Jackie Comes to Hong Kong!!!

I’m definitely on a Hong Kong high right now, thanks to an incredible visit from one of my friends from Villanova, Jackie, who spent the last week with me here. I always enjoy showing my friends from home around this crazy metropolis, and this visit was no exception. We ate, drank, danced, partied and toured for five straight days, and although I thoroughly needed a full weekend of rest after she went home, I can safely say that the past week was one of the most fun I’ve had here.

I wrote in my last post that Jackie's trip was happening on pretty short notice. Basically, I called her up about a month ago and mentioned that it would be awesome if she could ever come out to visit. She immediately told me that she had just cancelled round trip flights to Europe, and she would investigate changing the ticket to a Hong Kong one.

Literally an hour or so later, she wrote me a message via Facebook informing me that she would be arriving in the early afternoon on Sunday, June 3^rd! Talk about quick action!

Although we first met at Villanova during the fall semester of our freshman year, it turned out we had a quirky connection: Jackie, from Staten Island, actually attended the high school where my mom teaches!

Me and Jackie on the bus to a formal, our junior year at ' Nova!

Over four years, we became very good friends, and I was extremely excited to learn about her upcoming visit. Unfortunately, I had tickets to a rare screening of my favorite movie, All About Eve, at the Hong Kong Film Archive for the same day as Jackie’s arrival in Asia, but I fixed it so that my friend Courtney would pick her up at the Airport Express station in Central, take her to my apartment, and I would meet them up on our rooftop as soon as I finished at the cinema.

Court was definitely the MVP for Jackie’s trip to Hong Kong. As she’s looking for a job currently, she was free to join us each day for whatever escapades we had planned and add another perspective to Jackie's view of life in the city. The two of them became fast friends, and I know Court's presence added immeasurably to Jackie’s overall experience.

That first night, we just sat out and enjoyed the fresh air on our rooftop. I invited a few friends over, and Jackie got to meet all the usual suspects. We ordered some pizzas and played some music, and everybody seemed to have a good time.

Jackie, Chiara and Andrea on the roof

Monday morning we got up bright and early for a full day of sightseeing. I wanted to take Jackie straight over to ‘the Dark Side’ since one of the things she was most interested in exploring was Hong Kong’s famed market scene.

It turned out Ally had a friend named Sarah visiting Hong Kong that week as well, and since Ally had to work, Sarah joined in our adventures. Our first stop was for lunch at Crystal Jade in Wan Chai. It’s one of my favorite restaurants, with its delicious xiao long bao and other dumplings, and also one of my favorite noodle soups, called ‘dan dan la mian.’ Jackie and Sarah both loved the food, especially the dan dan noodles. And it was here that Jackie learned her new favorite Cantonese expression—M’goi, mai tan! (Check, please!)—which became her catchphrase for the rest of the trip. It was a perfect start to a wonderful day.

Crystal Jade's amazing xiao long bao

After the Star Ferry transported us from Hong Kong Island to Tsim Sha Tsui, the three of us strolled up the Avenue of Stars, along the water, showing off Hong Kong’s extraordinary skyline.

Jamie joined us after a while, and we took a quick trek up to the top of Signal Hill before heading to the 1881 Heritage complex for an al fresco afternoon drink. Signal Hill, also known as Blackhead's Point, is a quaint and peaceful hillside park in Tsim Sha Tsui. Atop the hill, overlooking the water, is a tower that used to drop a ball every day at 1pm so that ships in the harbor could regulate their clocks. It is now a virtually unknown park with lovely views.

Pagoda atop Signal Hill Park

View of Hong Kong Island from Signal Hill

The 1881 Heritage complex, also in TST, is the stunningly restored Former Marine Police Headquarters, which now houses high-end boutiques, restaurants and a colonial-style hotel. The main structure is one of Hong Kong's four oldest surviving government buildings, and the historic landmark has been given a new lease on life by the loving restoration.

1881 Heritage Complex

The Indian Balcony at 1881

After our drink, we jumped on the MTR to go to Prince Edward, and Jamie headed home since she had an interview later that evening for a summer job. I took Jackie and Sarah first to the Flower Market and then to the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden. I especially love the Bird Garden, with its intricate cages, colorful songbirds and chatty Cantonese men who bring their birds here for a few hours each day. It’s a very cool place, and one I really enjoying showing off to visitors.

Bird garden

Ally met up with us after we left the garden, and the four of us found a dive bar called Unknown Island, only a few streets away. Over a happy hour bucket of Carlsberg, we created a new dice game and rested our feet for an hour or so.

Ally and Sarah went up to the Peak that night, and I continued taking Jackie around Kowloon. We walked through the photogenic goldfish market and then hit up the Ladies Market, where Jackie bought a few items, both for herself and for family back home. We made it to the waterfront just in time to catch ‘A Symphony of Light’ at 8pm. Following the conclusion of the light show, we hopped back on the ferry and headed to the island.

