Hong Kong: f.o.o.d

We didn't include breakfast package during our stay in Royal Plaza Hotel. SC thought it would not be too tough to find food around Mong Kok. So, we had been navigating our selves in the array of shops even before breakfast. Some based on Chua Lam's recommendations, some are not.
Sea View Congee House is one of our new discovery that has satisfied Hong Kong style breakfast: Congee, rice noodle roll (cheong fun, 香港猪肠粉), toast bread, spaghetti with minestrone soup, combination of hot dog, egg and bread, HK style fried noodle, soya milk, HK style coffee and tea. Simple yet very good dose and bite to kick start a day that is full of activities. We went there twice as the kids liked it. Best of all, it was between the hotel to Mong Kok MTR Station.

More about 海景 Sea View Congee House.

蓮香樓 Lin Heung Tea House

Obviously, Jiejie didn't like the place when we first stepped into the restaurant and got our table. It was traditional setting, kind of messy, chaotic, old yet full of characters of HK [shown in pic 1 in the scrapbook below]. Everyone there seems just mind their own business: waiters/waitress just push their wheeled cart to sell the dim sum or clean the tables if necessary; the patrons occupied the space not just for their meal, but newspapers, chit-chatting or simply yum-cha (饮茶). They may just had a peek on our arrival and back to their papers or tea-drinking. Technically, it is full ALL the time; and interestingly, these are the culture behind the traditional dim sum. We were lucky that we didn't need to hover around for table and the old waiter willingly to clean the table for us before we sat down. In the end, with some persuade talk and lots of hug, Jiejie opened her mouth and tasted the carrot cake (萝卜糕) and she loved it! The only regret was really we did not try all kind of dimsum, especially siu-mao (烧卖)and ha-kau(虾饺). Having said that, having dimsum in Lin Heung is a steal! It was less that HKD200 for 5 adults and 2 kids.

I tapao (take away) 2 wife biscuits from the counter for a try, HKD5 for each. It was good, very good! Too bad I was told it could only kept for 4 days the most! Otherwise, I would brought back for friends in Sg and KL.

Must say SC made a good choice among so many of Chua Lam's recommendation for dimsum.

Chee Kee (池记)
Contrary, Jiejie preferred the ambience of Chee Kee. Modernly comfortable, I reckon. Though it was as packed as Lin Heung.

It was convenience to us too. After a long day of roaming around, we took MTR back to Mong Kok, alighted and walked out to Langham Place, traveled to level 4 to look for Chee Kee. We went there twice.

Their are famous with wonton noodle and crab congee (金皇蟹粥) [shown in pic 7 in the scrapbook below]! Their barley water is unique tasty with a some ginger spice! Understand from them that this is only served warm. Fong, our friend, loves the pork rib rice(蘿蔔豬軟骨菜飯), repeatedly order for his 3 visits.

We ordered petite wonton noodle from the menu for Jiejie. [6 in the scrapbook]. SC could not run away from the crab congee... It was simply crabby yummy!

Honeymoon Dessert (满记甜品)
I am a dessert person, so is either Hui Lau Shan (許留山) or Honeymoon Dessert or both. Apparently, I could only tasted the latter. 

We went there to indulge the sweetness of their famous Mango Pomelo and Sago Sweet Soup with Ice Cream and Stewed Bird's Nest with Coconut Juice. [shown in 8 in the scrapbook] for the 1st time; then i brought my mum there to try Almond Tea with Sweet Potato and (thick) Sesame Walnut Soup. I'm bias! I was beaming while I had it^^.

I feel like going back there now!

何洪记 (Ho Hung Kee)  
This is another recommendation by Chua Lam. Another Shop famous with wanton noodle and Congee. Why? Simply because it would attract Jiejie to eat and eat more without us pushing too hard.

Ho Hung Kee is in Causeway Bay, Sharp Street East, close to Time Square(Exit A at Casuseway Bay MTR). It is easy to find. Like most traditional wonton noodle shops in HK, this shop is small and packed, probably just 10 tables of serving 4. We were lucky again to get a table soon upon our arrival. SC ordered their signature wonton noodle soup and slides fish congee. Congee was well balanced and tasted good.

Understand from the Ding Ding that, "Ho Hung Kee takes seven parts shrimp to three parts pork and a little pepper, grinds the mixture to a paste and spreads it onto a thin wrap. Their dumplings are filled with traditional ingredients including crispy 'wood ear fungus." Basically, the noodle was the sisters' favourite! Oh yes, Bomber had her share too. after I souped in clear water to reduce the taste for her. But somehow we felt that the soup was not fabulous. Or maybe because we are more for dried wonton noodle. 


