, Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 1, Chek Lup Kok, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2186 6068
Website: http://www.maxims.com.hk/en/search/restaurantsearch.asp?id=271&m=2

Another of Maxim's Group of restaurants, Jade Garden is located conveniently at the airport, perfect for travellers to grab one last bite of traditional, delectable Hong Kong delight before boarding their flights out of the country. I rather enjoyed the Wanton Noodles and mon beau enjoyed Zha Jiang Mian made with their signature crispy fine egg noodles.

GINO'S GELATO
23 Carmel Road, Stanley, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2899 0314
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ginos-Gelato-Stanley/562903554088761

It was a hot, hot day so guess what? Creamy and zesty-flavoured gelato scoops and froyo flavours were extremely welcomed. The Raspberry Gelato was simply divine, so was mine (Rose Petal Yogurt) and mon beau's Ginger Lemon Gelato).

WAH KEE NOODLE HOUSE (華記麵家)
99 Shau Kei Wan, Main Street E, Hong Kong
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/華記麵家/190395754330700

This is a small noodle restaurant owned by a friend of ours, serving delicious Wanton (meat dumpling) Noodles. Just a DISCLAIMER that the seafood items shown here are not served as part of the restaurant menu, but specially prepared for friends'  gathering night which we were honoured to be a part of - to be able to enjoy some fresh and exotic Seafood items here in Hong Kong - such as my much-loved Lobster Cheese Noodles and these rare "Buddha's Palm Clams".

CHOI KEE LITTLE CART NOODLE (蔡記車仔麵)
Yung Shue Wan Back Street, Lamma Island, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2982 2259

This simple little street restaurant is managed by an all-female team it seems, serving up authentic local delights such as homemade Soya Beancurd and Little Cart Noodles (choose your ingredients and type of noodles) - we had so many ingredients, such as pig's skin, radish, sausage, mushrooms, cuttlefish etc.

Outfit of the Day - black blouse over dark green checked skirt

"I am very definitely a woman and I enjoy it." - Marilyn Monroe. 

If non-working days mean spending time with my beloved Marilyn Monroe, I would gladly do so.

Decked out in a black collared, sleeveless button blouse made of chiffon and lace, over a deep-green checked mini skirt; and secured with a thick belt with rows of faux pearl in centre. Suitable for work and outings.

Blouse: Temt (SGD$29.00)
Skirt: Sixties (SGD$49.90)
Bag: Gucci
Belt: Unknown
Moonstone Earrings: Unknown
Bangle: Hermes

The Honeymoon Series [viii] - Paris, France

After touring the beautiful, more rural Lorraine and Fontainebleau (review here), we ventured into city living - beautiful, beautiful Paris, the city often associated with glamour, elegance and high fashion.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Besides being a beautiful, fashionable city lined with shops and the latest trends, arts and culture of France are also evident in Paris itself. We explored the city for some iconic landmarks bearing traces of long history as well as art.

EIFFEL TOWER
Champ de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007, Paris, France
Website: http://www.toureiffel.paris/en.html
Opening Hours: 9.30am to 11.00pm daily
Ticket Prices: Between 7 euros to 17 euros per person

Named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, this wrought-iron lattice tower is a icon by day and a sparkling diamond in the night. One can climb or take the lift up to the top of the tower, and view Paris from the top; there are also restaurants as well as souvenir shops within the tower itself.

THE LOUVRE MUSEUM (MUSEE DU LOUVRE)
75058 Paris, France
Website: http://www.louvre.fr/en
Opening Hours: 9.00am to 6.00pm daily except Tuesdays
Ticket Prices: 17 euros per person

After the novel and movie "The Da Vinci Code",  I am sure that The Louvre Museum needs no introduction. It is the largest museum in the world and houses one of the most impressive art collection in history. From the pyramid entrance, one accesses many different art galleries of paintings and sculptured arts; there are many, many galleries such as Eastern Antiquities, Islamic Art, Egyptian Antiquities, Greek, Etruscan & Roman Antiquities and Arts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americans etc, giving us an international art appreciation opportunity.

