Hong Kong Day 6: Bye bye!

Day 6
Sunday, 8th June 2014

This morning hubby and I woke late, so we rushed to pack the last minute stuff from the refrigerator.  I used the induction cooker to heat up our breakfast (leftover claypot rice from last night's dinner) and we also finished up the birthday cake.

As I cooked, the kids cleaned up, and hubby packed up.  Good that there is a kitchen for us to use.

Leaving the place, we walked from our studio to the MTR station, did a couple of interchanges which was very convenient, got our refund for the Oyster cards, and then it's off to the airport via the Airport Express.

They took turns sitting by the window... the trip there, it was William, and the return trip, it was Vic's turn.  Keeping entertained with UNO cards, or just napping in the aircraft.

Flight AK135 departed Hong Kong 1320 and arrived KLIA2 at 1710.

Hong Kong Day 5: Celebrating my birthday @ The Peninsula Hotel and HK Island

Day 5
Saturday, 7 June 2014

Our original itinerary was shuffled a little to suit today's arrangement made by hubby.  Initially it was supposed to be a surprise, but I think because it's too obvious (changing the original itinerary which I prepared is too obvious, don't you think?) and he couldn't contain his excitement kua, or that he didn't want me to wonder why the phone calls coming into our local HK sim number.

So we had breakfast at Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum rated 1 star Michelin.  We went to their original shop at Sham Shui Po.  The walk from the MTR was around 10-15 minutes through closed shops, or shops doing trading/transportation businesses.  There weren't many people around that area at that time, and we didn't see many eateries too, so trying to look far ahead if we could spot a queue coming from a shop...

Finally found it!

Got a ticket, waited a short while before we were given a table.  Whilst waiting, we asked the waiter the fastest way to get to Tsim Sha Tsui as we had our lunch appointment at 12noon, and also selected our dishes from an English menu.

The food was gloooorrrriioouuusss!!  Now this is what we were really waiting for!  Hong Kong dim sum ROCKS!!  Pity we only got here the second last day, and tomorrow it'd be too rush to eat here again before flying off.  The har gau is exactly like what we've read - soft skin, fresh huge prawns, not starchy.  

The char siew (BBQ pork) bun was served the last, and I understand that later it's for the right reason... save the best for last!  Trays and trays of char siew bun were balanced on the waitresses' palm and served to almost each table... within minutes the trays were empty!  When we dug into the bun, it was warm and soft!  Now if we have to fly back to HK, this would be one of the reasons to.  

We didn't stay long, like I said we had to rush for our next eating appointment.  We took a cab because the MTR station was quite a walk.  Hubby didn't want us to run and sweat arriving at the hotel, so we hailed down a cab.  The jam into TST was typical and expected, said the cab driver who was not really chatty.  

Arrived at The Peninsula.  I'm 36 today - such a big girl (age wise, not size ok) and this is my first time into the much talked about The Peninsula.  The kids, well... what can I say?  They are just too blessed and fortunate!  

Lunch appointment made at Spring Moon restaurant.  

This is one of their signature dish... the Hangzhou Beggar's Fortune Chicken which needed to be booked in advance... cost a freaking HKD680 for this (close to RM300)

Needs to be knocked up first

Crispy pigeon?  

Xiao long pau

This is very nice... eel with honey glazed and topped with crispy fried ginger... even the vege on the side were delicious!

Braised bean curd in some special sauce

And a specially ordered cake from hubby... he had the hotel arranged this.  The most lovely and tastiest sponge fruit cake I've ever eaten!  Even the cream was not too heavy or over sweet!

And whilst we went gallivanting later, the hotel kept the balance of the birthday cake for us.  

Another must-do in HK was to take the Star Ferry across to HK island... and so we did.  The walk was pleasant and much needed, after all the food we intake.  Breakfast was great, lunch was equally good if not better but William with the smallest capacity stopped half way through lunch, and we relied on Vic to help us to clear the dishes.  She's good, and despite being very full herself, I appreciated her efforts.

The bill, least to say... is one I would not approve.  But hubby insist so I let him exercise his veto power.

Need to buy property?  Haha... 

Shopping area in Causeway Bay... but we didn't walk around here

At night we checked out Tung Po which is a Dai Pai Dong style of eating, but in air conditioned.  Booking is highly recommended as the place is always very full.  We were given dinner slots at 5:30pm or 6pm (I can't recall exactly now).  

From North Point MTR exit, it's just a stone's throw away across the road. 

This was when we arrived, but man, the crowd just swelled in minutes!  There were those who walk in and had to wait in the "waiting area"... what you see here is just a part of the eatery.

Service was fast (what you expect, right?) and we ordered lamb, pork knuckle, frog porridge, pork ribs and mantis prawn (I think)... seriously, I forgotten the exact names.

The cold beer was amazing!!

This ends our eating spree and walking spree for today.  From dim sum to hotel to dai pai dong, it's back to our studio and packing up now.

Hong Kong Day 4: Tai O Fishing Village and Tung Chung

Day 4
Friday, 6th June 2014

Hubby came down with mild sorethroat the day before, I guess due to lack of fluid and over fatigue.  The original agenda for today was to head to Tung Chung and Tai O fishing village but looks like we may just have to rule out the latter, and take it easy today, just shopping and going on food hunt.  Afterall, we haven't really eaten anything super fantastic so far!

So, first on our list was this much-written place, Kam Wah Cafe along Bute Street.  There are a few recommended eating places within walking distance (read, 10-15minutes walk) from our studio.

