Travelogue: Hong Kong Trip with BB 09-06-2015 to 13-06-2015 Day 1

Day 1

Finally the day had arrived for our long waited Hong Kong Trip. Booked our tickets via Jetstar. 

2 way flight including 25kg check-in baggage there and 40kg check-in baggage back for 2 person at a total of $370 ($185 each). 6.20am flight is really no joke.

Some airport fashion and selfie before checking in and explore the airport departure area.

After some shopping at DFS and gobbling down our breakfast, we proceed to the sky tram to T2 for sunflower garden. Our plane is at T1 so we only had about 20mins to explore the area. Took quite awhile to locate the sunflower garden but eventually found it. The area is so cool as it is the entertainment area and there is a corner which screens movie. Perfect place to sleep!

A sunrise picture before i knock out in the plane. And after 4hrs of plane ride......

TADAHHHH! We arrived at Hong Kong Airport! We were both so excited as everywhere we explored is filled with Hong Kong Drama scenes. Touch down safely at 10am.

After collecting our baggage, there's a airport express counter for you to purchase your airport express tickets and octopus card. We bought 2 airport express tickets to Hong Kong station at HKD80 each. That is also when I first converse in Cantonese in Hong Kong. So proud of myself :D The staff recommend us to purchase the return airport express tickets on the day as its cheaper.

The octopus card works as an ez-link card in Hong Kong. It cost HKD150 each with a refundable deposit of HKD50 and HKD100 value. The HKD100 value can actually lasts us for 3 days despite travelling a lot by MTR.

Once you are at the arrival hall, turn right and you will be able to spot 1010 booth. It actually sells prepaid sim card with unlimited 4G data. They only offer the 8days plan at HKD118 which is SGD20. We are there for 5 days so it will be SGD4/day for unlimited 4G data. That's very worth it. So much better than what's Singapore's telco offering.

It also includes a 50% Madame Tussaud's voucher which you can purchase up to 5 tickets. Benefits those who wish to visit the attraction.

There's one more important point to note! Purchase your attraction tickets at China Travel Service (CTS) booth in the airport. Their attraction tickets are much cheaper than the original price.

For Disneyland tickets:

Original Price: HKD499 Adult

CTS: HKD450 Adult

You saved HKD49 per adult which is around SGD8. And the more you tickets you purchased, the more you saved.

For The Peak Tram + Sky Terrance tickets:

Original Price: HKD83 Adult

CTS: HKD78 Adult (Saved HKD5 per adult)

Took the airport express to Hong Kong station which is link to Central Station for a transit to our hotel Causeway Bay Station. The journey took us only 20mins to reach Hong Kong Station.

Our Home for the next 5 days. Its only a 5mins walk from Causeway Bay Station and Times Square. We both love the location so much as lots of FAMOUS eateries is near the area.

The room is spacious unlike other small hotel rooms in Hong Kong. Comfy bed and decent bathroom. If you did your research, most hotel rooms in Hong Kong had a small bathroom. The toilet bowl, basin and shower area wont be segregated.

The room also had a lcd tv with cable channels like discovery channel which we watch every night :D It also comes with a iPhone docking station.

The hotel is also very thoughtful to indicate which are the soft and firm pillows for different preference. What we love most about the hotel is this thing below:

It comes with a Handy for everyone's use. You can bring it out and tether the 4G to your phone. The boy use the handy for internet while I use the sim card. Hehe. It also comes with google map and recommendations to food and attractions. You can also use it to make local phone calls. So much good deal for a boutique hotel right?

Guess how much we paid?

SGD388 for 5d4n of stay! Awesome? That's SGD97 per night. Everyone knows Hong Kong's hotel is expensive and small but we are grateful to get this good deal with good location. 

Butterfly on Morrison 

晉逸時代精品酒店 銅鑼灣

39 Morrison Hill Rd, Hong Kong

Well, if you are those who only go for 5 stars hotel and thinks where we stayed is far then you can press the cross button. Everyone had different preference and not only where you been to is good and think where we went is normal. The places I went to also get recommendations from various websites and variety shows with Michelin Stars. Made a mental note that I won't ever travel with people with these personality. Just so pissed off sharing my experience to them. 

