Steffi Eats Around HK (08.19.2015: Firsts)

Ever since I’ve started Steffi Eats Around, I’ve been blogging exclusively about restaurants in Metro Manila. Friends have been asking for out-of-town features for months and since I just came back from a short trip to Hong Kong, I figured that I have enough material to share now so I hope you enjoy!

I’ve been to Hong Kong with my family a couple of times already; however, what made this trip different and exciting would be the fact that this would be the first time I’ll experience it in the company of friends. I was accompanied by Nick Castro and Edgar Magturo.

EDGAR MAGTURO (taking a selfie) and NICK CASTRO

In line with Hong Kong’s tourist-centric summer campaign, an envelope is given to each tourist prior to lining up for immigration. This welcome treat includes 7-day free access to wifi, discount coupons from different merchants, souvenirs, and a raffle ticket. Although I barely used the discount coupons, I did appreciate the decent wifi connection for free!

I was starving so I requested to grab a bite in the airport. Crystal Jade served our first meal in Hong Kong. What I thought was a quick breakfast/brunch; ended up with a stretched waiting time of 45 minutes because there was a mix-up in our orders. I was just grateful that my mediocre skill in Mandarin was enough to relay our concern to the waiting staff. My humungous bowl of hand-pulled Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles (HKD 40) was the first one to come out. The three of us gave in to primal instincts and slurped our way through the spicy noodle soup without stopping to snap a photo. The heat of the dish, both manifested in temperature and flavour, helped kick start the long day ahead. The two guys finished the meal with an order of Xiao Long Bao each.

MAJESTIC SEAFOOD RESTAURANT'S XIAO LONG BAO (HKD 12.8)

My family has always favored staying in the Marco Polo Hotels along Tsim Sha Tsui for the accessibility the hotels are known for. Apart from their comfortable rooms, you simply have to step out of your hotel lobby to begin your shopping experience! Thus, the journey to Mongkok by train and by foot was definitely a first for me. It was a bit of struggle to lug around my luggage (sadly, I am not a light packer) up and down flights of stairs and escalators; that the sight of walkalators in the train stations was heaven for my feet. As we settled in our hotel in Sunny Day Hotel, we decided to walk around the area for our late lunch.

MAJESTIC SEAFOOD RESTAURANT'S SPICY WANTONS (HKD 12.8)

There were two locals handing out restaurant flyers near one of the busy exits of the Mongkok MTR station, and one caught our attention. Our stomachs grumbled at the sight of Majestic Seafood Restaurant’s dimsum selections (priced at less than HKD 15 each). We found ourselves in a gaudy traditional Chinese lauriat restaurant packed with locals and was quickly ushered into a table and shoved with menus with no English words on them. My 13 years of learning Mandarin has taught me enough to be able to read Xiao Long Bao on the menu, so I was able to confidently order a set each for the three of us. Thankfully, there was a specials menu with some pictures on it; that I was able to point out the Spicy Wantons and order one for us to share. The language struggle was worth it as I enjoyed one of the best XLB’s I’ve ever tasted. The rich and flavorful soup stock flowing into your mouth after that first bite was simply heavenly. Biting into the potstickers was also a treat as the well-marinated pork filling proved to be executed well. The Spicy Wantons came with a delectable chilli-garlic sauce that was so addicting to eat; and definitely rivalled the spicy wantons that I love from Mien San. The wantons were wrapped in a silky translucent wrapper, which was not too thick, and not too thin; perfect for scraping every last drop of the salty sauce.

HONG KONG MUSEUM OF HISTORY

From the TST station, we took a pleasant stroll in search of the Hong Kong Museum of the Arts; but since all street signs had direction markers for Hong Kong Museum of History, we ended up going there instead (fortunately, we deviated from our plans since the Hong Kong Museum of the Arts was closed at that time).

The museum boasted of eight galleries; each showcasing a particular historical period of Hong Kong. The narration begins with prehistoric Hong Kong, and weaves through the dynastic history of China, the foreign occupation of the city, until its growth of Hong Kong to a cosmopolitan metropolis that it is today. Each gallery is cleverly crafted and uniquely constructed. Sure it got a bit boring at one point; but I can’t deny admiring the attention to detail that the museum exhibited.

The museum was packed because the entrance fee was waived for the day. This made it challenging to navigate comfortably through the museum since hordes of people would huddle at places; that you have no choice but to simply move on to the next exhibit. One gallery I did spend a lot of time in would be the one displaying the cultural life of the early Hong Kong locals. This was a bit nostalgic for me due to my ‘shared’ Chinese heritage. I’ve read about these practices, I’ve studied them, and lived/experienced a number of them. It allowed me to have a deeper appreciation for it.

To be continued.