Goldfish Market

I had made a reservation at one of my favorite Italian restaurants, Cecconi’s, because on Monday night, they participate in the popular “2 for 1” deal I’ve written about before. Courtney and Jamie joined for the dinner, and we all enjoyed it very much. Since Jackie was tired, we hailed a taxi to take us home afterwards. I asked the driver to take Kennedy Road, because it offers a lovely view over Central, Victoria Harbor and the Kowloon side. And after climbing those five flights of steps, we got a good night’s sleep so that we could get an early start the next morning. 

Tuesday began on a high note! Jackie found out that she was offered her dream job, which she had interviewed for immediately before coming out for the visit. Of course, a champagne celebration was in order, a wonderful wake-up indeed!

Celebratory Mimosas 

The itinerary for the day was to catch the No. 6 bus to the seaside town of Stanley, where we would eat, soak up the sun and spend a few hours on the beach. I know I have written about it before, and I know I’ll most likely write about it many more times, but Stanley has got to be one of this city’s greatest gems. With its slow-paced way of life, picturesque waterfront promenade and tangible sense of history and heritage, it’s a wonder it’s only a short bus ride away from the hectic city to the north.

Sarah and Jackie in Stanely

After lunch overlooking the sea, we strolled down to Stanley Plaza, Murray House and Blake Pier, and Courtney joined us just before we hit up the well-known Stanley Market. Afterwards, we grabbed some ice cream at the local Wellcome supermarket and made our way to St. Stephen’s Beach.

View over Stanley

Although it’s one of the smallest beaches on Hong Kong Island, St. Stephen’s is also one of my favorites. Most of the Stanley crowd usually heads to Stanley Main Beach to hit the sand, leaving tiny St. Stephen’s with hardly a soul on it. It’s got a killer view and is a wonderful spot to take a post-lunch dip in the South China Sea.

St. Stephen's Beach, Stanley

Before long, we were on our way back home to get ready for dinner on Victoria Peak. I had booked a table at the Peak Lookout, which is still my favorite restaurant up there, and we hopped on the historic Peak Tram to whisk us to the mountaintop. Since it was nearing 8 o’clock, our first visit was to the Sky Terrace, an observation deck on the rooftop of the Peak Galleria, where we saw the light show from our high perch. We then headed down for dinner.

From the rooftop viewing deck of the Peak Galleria

With its twinkling lights and stone walls, the garden of the Peak Lookout is straight out of a fairy tale, and it was an absolutely perfect night for an al fresco dinner in the storybook setting. Eating oysters and sipping wine, we enjoyed another great meal at this magical restaurant.

Al fresco dinner in the garden of the Peak Lookout, complete with Oysters Rockefeller

After dinner, I took Jackie on the circular walk around the Peak, as Lugard Road hugs the side of the cliff, offering a stunning panorama of the city below. No matter how many times I do it, the walk gets me every time. I am firm in my belief that the view from up here is the greatest city view anywhere in the world!

Unreal view from Victoria Peak

Following our walk, the Peak Tram took us back down to Central, and we met up with Courtney to give Jackie her first real taste of Hong Kong nightlife. An espresso martini at La Piola gave us all the jolt of energy we needed to descend into Lan Kwai Fong, where we requested songs and downed Jello shots at Al’s Diner, danced to the tunes of the live band at Insomnia, grabbed a late night snack at Ebeneezer’s and finished around 5am with a few last drinks at Zinc, a bar that’s always crowded no matter how dead the neighboring establishments seem to be.

Al's Diner

Somehow, we made it up for 10am on Wednesday, ready for a full day of fun at Ocean Park. Andrea met us at the apartment bright and early, since he is leaving Hong Kong in a month or so and wanted to experience the park before he goes. We hopped in a taxi and, before we knew it, we were in Aberdeen.

Riding the Ocean Park Cable Car

Ocean Park is probably the most picturesque amusement park I have ever seen. It’s set atop a lush, green mountain, overlooking the grandeur of Hong Kong’s rugged, beach-lined southern shore. Courtney met us at the park, and the four of us had a wonderful day riding the roller coasters, visiting the panda bears, seeing the dolphin show and enjoying the lovely views from the park’s signature cable car.

Originally, my plan was for us to head home early to ensure we made it to Happy Valley Racecourse for the 7:15pm post time of the first of eight Wednesday night races. However, we opted to squeeze in a visit to the Jumbo Floating Restaurant in Aberdeen Harbor after leaving Ocean Park. We were already in Aberdeen, after all, and the weather was absolutely ideal for a cocktail on the relaxing Top Deck. Plus, it would be Jackie's only chance to fit in a visit the famous attraction, so it was definitely the right choice to slightly amend our schedule.

Courtney and Andrea split one of the Top Deck's enormous "Jumbo Margaritas" while Jackie enjoyed some wine and I had a spicy martini made with lemongrass. 

We wound up at the racecourse just in time for the fifth race of the evening, and Ally, Rich and Sarah joined soon after. Sadly, it was Ally’s last night in Hong Kong. The next morning, she flew to Japan for a week’s vacation, and although she will pass back through town later this week, she’s heading home to the UK afterwards. I’ll miss having her here, and I hope she finds her way back soon!