Okay after all the ranting, back to happy post!

Promise the boy that our first Hong Kong meal will be roasted goose from Yat Lok  a One Michelin Starred restaurant.

The roasted goose meat is really TOP OF THE WORLD! Both of us preferred goose meat so much more than duck meat. There is a layer of fat between the skin and meat which makes it so juicy and fragrant to suck the fats. The meat is so much more tender than duck meat. If you like duck meat, you will LOVE goose meat even more!

The roasted goose drum cost HKD107 while the roasted goose drum rice cost HKD88. We didn't know why the drum alone without rice is more expensive but every roasted meat place we been to it seems to be this case. Maybe the drum given without rice will be larger than the one with rice.

I love Hong Kong's ice lemon tea as they serve it with 4 slices of lemon instead of 2 or even none. I guess this is their SOP in making lemon tea.

Yat Lok Restaurant

一樂燒鵝

G/F, 34-38 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong

Nearest MTR station: Central (Exit D2)

Monday to Saturday 7am - 7pm

Sunday and Public Holiday 9am - 3.30pm

After our fulfilling lunch, we walk uphill and found the famous Pottinger Street that you must spam lots of photos there. During our 5 days trip, we relise Hong Kong's road is full of uphill and downhill slopes. Its so tiring to walk even with comfortable shoes and I conclude its much more tiring than Bangkok's full day shopping.

Taken so many picture but I only chose some of the nice ones to upload here. Next we continued our food hunt again. Day 1 is definitely a long and fulfilling day.

Saw the Mid-Level Escalator which is also another photo spot. While searching for Lan Fong Yuen, we saw the shop front below from the Mid-Level Escalator.

Always so excited to find my specific place to dine in overseas.

We were so lucky during our trip as most places we dine at wouldn't require long waiting time before we get a seat. Came back on the last day of our trip to buy Milk Tea and there was a huge crowd.

Lan Fong Yuen is a Dai Pai Dong famous to most. They specialise in their stocking milk tea which is so silky smooth that the boy takeaway another cup and came back on the last day.

They are also famous for the Chicken Chop Noodle, Pork Chop Bun and French Toast. The Chicken Chop Noodle has a strong spring onion flavour. So for those who dislikes onion, then this noodle might not be for you. The noodle is springy and it is good to fill up a hungry stomach.

The Pork Chop Bun tasted nice at the first few bites but subsequently it don't taste good. The Pork Chop doesn't have much flavour and the bun is not the fluffy type. 

Wished I had ordered the french toast to try if I remembered as it is known as the best french toast. Would definitely try it on my next trip. The best thing here is still the milk tea. If you don't try the milk tea here, then you had never been to Hong Kong.

Lan Fong Yuen

蘭芳園

2 Gage Street, Central 

Nearest MTR Station: Central (Exit C1)

Monday to Saturday 7am - 6pm

Closed on Sunday

In Hong Kong, you must spam photos and food! So next up, we went to look for STARBUCKS! Yes starbucks. But you won't find this particular Starbucks in Singapore! We also did look for A&F at Central area. If you can't find A&F, please use your sense of smell! The perfume is so strong that you can smell it from afar and just follow the smell. Hahaha! The A&F designs inside is so much nicer than Singapore's and cheaper too. The boy spent quite some time inside :D

Very different right? It is a Bing Sutt corner - fusing together a nostalgic retro style with a contemporary coffeehouse design. Stepping into this place, is like stepping back in time. Another great place for photo taking. The drinks menu is the same from a normal Starbucks but they do serve light bites which are different like Rustic bun with thick crust butter. We only ordered a drink to chill at the cozy place before heading to our next destination.

Bing Sutt - The Starbucks Concept Store

13 Duddell St, Central, Hong Kong

Nearest MTR Station: Central (Exit G)

Monday to Thursday 7am - 9pm

Friday 7am - 10pm

Saturday 8am to 10pm

Sunday 9am - 8pm

THE PEAK! A scenery spot that most tourist would come. This place is more beautiful at night. We took the tram up at about 6pm and waited for the sky to turn dark. We observe the different buildings one by one lighting up. You will have to camp at a good spot to take nice picture with anyone's head blocking your photos.