ARC DE TRIOMPHE
Place Charles de Gaulle, 75008, Paris, France
Website: http://www.arcdetriompheparis.com
Opening Hours: 10.00am to 10.30pm
Ticket Prices: 12 euros per person

One of the most famous monuments in Paris, standing tall and strong at the end of Champ-Elysees - the Arc De Triomphe was built between the years 1806 to 1836, in honour of the French soldiers who fought for France, particularly those who battled in the Napoleonic wars. Engraved on the inside and top of the Arc are the names of the generals and wars fought.

PLACE DE LA CONCORDE / LUXOR OBELISK / FERRIS WHEEL
75008, Paris, France
Website: https://frenchmoments.eu/place-de-la-concorde-paris
Website: https://www.google.com.sg/#q=ferris+wheel+paris

One of the largest major public squares in Paris, the Place de la Concorde is situated along the Seine River and separate the Tuileries Gardens from the beginning of the Champs-Elysees. Renowned for its important part in French history, this majestic square is chosen for many happy or sad national gatherings.

Some of the most impressive monuments within the Place de la Concorde itself are the Fontaines de la Concorde, also known as "The Fountain of River Commerce and Navigation",  The Luxor Obelisk (a 23-metres tall Egyptian monolithic pink granite monument given to the French in 1829 by the Egyptian viceroy), and the Le Grande Roue de Paris (60-metre tall Ferris Wheel).

LES INVALIDES
Place des Invalides, 75007, Paris, France
Website: http://www.musee-armee.fr/en/english-version.html
Opening Hours: 10.00am to 5.00pm
Ticket Prices: 11 euros per person

More commonly known as the "Hotel national des Invalides", this complex of buildings contain museums and monuments. It was founded in 1671 by King Louis XIV, the Sun King, for providence of accommodation and care for wounded soldiers. Among them are the Napoleon's tomb, Dome Church and army museums.

SEINE RIVER CRUISE
The Seine River Cruise allows us the opportunity to view most of Paris' iconic monuments such as Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Louvre Museum, as well as the river banks via an hour's long cruise ride, complete with audio introductions in different languages.  There are several cruise operators offering the river cruise service, beginning at 15 euros per person. We went with Bateaux Parisiens, website: http://www.bateauxparisiens.com/en/cruise-tours.html.

ASSEMBLEE NATIONALE
126 Rue de I'Universite, 75355, Paris, France
Website: http://www2.assemblee-nationale.fr/decouvrir-l-assemblee/visiter-l-assemblee-nationale

The lower house of the French Parliament, and visits to the Palais-Bourbon are available. Public entrance is at 33 Quai d'Orsay, 75007, Paris, France.

SHOPPING

One could never miss out on shopping in Paris. Whether you choose local designers, high fashion or discount outlet malls, everyone brings home something from this beautiful city known for its ahead-of-time fashion.

CHAMPS-ELYSEES
8th arrondissement of Paris, France
Website: http://www.champselysees-paris.com

The Avenue des Champs-Elysees is a 1.9 kilometres long avenue stretching between Place de la Concorde and Place Charles de Gaulle, containing many trendy boutiques and restaurants. You could find many familiar high fashion brand names and street brand names as well as skincare brands on the signboards of these shops.

GALERIES LAFAYETTE
Website: http://haussmann.galerieslafayette.com/en

An upmarket French chain department store with many outlets across France itself, Galeries Lafayette has 3 buildings in Paris itself - one for male, one for female, and one for family. There are many shops and brands within the department stores, from high fashion clothes, bags and jewellery to high street fashion brands, etc. Be prepared to spend hours on end here browsing the boutiques and buying to your heart's contend.


ONE NATION
1 Rue du President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 78340, Les Clayes-sous-Bois, France
Website: http://www.onenation.fr/en/contact

One of the largest and newest outlet shopping mall in Paris, opened by none other than the Galeries Lafayette Group, dedicated to fashion and luxury brands.


LA VALLEE VILLAGE
3 Cours de la Garonne, Serris, France
Website: https://www.lavalleevillage.com/fr/home

One of the best outside-Paris outlet mall with a village setting and has more brands than its competitors, La Vallée Village boosts of brands which has very few outlet stores such as Celine, Givenchy, and Christian Lacroix etc. The discounts are authentic and often deep.

CHRISTMAS MARKET / FAIR / BAZAAR
Along Champs Elysees and stretching all the way to Place de la Concorde in November to December, one can experience beautiful atmosphere at the Christmas Market  - buying gift items, Christmas decor, hot red wine, hot beer, food items etc, or have fun on the theme park rides. It is beautiful and definitely brings out the Christmas spirit in anyone.

