Thanks to its deep natural harbor, strategic location in the South China Sea and political independence from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong has long been a popular port of call for US Navy ships. Each month, several drop anchor here, and the town fills with American sailors ready for a few memorable days of shore leave.
Traditionally, Wan Chai is their temporary address. Home to Fenwick Pier, where they first set foot on the island, Wan Chai was once notorious for its tawdry collection of girly bars, tattoo parlors and brothels. Wise indeed was that first man who thought to establish his bar near the disembarkation point of thousands of young, seafaring yanks stepping on dry land for the first time in weeks or even months. Countless others followed in his footsteps, and to this day, Wan Chai is still synonymous with nightlife.
Traditionally, Wan Chai is their temporary address. Home to Fenwick Pier, where they first set foot on the island, Wan Chai was once notorious for its tawdry collection of girly bars, tattoo parlors and brothels. Wise indeed was that first man who thought to establish his bar near the disembarkation point of thousands of young, seafaring yanks stepping on dry land for the first time in weeks or even months. Countless others followed in his footsteps, and to this day, Wan Chai is still synonymous with nightlife.
Wan Chai by night!
Although the area only retains traces of its more disreputable side, and the world of Suzie Wong has all but vanished, the watering holes lining the streets of Wan Chai are indelibly linked to American sailors. My guess is that this fact of life will never change. As long as the ships continue coming to Hong Kong, Wan Chai will be, for many sailors, the greatest recollection of our city. (For the record, it will also surely be one of my own!)
Lights of Wan Chai
As you know, Villanova has a very popular Naval ROTC program, so over four years I made plenty of friends who ultimately joined the Navy. Funny, then, that it took almost two years for the first one to make a port stop in Hong Kong. But better late than never!
This past weekend a slew of ships were in town, including the USS Ronald Reagan. On Sunday night, as the taxi I was riding in drove past Fenwick Pier, I thought to myself, “I wonder if Sam will ever find herself in Hong Kong?”
The next morning, upon signing into Facebook at my desk at work, a message was waiting from her. She was in Hong Kong! The night before I had endured a terrible sleep, and it was pretty much the worst wakeup in recent memory. Then, in a matter of seconds, it went from painful Monday blues to one of the most delightful days I’ve ever had here. Although she had to be back on board by 9pm that evening, we managed to have both lunch and dinner, and I got to meet several awesome ensigns and LTJGs (lieutenant junior grade officers) that she lives and works with on her destroyer.
This past weekend a slew of ships were in town, including the USS Ronald Reagan. On Sunday night, as the taxi I was riding in drove past Fenwick Pier, I thought to myself, “I wonder if Sam will ever find herself in Hong Kong?”
The next morning, upon signing into Facebook at my desk at work, a message was waiting from her. She was in Hong Kong! The night before I had endured a terrible sleep, and it was pretty much the worst wakeup in recent memory. Then, in a matter of seconds, it went from painful Monday blues to one of the most delightful days I’ve ever had here. Although she had to be back on board by 9pm that evening, we managed to have both lunch and dinner, and I got to meet several awesome ensigns and LTJGs (lieutenant junior grade officers) that she lives and works with on her destroyer.
Sam and me during our Villanova days
Basically, as soon as I read Sam’s message, I sent one straight back suggesting we meet for lunch. That is, after pinching myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Only the night before I had thought of her while passing by the pier and it turns out she was already in town! What are the odds?
Kevin suggested I meet her for lunch at Fish Bar, an al fresco seafood restaurant (in case you couldn’t guess by the name) situated beside the swimming pool of the JW Marriott at the Pacific Place shopping mall, where Sam told me she planned to spend some time browsing in the stores. All morning long I could hardly contain myself. I was so excited to see her for the first time since graduation. Her friend Dianna was with her when we met at Starbucks, and it turns out we even had a mutual friend! What a small world!
Kevin suggested I meet her for lunch at Fish Bar, an al fresco seafood restaurant (in case you couldn’t guess by the name) situated beside the swimming pool of the JW Marriott at the Pacific Place shopping mall, where Sam told me she planned to spend some time browsing in the stores. All morning long I could hardly contain myself. I was so excited to see her for the first time since graduation. Her friend Dianna was with her when we met at Starbucks, and it turns out we even had a mutual friend! What a small world!
The inside of the restaurant
Lunch beside the pool was phenomenal—fresh fish perfectly char grilled in a wonderful and unpretentious setting. It was the ideal choice for us, and I’m sure I’ll be making return visits there in the future. The lush greenery of Hong Kong Island's hilly terrain was showcased in its best light by the simple surrounding atmostphere of the restaurant. And the pool added to the leisurely feel of it all. There was lots of catching up to do, and of course, lots of 'Nova nostalgia to reminiscence about, as well. And it was also nice to get to know Dianna, a Naval Academy alumnus who was so friendly and fun to be with.
Fish Bar at the JW Marriott
The girls were meeting up with some other Navy friends to catch Harry Potter at the Pacific Place AMC movie theater—a pastime that isn’t easy to enjoy when you live on a boat. Before I returned to work, we all made plans to go for an authentic Chinese dinner in Wan Chai before they had to be back at the pier at 9pm.
As easy as it is to figure out what kind of food Fish Bar serves from its name, the same cannot be said of the spot we went for dinner: I picked the American Restaurant. Opened back in the heyday of Suzy Wong’s Wan Chai, the restaurant was named American in an effort to attract the many sailors in town on any given day. In actuality, the food served there is about as authentically Chinese as you'll find in this town, and their specialty is the famous Peking duck.
As easy as it is to figure out what kind of food Fish Bar serves from its name, the same cannot be said of the spot we went for dinner: I picked the American Restaurant. Opened back in the heyday of Suzy Wong’s Wan Chai, the restaurant was named American in an effort to attract the many sailors in town on any given day. In actuality, the food served there is about as authentically Chinese as you'll find in this town, and their specialty is the famous Peking duck.
You'd never guess how good this place is from it's bland exterior.
Whereas Fish Bar showcases the cosmopolitan, Western glories of Hong Kong in a most impressive way, the American Restaurant emphasizes the city's Chinese heritage equally well. In fact, I think the day, as a whole, proved that this place knows how to fuse the two flawlessly, creating an unbelievably interesting integration of cultures, a true mixture of East and West.
There were six of us at dinner, and we ordered enough food to feed many more than that! But every dish was delicious, from the xiao long bao (soup-filled pork dumplings), sizzling beef with spring onion, salt-and-pepper squid, spring rolls, shrimp in chili sauce and of course the Peking duck, among others!
Dinner at the American Restaurant
During dinner, we traded stories about Navy life and expat life in Hong Kong, and it was really great to find out more about their experiences sailing around the world. I learned lots of things I never knew about life on a naval ship, from the dining procedures to the sleeping situation to the work schedule to the disciplinary policies.
I taught Sam how to ask for the check in Cantonese (M’goi, mai tan!) and then we hopped across the street to Typhoon—a favorite bar of mine—to use what was left of the group’s combined collection of Hong Kong dollars in the most enjoyable way possible. I even got Sam to do a Flaming Lamborghini, a signature Hong Kong libation that is set on fire while you sip it through a straw.
Preparing for her Flaming Lamborghini
Before long it was time for the five of them to head back to the pier. I wish we could have stayed out longer, but it was so nice to spend even a little time with Sam and her friends. And I hope more of my Villanova Navy friends find their ships pulling into port in Hong Kong in the near future! Thanks for a great day guys, and God bless you as you continue your service to the United States.