The tram ride is 45 degree uphill. To get a nice view in the tram, sit at the right side for both to and fro cause we saw people rushing to get seats to the left and they ended up with only forest view for their whole ride. For the ride back down, you will be facing backwards if not you will fly to the front looking at the steepness. 

At the sky terrace, you will be able to view both Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. That's what Hong Kong is made of: Two separated islands. At Hong Kong Island, it will be their city area. Central resembles Orchard and Causeway Bay resembles Raffles, Shenton Way or MBS. The view is really breath-taking up there.

Dinner for Day 1 will of course be Dim Sum! Whats Hong Kong without dim sum right? One Dim Sum is a One Michelin Starred restaurant with affordable price. 

The Boy LOVES the Siew Mai over here. Not only its filled with prawns, it also had mushroom in it which makes the siew mai so flavourful. One bite and you will taste the mushroom aroma in your mouth. 

The Har Gow is also so good cause its really filled will PRAWNS! They are really not stingy in their ingredients. I know you can find all these dim sum in Singapore as well but can you find a One Michelin Starred dim sum place with such affordable price and not stingy in their ingredients as well? 

The Beancurd Skin Roll Wrapped with Prawns in Hong Kong is different from Singapore. We preferred Singapore's version because it doesn't consist of vegetables in it. We both prefer meat more than vegetables.

The Malay Sponge Cake here is those melt in your mouth kind and has a sweet taste.

Everything we ate for HKD122 which is SGD21.

Where to find such affordable dim sum in Singapore with One Michelin Star you tell me!

One Dim Sum

一點心

Shop 1 & 2, G/F, Kenwood Mansion, 15 Playing Field Road, Prince Edward

Nearest MTR Station: Prince Edward (Exit A)

Monday to Friday 10am - 11pm

Saturday to Sunday 10am - 1am

After dinner, its still not the end of the day yet cause we went to Temple Street! Don't know where all our energy come from. Cause we found out a practice in Hong Kong. Before you eat, you need to exercise which is climbing a few flights of stairs. Cause all the MTR exit is stairs except for our Causeway Bay Station which is slope. 

Anyway, temple street got nothing much to shop. All the things are cater for tourist just like Ladies Street. The boy bought 1 Hong Kong tourist t-shirt which had a very nice design at HKD30. 

After Temple Street, we are still hadn't end the day yet. We went to hunt for the famous dessert!

Image source OpenRice

Cong Sao Star Dessert is opened by a lady whom used to work in the Hong Kong TV industry canteen selling desserts. The desserts are so nice that Andy Lau always patronize her. When she opens her own store, it is definitely approved by Andy Lau and there's even his signature displayed in the shop. 

The shop is filled with lots of people even though its already 11pm+. Snake queue is still formed outside the shop. Hong Kong people really have night life. Its as if they don't have to work the next morning.

Since out hotel is near the dessert place, we takeaway the desserts back to eat. We bought all the top 3 desserts to try. We can really eat right? Is like each of us have 2 stomachs and we have 4 stomachs together.

The number 3 in the shop is the durian dessert 榴槤水晶珠  . It might looks normal but it do taste like heaven. The reason why Cong Sao dessert is so famous is because she uses all fresh fruits for her dessert instead of flavouring only. So every bite is made up of real fresh fruits. 

The Boy loves the number 2 which is the mango dessert 芒果奶昔雙皮奶. Instead of getting a few slices of mango, the whole pudding below is mango! Not the usual mango pudding that you had but its like mango custard. So nice that you had to try it to taste it for yourself.

The number 1 in the shop is the longan dessert 龍眼椰果冰. Although you don't get to eat the whole longan in this dessert, but the longan meat is all inside! It is like having longan juice with slices of longan meat.

Cong Sao is really not stingy in using of ingredients. What she aims for is a good bowl of dessert and a satisfied customer.

Ended our Day 1 with a sweet ending :)

Cong Sao Star Dessert

聰嫂私房甜品  

G/F, 11 Yiu Wa Street, Causeway Bay (It's at Holiday Inn Hotel)

Nearest MTR Station: Causeway Bay (Exit A)

Monday to Sunday 12.30pm - 12am

>> Continue to Day 2