It's no secret that I love showing Hong Kong off to out-of-town visitors. And when the visitors in question happen to be a pair of my oldest and best friends, hosting them in my adopted home is nothing short of pure magic. So the nine days I recently spent gallivanting all around the SAR with Shea and Jen surely ranks among the most special Hong Kong experiences I've yet enjoyed.
Their timing couldn't have been better. If ever I needed home friends in Hong Kong to cheer me up and remind me of why I've chosen to live halfway around the world, now is the time. And I'm so lucky to have friends like these guys to be there for me. I hadn't seen them since their beautiful wedding on Cape Cod last May, so when Shea told me they were toying with the idea of a trip out here, my heart jumped for joy at the prospect of sharing this city with them.
Shea and Jen landed a little later than originally scheduled, but nothing could dim my excitement as I waited for them to emerge at Hong Kong International Airport last Saturday evening. We wasted no time! The Airport Express deposited us in Central, and a few moments later we were already seated at Crystal Jade feasting on dumplings and dan dan noodles while sipping Tsing Taos.
A quick taxi ride took us home to Happy Valley, where I got to introduce Shea and Jen to the ever-growing Fredric! They hit it off pretty quickly, and we had a great hour or so catching up on the rooftop.
Welcome to Hong Kong!
I was unsure how my friends would be feeling after a lengthy transcontinental flight, so I hadn't planned on forcing any craziness upon them. But when they both said they felt pretty awake and expressed an interest in going out, we headed straight for Lan Kwai Fong.
Jello shots
Some Club 7 street beers while soaking up the Saturday mayhem of LKF was an ideal way to spend the rest of the night. We did Jello-shots at Al's Diner, made a few new friends and even bought some illuminated head gear. Welcome to Hong Kong, guys!
Lan Kwai Fong on Saturday night
The next morning, we loaded up on dim sum in Happy Valley and serendipitously, tram 120—the oldest of the ding ding fleet still in daily use—was waiting at the terminus to transport us to Central after the meal. And after a few stops, the front row seats became available and we shuffled on in! I took it as a good omen that things were going to go our way over the course of Shea and Jen's visit. (Spoiler alert: I was right.)
Ecstatic about catching Tram 120
In front of the HSBC Building in Central sits a pair of noble bronze lions named Stitt and Stephen. A Hong Kong legend says that by rubbing their feet you can bring yourself good luck, so we paused for a moment to further guarantee the success of the trip.
Rubbing Stitt's paw for good luck
When Jen's parents visited Hong Kong back in the day, they went to Lamma Island, and it was one of the few things Jen specifically asked if we could include on our itinerary. So we made our way to Central Ferry Pier 4 for the quick ride to the sleepy haven of an island.
Lamma ferry selfie
Lamma has a charming seaside promenade lined with little shops and a dozen or so bars, popular with the local community as well as the visiting day-trippers. We meandered along the colorful waterfront towards my personal favorite, Lamma Grill, where we had a round of drinks overlooking the mountains, bay and fishing boats.
On Yung Shue Wan Pier
Two of my friends, Ailee and Ben, live on Lamma, and they graciously invited us over to their rooftop for some beer and homemade Sangria. It was a lovely afternoon of lively discussions and new friends while the skies got dark.
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Up on the rooftop
Originally I had grand ambitions to hike across Lamma from Yung Shue Wan to Sok Kwu Wan, but once I realized how poorly-lit it was on the sparsely populated island, we opted to simply retrace our steps back to the pier and catch one of the regularly scheduled ferries back to Central.
I booked a dinner table at the Jumbo Floating Restaurant in Aberdeen. They serve dim sum there as well, and I toyed with the idea of going that morning, but I wanted Shea and Jen's first glimpse of the place to be at night, when hundred of thousands of lights illuminate the already flamboyant facade and lend an air of gaudy extravagance to Aberdeen harbor. A free shuttle boat that ferries diners from the pier to the restaurant offers an incredible view as you approach, and it's a moment that takes my breath away every time.
Getting on the shuttle boat
The Jumbo illuminated by night
As a floating restaurant situated in a bustling fishing community, the Jumbo—I'm sure you can guess—specializes in fresh seafood. In fact, before dinner, we took a moment to explore the tanks brimming with live fish. And we also admired the photos of notaries like Queen Elizabeth, John Wayne and William Holden visiting the famous structure.
Making your way up the grand staircase to the dining room itself, you pass a stunning mosaic of an ancient Chinese river scene. And once you're seated in the cavernous hall, the real fun begins! It was a perfect conclusion to a wonderfully packed day, and I'm already excited for my next dinner at the Jumbo.
