Asia Sampler: Hong Kong Garden

In my opinion, Hong Kong is just another large city like many I have visited. Yes, it has a Chinese flavor, but it is very modern like a major American city. My absolute best experiences in Hong Kong were the most touristy.

I really enjoyed a morning spent on Victoria Peak. The views were gorgeous and the breeze up there gave some relief to the 100 Farenheit heat and 100% humidity.

Next, we took a doubledecker bus to Stanley on the other side of the island. The Stanley Market was as much fun as my book described it to be. We got some pretty good deals here.

Quick Tips:

Be prepared for New York style "efficiency", a.k.a. rudeness. Everyone is in so much of a rush and you are always in their way. I'm from a city, too, so it's not like I'm strolling. One guy dragged his suitcase over my leg in an effort to get by faster. He didn't even apologize. In one store, the salesgirl pushed our purchases off the counter while Alli was still putting her wallet away, saying "Thank you, goodbye." In another store, I was physically pushed out the door - maybe I wasn't leaving fast enough after not buying anything. Most restaurants had surly service, with the exception being Yung Kee.

I am only writing this so that other travellers can be prepared. Sometimes I find that preparing oneself for a bad experience makes it a more positive experience because it is better than you expected.

Best Way To Get Around:

• Buy a Hong Kong card at the airport
• Check if the bus is an express, and also if it has air-conditioning. Some busses are amazing, double deckers with AC and TVs. Others are small, cramped, and HOT.
• The bus system and the subway system are really well-connected, and the subways are really fast and run frequently.
• You should take the ferry at least once.

Middling-to-bad sushi does not a happy Shannon make. Our first wake-up call to Hong Kong prices came when Alli ordered a 600HKD bottle of sake - the equivalent of US$85. I had noticed the price so I sent it back. Too late, we realized that our Time Out guide had recommended Tokio Joe's, not Kyoto Joe's. As we were the only takers on this restaurant on a busy street, I began to get nervous when we walked in the door. The trendy decor and dimly lit interior looked promising, however.

I quickly ascertained two qualities about Hong Kong. The service is quick, efficient, and cold. The prices are high. My first experience with sticker shock came when we looked at the sake menu. We had just been in Thailand with the wonderful exchange rate of 42 Baht/1 Dollar. At first, 640HKD seemed reasonable. Then we realized this bottle of sake was more around US$60.

We ordered a mixture of sashimi and rolls. Their maki selection was very standard, and we ordered the Philadelphia roll. In my opinion, and I have eaten sushi all over the world, the sushi cuts were sub-par, especially considering our proximity to the ocean. The flavors of the maki were indelicate, the wads of cream cheese overwhelming the slight amount of salmon. I could summarize it this way: New York prices, Iowa sushi.

Not only was this our cheapest meal in Hong Kong, it was also the best. We had lunch at Eat! Noodles soon after arriving at Victoria Peak. Their seating is a balcony overlooking the city of Hong Kong, and the view is worth a million bucks.

We ordered two smoothies, their milky frostiness so welcome in the 100 degree heat, and two orders of Shanghai dan-dan noodles w/ dumplings. The waitress warned us it would be spicy, but our tastebuds having been burned off in Thailand, it seemed quite mild to us. The noodles were incredibly flavorful, and I wish we could have come back here for every meal.

Yung Kee must be the most famous restaurant in Hong Kong. Both Alli and I received recommendations from Chinese friends that we must go to Yung Kee and order the roast goose when in Hong Kong. Accordingly, we made it part of our plan. We didn't need reservations, but we showed up early. Before long, the restaurant was packed.

You could tell this was an A+ establishment. We were seated in the corner and Alli ordered tons of food -- fried rice, roast goose, shrimp rolls, and some greens. I guess she wanted to try everything. I was still sick since Bangkok and could hardly eat it all.

While Alli was in the bathroom, the waiter brought us two thousand-year-old eggs. In reality, they are not that old, but they certainly look that way. The preserved eggs are black and purple and look quite gelatinous. As I did not want to offend the restaurant and because I assumed this must be some delicacy, I made myself try it. I put the whole egg in my mouth at once just in case I didn't like it. It tasted like . . . egg. Just egg. Nothing special -- maybe a little squishier than a hard-boiled egg -- but not at all like something that had been preserved for many years.

The roast goose was tasty, but extremely fatty. I was disturbed in all these countries how fowl was often served still attached to the bone and gristle. Somehow with chopsticks you are expected to separate the meat from the bone. Not my cup of tea. Accordingly, I sat and drank many cups of tea while Alli feasted. We still had tons of food leftover, rather embarrassingly. My dining companion enjoyed every bit of the meal, but I didn't have the appetite to eat it myself.

This market sells everything that anyone would want to buy in Hong Kong, and at reasonable prices too. The market looks like an outdoor market, but soon you discover that it has multiple levels. The line between inside and outside is blurred. It is very easy to get lost.

We passed one man making chops. He could make chops with your name or with your Chinese zodiac sign. It seemed like a good gift for that person who has everything. I found the best deals in a silk shop. Alli picked up a green Cheongsam, because she can fit into anything. I purchased three silk robes for $10 each. Other items of note were jade and bone carvings, Chinese porcelain, and souvenirs. In one large souvenir shop, we found very inexpensive silk sheets. Unfortunately, they do not exactly fit a standard size queen.