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Tuesday, March 17, 2015

GUIDE | hong kong

I moved to Hong Kong mid January of 2014, and since then I've been slowly accumulating some of my favorite restaurants, shops, and overall nice places to share with friends and family. While some locals may argue that these spots are rather generic, but I've only included spaces I find myself revisiting again and again. I hope you enjoy!

&please comment below if you have any questions/concerns

PS. This is a work in a progress and I'll be adding new places as I go along :)

Update (6/12/16): This list needed a major upgrade since many of the places I had on the list before have closed permanently. I've also switched out some restaurants and cafes with newer ones that I go to more nowadays. Happy Travels!



BREAKFAST

Sai Kung Bakery 
----
G/F, 6-7 Kam Po Court, 2 Hoi Pong Square
Sai Kung

Best pineapple buns & Portuguese egg tarts EVER


Australian Diary Company
----
47 Parkes Street
Jordan

A must if you're looking for a classic Hong Kong breakfast experience. They
have a breakfast, lunch, and tea 
set available every day. If you can't read Chinese
I suggesting going with the sets (which is still in chinese but you can't go wrong
with it, just pick A, B, or C at random haha).


Cupping Room
----
G/F, 32 Swatow Street
Wan Chai

Not only does Cupping Room serve amazing coffee, their brunch menu is pretty
stellar as well. I'm always 
going for their Chili Scrambled Eggs over sourdough
bread with Streaky Bacon.


R&R Bagel
----
28 Li Yuen St W
Sheung Wan

Was told their bagels were really good.



Locofama
----
9-13 Fuk Sau Lane
Sai Ying Pun

Healthy brunch options!




Cafe Sausalito
----

201 Tai Nan St
Sham Shui Po

They have a good selection of western style breakfasts. Also the owner
Micheal is probably one of the nicest people out there. Say "Hi" and feel
free to ask him anything about coffee.


LUNCH

BÊP Vietnamese Kitchen
----
Lower Ground Floor, 9 Staunton Street
Central

You can't go wrong with a hearty bowl of Pho



Sunday's Groceries (Temp. Closed)
----
66-68 Catchick Street
Kennedy Town

Serving some of the best sandwiches you will ever eat! The Katsu
sando is my absolute favorite.



Mido Cafe
----
63 Temple St
Yau Ma Tei

Want a taste of old Hong Kong? This place kept all of their original tiles
and architecture. Food is a bit overpriced for local food but the experience
kind of makes it worth it.


Mrs Pound
----
6 Pound Lane
Sheung Wan

I was a bit skeptical of this place at first as it almost seems a bit gimmicky
(its a restaurant disguised as a stamp shop--cool eh?) and I've been to some
shops in Hong Kong that rely too much on the decor while their food lacked
substance. Anyways, Mrs Pounds delivers on both and more. Their lunch specials
are great! And even though the portions seem small you'll leave with a full and
happy belly. Don't forget to try their lychee soda.


DINNER


Little Bao
----
66 Staunton Street
Central

Chinese cuisine meets American Diner. Little Bao serves up some of the tastiest
little bao burgers.


Butchers Club Burger
----
1 Mody Road
Tsim Sha Tsui

Dry-aged Black Angus beef patties. Nuff said.



Branto Pure Veg Indian
----
11 Lock Rd
Tsim Sha Tsui

Authentic indian food according to my friend who comes from India. Favorite
dish is their Dosa!



Good Satay
----
Shop 144-148, 63 Mody Rd
Tsim Sha Tsui

My family has been coming to this restaurant since before I was born. Hong
Kongers were given a scare a few months back when they seemd to have closed
for good, but I heard the owner decided to come out of retirement and open up
shop again. Thank goodness!


This place is known for their satays (you can order by the dozen or half dozen)
and Hainan Chicken rice. Those two dishes are always are defaults.



Mana! Fast Slow Food
----
92 Wellington Street
Central

For green food lovers. Their salad selection is amazing, or if you're not really
a salad person, you can also build your own wrap. I think my favorite thing
on their menu is their Inka shake, made with blended with raw chocolate,
coconut oil, almonds, bananas, and s
pirulina. Looks ugly, but so tasty.



Beef & Liberty
----
23 Wing Fung St
Wan Chai

One of my favorite burger places. The food isn't exactly extrodinary but the
quality is consistent and this location is so well designed it makes me want to
hang around forever. Also 
the whole back wall is taken up by a mural from
graffiti artist group, C
yrcle, and its absolutely gorgeous!


Motorino
----
14 Shelly Street
Central 

Naples style pizza. Sooooo good!


Pearl Vietnamese Restaurant
----
7 Wo On Lane
Central 


A bit of a hole-in-the-wall and a definitely out of place within LKF but I have
a friend who used to live inVietnam and she swears by this place. You won't get
the fancy dining experience like you would at Bep but if its good, honest, food
is what you want then this is where you'll find it.


COFFEESHOPS


Winstons Coffee
----
213 Queen's Rd W
Sai Ying Pun

My current favorite just because it's at such a convenient location. Their coffee
and food selection is great as well. Every order of coffee also comes with a small
biscotti--probably the best I've ever had too. (I'm usually not a big fan of biscotti :P )


Black Sugar Coffee
----
8 Peace Ave 
Mong Kok

My neighborhood coffee spot. If you're ever in Mong Kok for a shopping spree,
I highly recommend 
you stop by :)


Common Ground
----
19 Shing Wong Street 
Central

This coffee shop is a bit difficult to find, but for good reason. If you manage get
there when it's not so busy it's 
a great spot to take a quick breather from the city.
Their salted chocolate drink is really really good.