Fuk Kee Restaurant (富记粥品)
This place [shown in pic 5 in the scrapbook], steal my heart for congee! Cheap (breakfast @ HKD100 for 4+2) and simply yummy! I was literally moved by their Pork Kidney and Liver Congee, which my mum belief that they controlled the cooking fire well by not over cook the pig intestines, it was tender and splendor! On top of the congee, we also added you-tiao (油炸鬼), since Jiejie spotted it when we steped into the small and old shop.

Whilst my dad ordered the shrimp cheong fun. The skin was smooth but thick, which we have yet to acquire the taster and enjoy the thick cheong fun.
If you are at 花园街， Mong Kok, don't miss this shop! Highly recommended, if you don't mind the ambience of the old shop. Well, apparently Lady Luck was with us most of the time, we probably went early that day, it was not packed hence Jiejie had no problem with the unhygienic and messy corner of the shop. Perhaps her focus was on her favourite yao-tiao:).

Hong Kong: togetherness

Two days right before the June School Holiday started, we went to Hong Kong for a family trip. Well, not just 2+2, but 2+2+2 and another 2+1 ^^. We invited my parents and we tagged with SC's friend and his family. 


So why HK at the first place?

I was as little as HY when I stood with to them.

Hong Kong as one of the Chinese-dominated city didn't really attracted me much. Urbanized, high density, uniquely mix of culture and architecture, fast pace living, disorganized but dynamic in a scarce land, are what I know of about HK. The colonial history of HK does create some sense of familiarity to us. I mean, learning so much about HK since young through the TVB drama series, I like vibrant HK. However, I was hesitate to bring kids to the packed and hazed city. On the other hand, SC finds HK is an easy roaming place for family like us, convenient MTR, no language nor food barrier for us (as well as the kids); best of all, there are marvelous Ocean Park and Disneyland there welcoming us! SC kept telling me the yummy-licious of dim-sum, milk tea, roasted goose and what not. Well, he is a big fan of 蔡瀾 (Chua Lam), who is a food critic and very good in making food recommendations. He also tempted me that I can be shopping queen there and kids will be under his care. I reckon nothing can be too tough for a daddy who wanted to fulfill his daughter's request. Coincidentally, Fong, our good friends from Sg Petani, and his family was also eyeing a holiday trip to HK. [With Fong and family, we visited theme parks and a few rounds of shopping together, other times were on our own program of the day.]



So SC went ahead with flight and hotel booking. Then we invited my parents tagged along. We thought, within our capacity, it would be nice as I have not been traveling with them since graduated and financially independent from them. Well, at least it would be a good idea to have more cares on the kids while exploring the city. 

Mom's help to relieve the burden of long hour carrying Bomber from me.

Marry-Go-Round with popo in Ocean Park. 

The true is, the holiday had passed us by in a blink! We had few agenda for the trip: theme parks for the kids, food hunting for SC, Macau for my parents (special request) and perhaps, shopping for my self. We became part of the dynamic city for that few days, by experiencing extremely lots of walking, from the pram-unfriendly MTR stations to the dizzying array of malls to riding on the humble star ferry and tram to The Peak. Walking is the best travel mode, but walking in the crowds and street after street of places for few days were somehow stressful, not forgetting slung baby Bomber when she took a nap or two in Ocean Park and Disneyland under the scorching hot weather. As my papa was a bit weak in terms of walking (he relies on car very much back home in KL), there was usually 1 highlight of each day following by city discovery. So that he could returned to hotel for resting, if we continued our journey to shopping (Don't you think shopping is the best way to explore HK;p). Mum was tired too, but curious enough to join our exploratory till late night. We had some mother-daughter's chit-chatting along the way, she gave me a sense that, as their age is catching up, she sees it as a rare opportunity for them to join us traveling. [She was referring to my grandma who is now 90 years old and too weak to travel even she is desired coming to S'pore to visit me.]

It is a pity that we forgot to take picture with them.
We were overwhelmed with the activities.

It was heartening to know that they cherish the moments of holding hands of little Bomber, Marry-go-round with Jiejie and having 3 generations to sit down together and enjoy a nice Hong Kong style breakfast. I believe that they will miss the cheeky smiles of the little ones and the little ones will remember that, once upon a time, they went to Disneyland with gong gong and popo... I think even if consumptive walking, theme parks or shopping malls or food hunting were not their cups of tea, we created a chance of bonding for all.

All were tired, included me. Bomber slept tight in the carrier. 

There isn't much pictures to show the lovely moment of ours. SC was also occupied with navigation to search for food for direction, photography (anything but us) and Jiejie. Me? I was keeping the little Bomber and my mum and my dad full accompany! Ha~! I had been nice:). [No complaint heard thus far^^.] 

It was a exhausted but hearty trip.