Elaborate mosaic on board
Cheers
Post-dinner
Sailing back to dry land
Monday was set aside for a full day's excursion to Macau, Hong Kong's neighboring SAR. When we arrived at the ferry terminal in Sheung Wan, economy class tickets were all sold out for the next few ferries, so we were 'forced' to splurge on SuperClass seats, which entitled us to free food and drinks on our ride!
Boarding the TurboJet to Macau
My friend Vanessa, a journalist, lives in Macau, and she picked out our lunch venue: Guincho a Galera, the Grand Lisboa's signature Portuguese restaurant. At first, the hostess wouldn't seat us at the swanky place because Shea and I were donning shorts. But Vanessa managed to get us in, although we did have to sport fake dress pants over our clothes, courtesy of the restaurant!
It was an absolutely delicious meal, and I'll certainly return to this place on future visits. They even provided complimentary mini Portuguese egg tarts, Macau's signature pastry, for dessert!
Jen, Vanessa, me and Shea at lunch
The old city of Macau is one of my favorite places to wander, and so we headed from the restaurant to Senado Square for a quasi-walking tour of the main UNESCO world heritage sights, namely Saint Paul's Ruins and the Fortaleza do Monte
In front of Macau's cathedral
Ruins of Saint Paul's
Posing with a canon atop Fortaleza do Monte
But we had to cut our stroll a bit short to catch a taxi to the City of Dreams in Cotai for the 5pm performance of the House of Dancing Water. The show has been wowing audiences for over five years now, but I've been saving my first time for the right occasion. Shea and Jen's visit finally proved the perfect excuse to take in the extravaganza.
Words can't describe the House of Dancing Water, with its combination of diving, dancing, Motocross and contortions. Although the story itself was confusingly hard to follow, the special effects made it well worth the price of admission.
After a spectacular show, it was an equally spectacular loss for Shea, Jen and me at the roulette table of the Hard Rock Casino. But, as ever-optimistic Jen observed, "at least we can say we gambled in Macau!"
We caught a taxi from Cotai to Coloane, the farthest and most isolated corner of the former Portuguese colony, which used to be a completely separate island before land reclamation merged it with neighboring Taipa. (Hence the unoriginal name Cotai.)
Luckily, while Taipa Village is literally in the shadow of glittering casino towers, Coloane has managed to hold fast to its quaint, old world, Sino-Portuguese tranquility. Although the bright lights of the big city can still be glimpsed in the distance from a waterfront pier, it's so easy to get lost in the narrow lanes of the village itself, walking along beautifully tiled pavements while locals go about their daily routines.
The town's tiny main square is the perfect juxtaposition to the over-the-top Cotai Strip. The pastel-yellow Chapel of Saint Francis Xavier looks out onto a piazza lined with Portuguese archways that shelter the tables of local eateries. In the center of it all, kids throw firecrackers on the wavy black and white tiles, the mini-explosions briefly interrupting the chatter of friends meeting for a casual Monday night get-together. This is the spot I've chosen to introduce Shea and Jen to Macanese cuisine.
For centuries, Chinese chefs—making use of their own culinary heritage—were tasked with preparing meals in a fashion appealing to the upscale tastes of Portuguese potentates, all the while blending in the innumerable spices passing through the trading port on a voyage from east to west.
It's no surprise, then, that as a result, Macau developed a killer, one-of-a-kind cuisine. Of course, no trip is complete with out sampling the aromatic European-meets-Asian fare. And Nga Tim Cafe always gets the vote for my favorite Macanese restaurant. Tonight was a perfect example of why.
We split a jug of Sangria while feasting on clams in white wine, chicken cooked in a young coconut, African chicken and delicious Portuguese rolls, as a somewhat tipsy local sang and played his guitar—and kept coming by our table encouraging us to sing along!
Dinner at Nga Tim
We were all exhausted on the ferry ride back, and popping out for even one drink after re-entering Hong Kong never entered our discussions. It was straight into a taxi back to Happy Valley to get some sleep. But, oh, what a day!
Up and at 'em pretty early on Tuesday morning, we stopped for coffee and a light meal at Passion, a French boulangerie in Wan Chai. And then we took the MTR out to Tung Chung to catch the cable car to Po Lin Monastery, famous for it's gigantic bronze statue of Buddha.
We rode in the Crystal Cabin, a glass-floored gondola with spectacular views of Lantau Island's stunning natural setting.
