Hong Kong Day 2: Sheung Wan Dried Seafood & The Peak

Day 2
Wednesday, 4th June 2014

We were told that Mongkok has many good eateries and we don't really need an address to find these places.  All we need is our good eyes and a nose to sniff out these places, that means if you see crowds or queues, just join them for that special gastronomical treat!

But alas, when we were walking around past 930am, many shops were still closed or about to open.  We walked near the Ladies Market and surrounding area, but could not find any crowds or queues, and some food eateries only had a handful of customers in them.  Saw some local policemen and decided to ask them (why not, right? since they were not busy chasing bad guys, I'm sure they'd at least know where to find the best xiao long pau or famous palo pau, etc).  We were told just down the road, there are a few eateries, good or not good, all can eat!  Hhmmm...

By that time I'd really just gobble up anything, so we proceeded into the next eatery and ordered whatever recommended.

Ladies Market in the morning

Polo pau and egg tart.  Average.  We have better buns and tarts in Malaysia.

Beef noodle - the beef is really, REALLY tender.  Good stuff here

The name and address of the shop where we ate our breakfast 

We changed a few MTRs to SheungWan.  Today's morning agenda was to go dried seafood shopping!  Did a little research on the dried oysters and dried scallops, and am totally unprepared on the other stuff.  For once, wish I'm more ah-soh to know more prices and how to cook these delicacies.

The street in front of the MTR exit.  Now show me some scallops!

Resting their legs and enjoying the cool air in a shop whilst Mummy pretend
ask price

And I thought these were quite impressive... wait got more, but really paiseh to just snap pictures!  I scared kena marah or poured hot water at (mistaken as competitor)!  

And lunch... just before the lunch crowd came in about 10 minutes after we're sitted and food just arrived.  We ordered their signature dishes (too many but just hantam three first - fortunately too, coz the portion is really huge!)

This was the crowd that built up.  It's common to share tables.

Name of the shop?  Don't know.  We asked Vic to read out the words on the board, and she said no, it's not that... then corrected our intonation!  Abuthen... that was the place we were looking for!

Mixed chicken, pork belly and some fish balls with rice noodles 

Porridge (to me, it's actually rice in soup) with minced pork, preserved vege and mushrooms

Porridge with melon, minced pork and small clams

Leaving the place, this was the waiting crowd outside the shop

Western Market in Sheung Wan.  It is a heritage building with stalls selling textile and souvenirs inside.  Nothing much.  Very similar to our very own Central Market in Kuala Lumpur

Abalones of different sizes are a common sight in this place.  So are other types of dried seafood, many of which I do not know the names

Star fish also available?  Wow!  Someone please tell me if this is legal, and how to eat this! We have seen dried seahorses in glass containers too, so sad

And these are how the seafood are dried... just on the street.  They are so fresh, we can even eat it on its own.  

We had to skip the famous dim sum place, called Dim Sum Square in Sheung Wan, after the porridge place, because there was a micomm between me and hubby, and it didn't dwell into me that we were eating at TWO places!  The three bowls were so filling, even shared amongst the four of us, so eventhough we took a number at Dim Sum Square, the kids and I wouldn't be able to appreciate the dim sum with such full tummies!

So we walked on to the Western Market and part of the famous Des Voeux Road - which is really, REALLY where the dried seafood market is!  Now, don't expect a market, like what we are always used to.  There is NO building, no designated area, just a street of shops and shops selling all kinds of dried seafood!  Clean, tidy, no crowds, no bargaining aunties, or pestering sellers!

So, which shop to walk into?  Don't know.  Which sells the cheapest and freshest?  Don't know.  If you spot a customer (be it local or tourist) in the shop, just join in to see.  If you think the price is reasonable (most prices are about there... ), then go in.

Tip: Best to know your prices from where you come from first, then when you go to Hong Kong, you know the amount of savings ie how much to buy!  All prices for dried seafood is quoted in "kan" which is 600g.  You will need to convert this back to per kg price if that's what you're used to.  

A quick trip back to our studio to freshen up, unload our loots into the refrigerator and then it's out again to The Peak.  Now, it would be silly of us to visit Hong Kong without going up to The Peak, right?  Like, which tourist would head to Peninsula Malaysia without seeing the Twin Towers?

We got our tickets around 5pm-ish.  There was a queue - as expected, but the queue moves pretty fast.

We passed the iconic Bank of China

Also another landmark, the St John Cathedral, partially blocked by a tree!  

We thought this crowd was pretty bad, but just wait till at night, the crowd size swelled!  Looks like more people travel up to The Peak at night to catch the breathtaking view

In the tram.  It's REALLY STEEP!  Make sure you get a seat, else you'd better be hanging on to dear life on a rail.  

Our dinner at Tsui Wah Restaurant at the Peak Tower.  Price was surprisingly reasonable. service good and taste was commendable.

Kids at the Peak Tower

This is the day view

Evening sun set view

Night view.  As you see, it's not fully dark yet but we had to leave before the swelling crowd at the Sky Terrace joined us at the tram.  Later we found out the queue going down was snake long, and when we reached the bottom, the queue going up was even scarier!  Watch out for a certain group of nationalities who are prone to jump queues unabashedly! 

That's all for Day 2.  You bet we were all tired! But... tomorrow it's another long, tiring but exciting day!  We're heading to DISNEYLAND!!!