St. Francis Street
----
14 St Francis Street
Wan Chai


Coffeeshop inside Odd One Out. They serve Nude Espresso from London.
I like to come here and sit outside.



Kubrick Cafe
----
3 Public Square Street
Yau Ma Tei

Coffeeshop attached to a multilingual bookstore (sadly one of the last ones
around Hong Kong) attached to a indie cinema. I love taking my friends to
this spot. PS. No wifi here.




Ethos
----
99 Hill Road
Kennedy Town

Good spot--nice and hidden from the main streets. They also have a gallery
space and shop if you're looking for something to do after your coffee break.




Teakha
----
18 Po Tuck St
Kennedy Town


Huge selections of teas if you're not a coffee person. Their scones look
pretty delicious too.


Yee Shun Milk Company
----
63 Pilkem St
Jordan

Well, this is not exactly a coffeeshop but it's a cafe nonetheless. Here you
can find the famous Hong Kong steamed custard (pronouced "Dun Lai" 燉鮮奶).
This dessert smells amazing and tastes just as good. A lot of Hong Kong cafes
sell this dish but I go to this one just because it's close to home. ;)



BARS


Little L.A.B.
----
48-50 Staunton
Central

The baristas here are crazy creative with their drinks selection (which changes
from month to month). They have some signature drinks like the one with milk tea.



The Bottle Shop
----
15 Bridges Street
Sheung Wan 

Huge selection of beer here. Drink in their shop or on the street. It's legal here
to do so. Whoop whoop.


Mrs Pound
----
6 Pound Ln
Sheung Wan 

The usual, good selection of cocktails and nice ambiance. The shop itself is
disguised as a old-school stamp shop and the interior is super fun and quirky.
The owner is really nice so if you have a chance to have a chat, please do!


Ping Pong Gintoneria
----
135 Second St
Sai Ying Pun

This spot makes gin based cocktails, as I'm sure you've already figured out..


Brewdog
----
19 Hollywood Rd
Central

Little piece of Scotland in Hong Kong.


Yardbird
----
33 Bridges Street
Sheung Wan 

Great for groups! I always take my out-of-towner friends over for dinner/drinks
and it's always a hit!


SHOPPING


GRANA
----
108 Hollywood Rd
Sheung Wan

Try in store, shop online. Great place to pick up some good-quality basics.

Kapok On Sun Street
----
Shop 1 & 1A, Sun Street
Wan Chai

Lifestyle/Concept store full of beautiful things. They stock some of my favorite
brands and magazines such as 
The Gentlewoman, Apolis, HAY, Cereal, Kinfolk, and more.



The Monocle Shop
----
4, 1 St Francis Yard
Admiraly

Stock up on current and past issues of Monocle Magazine.



Odd One Out
----
14 St Francis Street
Wan Chai

Love this place because of their selection of handmade zines from local Hong Kong artists.



Muji
----
3F, Lee Theatre Plaza
99 Percival Street
Causeway Bay

Japanese minimalist home/clothing/stationary store.



ACTIVITES


PMQ
----
35 Aberdeen Street
Central

Art hub of Hong Kong. The former Police Maritime Quarters is transformed
into artist studios 
in order for local brands to showcase their products

Sai Kung Town
----
Sai Kung

I like taking a day trip out on Sundays to kind of clear my head. Despite the
recent gentrification, 
Sai Kung still remains rooted to it’s past. You’ll still find
fisherman selling their catch of the day 
straight from their boats. Also as an
added bonus, every one in town likes to bring their dogs out 
to the park to play
on the weekends so it’s just good fun all around.

Sai Kung is also a popular spot for people to go hiking for the weekends.
Take a cab from the town and head towards "Sai Kung Pavillion". There you
can start walking down the trail towards Tai Long Wan where people like to
go for weekend camping trips. If you walk further along you can end up at
Hong Kong's { cliff diving pools }. If you're not afraid of climbing or heights,
I highly recommend this spot.



Asia Society Rooftop
----
9 Justice Dr.
Admiralty

Go to the second floor for an amazing view of TST across the harbour. Students
bring your IDs to enter for free.




Hike to the Peak
----
Morning Trail
Sai Ying Pun

Instead of just taking the tram to the peak, I really urge you to try hiking to the top.
The hike from the morning trail is relatively easy and takes about 35-40 mintues to
reach the top. It's a nice shaded trail and you'll get beautiful glimpses of the city as
you go along. You have two options for coming down, theres a few more other trails
that will lead you back to the city, or you can take the tram that drops you off near
Admiralty Station.




Tamar Park
----
Harcourt Rd
Admiratly

It's a good place to have a picnic with friends. On a good day you'll get a great view
of Kowloon.

3 comments:

  1. I left HK almost 4 years ago after having lived there for 5 years. Still miss it. Thank you for all these great adresses. I'm saving them for my next trip ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! Come back soon. Great thing about HK is that the city is constantly changing. Please don't hesitate to give me a shout if you're ever in town and need a tour guide :)

      Delete
  2. Oh, thank you! Definitely will, love the way you see HK.

    ReplyDelete