At the top we played around in the touristy "Ngong Ping 360" village, a recreation of a traditional Chinese street with a decidedly Disney-esque feel. Shea and Jen bought some beautiful chopsticks for themselves, and we posed for photos and enjoyed the views.
But the real reason to come up here isn't the phony village, fun as it is for a quick wander. No, it's the authentic Buddhist monastery a few minutes' walk away. Complete with burning incense, humble monks, venerable statues and intricate architecture, Po Lin is truly a beguiling place.
My friends seemed especially captivated by the monastery, and I loved how moved they both seemed by its serenity. I was particularly struck by the interest Shea took in exploring the grounds, curious about every aspect of it. I was instantly reminded why we became friends so quickly back in 2005 and why we have remained friends for so long, geography be damned. In some ways, we are very similar.
Then it was up to the Buddha itself, scaling the steep stone staircase with hundreds of other tourists, all of us trying to find the best spot for a selfie.
A long taxi ride down to Mui Wo gave Shea and Jen a better idea of the diversity of Lantau Island, as we passed cows, water buffalo and small beach villages that dot the shoreline. Once we arrived at the waterfront, we had some Turkish nibbles in Bahce before browsing the amazing local used bookstore.
Although I love Mui Wo itself, the main reason it was included on the itinerary was because an inter-island ferry connects the village with Cheung Chau, my hands down favorite of Hong Kong's two-hundred-and-eighty-plus outlying islands. When Shea first informed me of the impending visit, a stop on Cheung Chau was something I just had to incorporate into their trip. And this was where it naturally fell in to place.
We strolled along the waterfront Praya, while all manner of boats bobbed in the jam-packed harbor as the sun set behind the panorama. There are no cars on Cheung Chau, but thousands of bicycles rest up against the railings, lending a true small island feel to the place.
Cheung Chau's Praya
We nipped to the north side to check out the beaches and an old rock carving engraved on an enormous boulder beneath the Warwick Hotel. And then there was more wandering around the small alleys and hidden backstreets of this amazing slice of heaven just an hour's ferry ride from the bustling chaos of the main city of Hong Kong.
There have got to be a dozen or so fresh seafood restaurants lining the Praya, but I always seem to return to New Baccarat, at the far end of the row. The waiters are friendly, an English language menu with helpful photos makes ordering a breeze, cold Tsing Tao flows throughout the meal and the vibrancy of a functioning fishing community is palpable as the working harbor buzzes with activity.
We had salt-and-pepper squid, clams in black bean sauce and steamed scallops with minced garlic—probably my three favorite dishes on the menu. And, as always, it was a meal to remember.
Another amazing seafood dinner at New Baccarat
There's a "fast ferry" back to Central, but it sucks most the fun out of the journey, so I avoid it at all costs. The terribly-named "ordinary ferry" is anything but! At least, that is, if you go deluxe class, where a spacious outdoor deck at the aft of the boat affords spectacular views and cool breezes as traditional, old-fashioned Cheung Chau fades away and sprawling, blazing Hong Kong Island comes back into view.
The ordinary ferry towers over the two-story fishing village as it pulls out of the pier only to be dwarfed by the towers of the Central Business District a mere forty minutes later. And savoring a cold beer during the ride augments the whole experience—especially on a balmy summer's night, as it was last Tuesday.
Jet-lag, alas, seemed to have finally caught up with Jen, and she slept solidly that night, even remarking the next morning that it was "the best sleep" of her entire life! Shea and I may have had a cigar and some whisky on the roof and stayed up a tad bit later.
It wasn't an early start Wednesday, but we didn't exactly sleep in either. We had lunch at Dan Dan, a hip noodle bar right near my office in Sheung Wan. They do amazing dumplings, but they have a noodle dish called Chengdu Dan Dan that just blows my socks off whenever I eat it—and I'm talking multiple times per week.
It was nice to have a beer with my lunch that day, as I'm usually heading back to the office afterwards and on my best behavior! I couldn't help hoping one of my suited colleagues would walk in to see me in shorts and a t-shirt, quaffing Super Bock at noon on a Wednesday! Alas, none of them did.
Walking to the Star Ferry after lunch, Shea asked if I had ever ridden the Ferris wheel situated on the Hong Kong waterfront. Truth be told, I had been waiting for the right opportunity, and I hoped that if the weather cooperated and the timing worked out, at some point during Shea and Jen's visit, we could fit it in. Looking around at the crystal clear skies, we decided this was our chance. So we had a few go-arounds before catching a boat across the harbor.
Riding the Wheel
The Star Ferry, as you know, is an icon of Hong Kong, and our first crossing on such a clear day was ideal. We got off and basked in the superb view of the city skyline before making our way down the waterfront Avenue of Stars. And although it was excruciatingly sunny and humid, it was still downright glorious.