This was the crowd when we entered, but we didn't have to wait for a table. Ours was at the back, just at the entrance of the drinks-kitchen, so we had clear view of the topless, tattooed-full-body drinks chef as we dig into our polo bun

Fuh fah foh??  Not knowing how to read Chinese, how did we know this was the famous Kam Wah Cafe that we were wanted to find?  Just ask! 

Breakfast is served!!!

Highly recommended to try this... egg tarts!

... and this!  The polo bun aka pineapple bun.  The other plate consist of a butter raisin cake which I ordered just because every table has it.  ;P

.... and whilst we are at it, why not HK's favourite french toast too?  You can't go wrong with this deep-fried bread coated in egg and served with melted butter

Look at these babies... just out of the oven, waiting to be devoured!  

The wall behind the cashier is lined with their awards

After this, we headed to Yee Shun Dairy Company a couple of streets away.  It started to drizzle along the way.  We arrived at the shop, only to find this...

Opens only at 11am till late.  Cow needs its full morning rest first ;)

So we proceeded to the nearest MTR and headed to Tung Chung for shopping!

Shop we did... some shops/items were very fulfilling but most of the rest were not that great.  I mean, we are here to find things that we can't get in KL.  Having said that, we saw many Mainlanders with trolley luggages walking around... and you wonder why?  Well, these are professional shoppers!  They stash all their loot in those trolley hard case, so they needn't have to carry shopping bags like us!

Macau food.  It's rice with pork chops sprinkled with fried garlic la..

Wantons, vege (we were deprived of fibre) and dumplings

Black pepper rice

This little girl wanted to get shoes...we checked out many shoe shops but found nothing suitable.  Sob sob! 

Since we covered Citigates within only a few hours, that left us with a lot more time, and hubby was managing... so we thought, why not Tai O fishing village?  Its a 45 minutes bus ride, but that also means we can rest our aching legs and hopefully catch 40 winks.

Getting to the bus station from Citigates was only 5 minutes walk, and there was no queue.  The time of the bus arrival is stated clearly at the waiting area.  Need I say the bus left punctually too?

First thing to do... EAT!  Found this Jumbo Fish Ball stall, and kids immediately said "hungry" so Daddy bought 'em fishballs.

We walked down the old walkways, marvelling at the old shops at both sides, some selling food stuff all home made, but most selling dried seafood.  Since I had already bought what I needed in Sheungwan, I had to resist buying more here, although they look oh-so-fresh!  You can even eat it just like that... (I know, coz a stall keeper gave us some dried prawns as a snack) and boy it tasted good!  Anyway, I bought mini lalas aka clams but the locals call it by another name which I can't remember here.  Actually that was the first purchase I made, within 10 minutes of arrival.  Why?  Simple because of the price!

Seafood -  we initially planned to eat seafood here, but decided not to, after checking out the prices - all tourist price!  Afterall, if one is willing to pay tourist price, might as well go home and pay higher to eat fresh seafood, right? OK OK, maybe I'm just feeling the pinch after all the shopping at Tung Chung and thinking of tomorrow splurge.

We took a boat ride out into the river and ocean... cost only HKD40 for all 4 of us (William goes free, yippee!!!) and the boat had just us and another couple, it was almost private!  We went out hoping to see the pink dolphins, and it did appear albeit a shy one.  Glimpse of it bopping up and down the sea waters, first here, then there... so it was really tough to capture a picture of it.

Less said, here are the pictures.  Weather was good, despite forecasts of rain.  Praise God for that!

According to our boat captain, the houses here are built on government land, and there is no taxes on the houses.  Many home owners are poor fishermen who built their own home on wooden stilts, but the new generation now are moving out.  Some villagers now can even afford to renovate their homes with concrete which is a lot safer when the high tide comes in.

Peanut cookies, fresh from the oven.

The boy is soooo fascinated with what this lady was doing

Can you see a "sleeping man" in the mountain?

Going on a boat ride... very excited!  

We had dinner - simple stirfy beef kuey teow noodles, steam local chicken and stirfry vegetables.  Nothing great but good enough to fill our tummies.

Back in Mongkok, we headed out for supper to satisfy our curiousity on so-called-highly-recommended-good-food in our vicinity.

First stop, back to Yee Shun Milk Company and we ordered their signature milk pudding in two flavours - original and red bean.  The texture is somewhat similar to our tau fu fa, and a tad bit too sweet for me and the kids.  Crowded?  Long queue?  Not at that hour!

Then we went to the second stop... roasted goose!  Someone told us not to go to HK and come back without eating their roasted goose, so before this trip, I googled and read many blogs recommending Sham Tseng Chan Kee Roasted Goose.

The verdict?  YUCKS!

OK, not that we don't give face, but I think the rice was acceptable, but the goose was too fat (1/2 cm thick) and not juicy, not served warm and rather tough.  The roasted pork (siew yoke) could have been better.  I can think of many good places serving roasted pork in Malaysia, but hardly mentioned on the internet.  So we're thinking, these people who hype up these places here in HK... have they really eaten much?  Sadly, some of them are from Malaysia themselves.

Note:  I later chatted with some friends who have visited HK also shared the same sentiments as me, so I'm not being a fussy eater here.  Hubby who is less critical with food and has a lot more eating experiences than me shared the same thoughts.  

Good night... tomorrow it's The Peninsula to celebrate someone's aging!  : )