RESTAURANTS

Don't ask me why out of the 2 days in Paris, we only managed to enjoy one French meal - whereas the other meals were taken at Chinese restaurants. No, I don't miss Asian food and no, our tour package ain't ratty nor with some cheapo tour agency.  One wishes for French Onion Soup, Escargots, Foie Gras etc when in France!

MAXIM'S DE PARIS
3 Rue Royale, 75008, Paris, France
Website: http://maxims-de-paris.com/en/

The place to be! But reservations need to be made way in advance. A renowned restaurant with history tracing back to year 1893, and is known throughout the world. I would be here someday for their French food.

FAUCHON RESTAURANT
Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 2A, Level 2, Roissy-en-France 95700, France
Website: http://www.parisaeroport.fr/en/passengers/shops/shopping/store/fauchon

Gifts store, fresh chocolates and now a restaurant concept on level 2 of the Charles de Gaulle Airport, after check-in area. The restaurant with its classy black exterior lit by neon pink letterings is hard to miss, and the menu comprises mainly Western dishes.

NAME: UNKNOWN
A French restaurant with pretty decor in Paris, near the Galeries Lafayette malls area. I guess we were too excited to order, and thus forgot the name. Here was where we had Duck Confit and Escargots.

CAVIAR HOUSE & PRUNIER SEAFOOD BAR
Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 2A, Level 1, Tremblay-en-France 93290, France
Website: https://www.caviarhouse-prunier.com/paris-bars

Loved the classy white bar counter settings, especially when hunting for food during flights-intervals. Therefore I had a foie gras with glass of wine. Must admit that I prefer seared foie gras - for the goose paste in this form tastes more like a pate.

BURGER HOUSE
Small burger joint near Courtyard Marriott Hotel, Paris. It looks normal but no shyt - we had one of the best burgers we had ever tried - thick, juicy beef patties with lots of cheese. We returned the next night to try their Beef-Chicken Burger, having the best of both worlds.

LA FONTAINE DE JADE RESTAURANT
54 Avenue Bosquet, 75007,  Paris, France
Website: http://www.fontainedejade.be

Beautiful Oriental decor, and I grudgingly admit that the food was quite good. We had dishes of soup, fish, vegetables, pork, omelette and beef.

4SAISONS BEEF NOODLE RESTAURANT
90 Rue de Provence, 75009, Paris, France

Near the Printemps Galleria Opera area is a Chinese / Vietnamese restaurant serving beef noodles, fried rice, etc Asian dishes - often packed with diners. I thought the food was so-so only, but having hot soup in cold wintry weather is always welcomed.

ACCOMMODATION

Finally we reached the sleeping quarters. We stayed 2 nights in Marriott Courtyard, a hotel on the outskirts of Paris city, reachable by tram. This gave us the opportunity to ride their local public transport - rather easy to get around.

COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT PARIS LA DEFENSE
91 Boulevard Charles de Gaulle Colombes, 92700, Paris, France
Website: http://courtyard-by-marriott-paris-la-defense-west-colombes-hotel.booked.net

I think this should be the hotel we stayed at - either that, or Courtyard by Marriott Saint Denis. Their structure and facilities look awfully familiar. Never mind - rooms were spacious, and I really love how the toilet cubicle was separate from the bathroom. There were few restaurants / eateries nearby, but close enough to airport. This hotel is around 200 euros a night, including breakfast.

Overall, I enjoyed my French holiday - again, because I love everything French, from the culture to the language to the fashion to the food and the arts. Having said that, thank you for reading about my Honeymoon Series Part 8. Do keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming Part 9 - on Switzerland tour! Here's wishing you dears a good weekend ahead.




For other parts of The Honeymoon Series:
(i) Honeymoon Series part 1 - selecting the destinations (click here)
(ii) Honeymoon Series part 2 - researching and booking (click here)
(iii) Honeymoon Series part 3 - preparing for the trip (click here)
(iv) Honeymoon Series part 4 - Rome, Italy (click here)
(v) Honeymoon Series part 5 - Siena, Florence & Pisa, Italy (click here)
(vi) Honeymoon Series part 6 - Venice & Milan (click here)
(vii) Honeymoon Series part 7 - Lorraine & Fontainebleau (click here)