Star Ferry views
Kung fu moves with Bruce Lee's star
Jen and Jackie Chan
Selfie with Bruce Lee
Next up was another first for me: getting a suit made at Sam's Tailor. Now I've had suits tailored in Hong Kong before, but I've never, ever experienced anything quite like Sam's. Tucked away in a nondescript building on hectic Nathan Road, it's a true Hong Kong institution. Presidents, kings, prime ministers, movie stars, singers and athletes from every corner of the globe have had garments made here, so it seemed only fitting to add our names to the roster.
While Shea and I chose fabrics for traditional suits, Jen spoke with other staff members about creating custom made dresses based on photos she found online. They offered us drinks while we browsed through all the options, and we amused ourselves by spotting every US president from Nixon to Obama, most members of the British royal family and plenty of other notable celebrities. (Note to any movie producers out there: Hugh Jackman and Luciano Pavarotti have an uncanny resemblance, and if any Pavarotti biopics are in your pipelines, consider Wolverine for the lead role.)
The markets of Kowloon filled out our afternoon, from Fa Yuen Street to the flower market, bird garden and goldfish market. And some Taiwanese dumplings at 8way, though perhaps not strictly necessary after all we'd been eating, were absolutely delicious.
Flower market—check!
Bird garden—check!
Goldfish market—check!
One of many things I always try to include on visitors' itineraries is the nightly laser and sound show A Symphony of Light. A new Villanova alum recently arrived in Hong Kong, Sydney, met us on the TST waterfront, for the spectacle, as forty buildings on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon sync their lighting with music, wowing the gathered crowd.
And afterwards, we Star Ferried ourselves back to Wan Chai for a group dinner at the American Restaurant, where we stuffed ourselves again. We were ten in all that night, which meant we could order a veritable feast of authentic Chinese dishes, from Peking duck and beggar's chicken (which Jen had to sledge-hammer open in front of the crowd!) to sizzling prawns and chicken with cashew nuts.
Of course, I deliberately organized Wednesday's dinner in Wan Chai to make for an easy segue into Ladies Night. And we made a beeline from American Restaurant to Devil's Advocate to get the party started right. We also hit up Carnegie's, Amazonia and Dusk Till Dawn, so you can bet it was a fun evening with plenty of dancing and revelry.
Dancing the night away
The weather was far from ideal Thursday morning, but the rain clouds were practically a godsend. We got to sleep in after a whale of a night, and by the time we were ready to hit the town again, the weather had cleared up. It was too late to trek all the way out to Tai Long Wan, which had been my original plan. But we had just enough time to grab lunch at Classified and hop a taxi to Dragon's Back, a stunning trail on the south side of Hong Kong Island. Fredric joined for his first major hike, and Shea, Jen and I were treated to some of Hong Kong's most spectacular views.
A short beach visit in Shek O and a wander around the tiny seaside village made for a fitting conclusion to the hike. Shea and Jen got to dip their feet in the South China Sea, and we even bumped into my friend Joel and his newborn baby Beatrix as we strolled around!
Beach time
Shea and Jen on Shek O's main beach
Shea and Jen requested sushi for dinner, and we wound up stumbling upon a spartan yet fantastic hole-in-the-wall in Wan Chai called Kai Man, where spectacularly fresh fish was beautifully prepared and presented.
Kai Man Sushi
Fun fact! Shea, Jen and I all met in the same room of Tolentine on the first day of Villanova Orientation way back in 2005. August 20, 2005, to be precise. That meant that ten years ago that very day, we had all first become friends. It was so special to have them here for the anniversary, and the hike, sushi dinner and all-around quality time together made it a very special "friendaversary."
However, we never seized the opportunity to actually toast to our decade long friendship. So, just before noon on Friday, technically still August 20th on the East Coast of the US, we had a round of drinks at the Taj Mahal Club, the Indian restaurant where we had lunch in Chungking Mansions.
On the Star Ferry again, from Wan Chai to Tsim Sha Tsui
Cheers to ten whole years!
We made our way back to Sam's after lunch for fitting number two, where we got to see first drafts of our bespoke clothes. And then we walked to the Ladies Market in Yau Ma Tei for some souvenir shopping before catching the MTR back to Hong Kong Island.
One of Jen's dresses
Trying to make sure I'd have room to dance
Although I had certainly given Shea and Jen a good idea of Wan Chai nightlife scene on Wednesday, I also wanted to make sure they got a good feel for the neighborhood itself during the day, as it's one of my favorite parts of town. So we strolled up Stone Nullah Lane with its fishmongers and butchers, and caught the external "scenic" glass elevator in the Hopewell Center before settling down for one of the world's most insane happy hour deals.
Willy Wonka Style
At Stone Nullah Tavern, there's "beat the clock" drinking that begins at 5pm every weekday. The price of a drink starts at HKD 1 and doubles every twenty minutes. That's right. That means from 5pm to 5:20pm, drinks cost a whopping thirteen US cents each, and, once the official bell has rung, from 5:20 to 5:40, they cost about a quarter. The price keeps doubling until 7pm, and by that point, you've almost certainly had the cheapest drinks in town!
Take a look at our first receipt... That's two gin and tonics, a glass of wine and a beer, all for the equivalent of fifty-two American cents!
Post happy hour, we made our way to the top of Victoria Peak for an al fresco dinner at the Peak Lookout, where we split a bottle of red while feasting on oysters Rockefeller, fish 'n chips, risotto and an enormous burger, in the storybook garden with its twinkling lights and billowy banyan trees.
I then took Shea and Jen on my favorite of all Hong Kong walks, the Peak Circular. The lights of the towers filling the air, the lushness of the mountainside surrounding you, the buzz of city reverberating below: I don't think there's another place quite like it in the world. And I was overjoyed that Shea and Jen seemed to be as taken by it as I still am after six years of visits. "I can totally understand why this is your favorite thing in Hong Kong," Jen confessed.
Saturday was junk day. I hadn't planned my own all day boat trip since Kristen came to visit in 2011, so it seemed about time to do it again. Of course, once I had committed, I remembered just how much stress actually goes into organizing such an excursion. Thankfully, it all worked out pretty perfectly, but let me tell you: a rum and coke has never tasted better than the one I mixed for myself as we set sail from Pier 9 around 10:30 that morning.
Of course it was all worth the effort, without doubt. We had pitch-perfect weather, great friends, solid tunes, tons of booze and delicious food. And as we sailed out to Sai Kung, I just felt so lucky to have people like Shea and Jen in my life. It was a day I will never forget.
Post-junk, we continued to make a dent into our liquor supply at RED bar atop ifc mall. Even with a broken liter of gin in the classy shopping center, we still had plenty of hooch left over. So much so that we carried the party to a karaoke room in Wan Chai and belted out our favorite tunes until the wee small hours of the morning, before relocating (again) to Dusk Till Dawn, and finishing up with a cheeky visit to the twenty-four hour American diner, the Flying Pan, where we indulged in grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches at 4am!
We couldn't have gotten much sleep but were still wide awake on Sunday to take complete advantage of the final full day of Shea and Jen's visit. We had our last suit fitting at Sam's, Shea bought a suitcase on Nathan Road to help carry all the extra souvenirs they had loaded up on, and we headed to brunch.
Brunch was at Hutong—perched on the twenty-eighth floor of One Peking, a skyscraper in Tsim Sha Tsui. Bernadett and her fiance Steffen joined us, as did my friend Nicholl. An endless array of Chinese dumplings and appetizers are spread out as a buffet, while main courses are ordered off of the set menu.
The views out over the skyline are incredible, and little touches like a calligraphy artist and a noodle-making demonstration add to the charm. Mix in the obligatory free flow Veuve Cliquot and you've got a pretty solid Sunday brunch. And I can safely say that if you're out to impress, this is probably the best all around brunch spot I've yet discovered in Hong Kong.
Post-brunch elevator ride
Shockingly, after more than a full week running all over town, I never found the time to take Shea and Jen to SoHo. So we taxied home to drop off our stuff and brought Fredric with us for a visit to the trendy district. After a drink at Staunton's on the Escalator, Bernadett had booked us all in for foot massages. She even found a place that was more than willing to have Fredric join, which made for a nice treat. The hour long massage was a rare and welcome relaxing moment after so much hustle and bustle.
Shea and Jen's last full day had melted away, and their last night had arrived. I've come to accept that great times have to fly, but I still feel overwhelmingly sad by this inevitable fact of life. And Shea and Jen's stint in Hong Kong had just dissipated before my very eyes. We had some daiquiris in SoHo and took a taxi to Wan Chai for one last drink at Typhoon.
Although I was in no way ready for my friends to leave on Monday, there was little I could do but console myself with the realization of how incredible nearly every moment of their ten days in Hong Kong had turned out. Looking back, it was a perfect stretch of days that will always linger in my memory. I hope you guys had as much fun as I did! Come back again soon!
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