Jackie had a nice winning streak for the first three races that night, and then I hit one of my bets on the final race, so in all, it was a great night at the track.

You know Wednesday night is a big one for us in Hong Kong, so of course, following the races, we headed out to Wan Chai for Ladies Night. A large group of my friends congregate at a bar called Devil’s Advocate after the last race. They have a special promotion on Wednesdays that allows for heavily discounted drinks if you pay with a particular $20 bill. So of course, all week long, we all keep our eyes peeled to collect as many of the notes—called ‘Standard Chartered Twenties’—as possible.

In the end, it was a rather low key Ladies Night, and Jackie was exhausted from the full days we’d been having, so she went back to the apartment to get a good night’s rest. I may or may not have stayed out a tad bit later. 

Thursday was probably our fullest and most fun day of the week! From start to finish, it was a jam-packed day I will never forget. Jackie was such a huge fan of the dan dan la mian on Monday that we went back to Crystal Jade for a repeat lunch to kick start our day.

At 3pm, we arrived at Pier 9 in Central to board the Duk Ling, a traditional Chinese junk that offers atmospheric harbor cruises several times per week. I had only ridden the distinctive vessel once before, back in the summer of 2010 when my mom came to visit. What a mistake it has been to wait so long for a second journey! The one hour tour of Victoria Harbor was stunning, and the experience was augmented by the beautifully clear weather. 

Duk Ling arriving at Pier 9

With a breeze gently blowing as the waves lapped at the sides of the fifty year old junk, and with Hong Kong surrounding us in all its 360° glory, Sarah, Jackie and I settled down on the outdoor deck, taking in all the sights and sounds of the extraordinary harbor. It was only a one hour cruise but surely an hour to remember.

I deliberately chose the 3pm departure because its disembarkation point is the Avenue of Stars, within walking distance to the Peninsula Hotel, the grande dame of Hong Kong hotels famed for its extravagant afternoon tea.  

The fleet of Rolls Royce at the Peninsula

Courtney met our boat as we hopped off, and our quartet made its way past the fleet of green Rolls Royces and into the legendary lobby of the Pen. Luckily there was no wait for a table, and we were seated promptly. Since we had eaten at Crystal Jade earlier, we opted to split “Afternoon Tea for Two” between all four of us, and it was definitely enough food!

A string orchestra played a medley of familiar tunes as we snacked on cucumber sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and French macarons. And after we finished, we took a quick walk around the hotel to explore its old-world glamour and elegance.

Jumping from one four star hotel to another, we caught a cab to the Ritz Carlton. If the Peninsula is Hong Kong’s oldest hotel, the Ritz is definitely one of its newest. Perched on the top twenty floors of the city’s latest skyscraper (and the world’s fourth tallest—the International Commerce Centre), the Ritz is home to a stunning rooftop bar called Ozone, with a view to die for. It was my third visit to Ozone, and I know I wrote about it when I visited with Lisa and Tak last year. Although it has since lost its title as “the highest bar in the world” it has still got to be one of the most impressive watering holes anywhere. From 118 floors up, all of Hong Kong is laid out before you. And the drinks, though expensive, are worth every penny.

118th floor!

View from Ozone

Eighteen floors down from Ozone is the ICC’s requisite observation level, Sky100. Slightly closer to the buildings below, Sky100 offers panoramic views of the entire city from its floor-to-ceiling windows and high tech telescopes. It also does a nice job of injecting some Hong Kong culture into the whole experience, with photos of local festivals, people and foods. Since I had never been to Sky100 before, I thought it would be a cool thing to squeeze into Jackie’s itinerary, especially since we would be in the building already. When I found a Groupon offering half-price admission, my mind was made up! I’m so glad we did it, as it offered yet another grand view of this amazing town.

At Sky100

Jackie needed to do some souvenir shopping before heading home, and so we took the opportunity to make one more trip to the Ladies Market that evening. Both Sarah and Jackie loaded up on goods, from chopsticks and chess games to iPhone covers and travel bags. The market was crowded, but it’s always an atmospheric place to hone your bargaining skills.

That night I was really excited to show Jackie my typical Thursday night haunt, a bar called The Chapel, a few minutes’ walk from my front door. Owned by a wonderful guy called Surjit, The Chapel serves killer Indian cuisine, but the reason we return regularly is because of the difficult weekly pub quiz. It’s been almost two years since we first started ‘quizzing’ here, and we’ve definitely become regulars, though many crucial members of our group have since left Hong Kong. I’ve always meant to dedicate an entire post to our Thursday night pub quiz, but somehow I’ve never gotten around to it. Anyway, it’s one of the things I look forward to all week, as much for the butter chicken as for the trivia, and although we came in fourth (and last) place that night, I’m still glad Jackie got to experience my local pub.

You know it’s been a good day when your least favorite thing was tea at the Peninsula!

Sunset from Ozone

Friday was Jackie’s last day in Hong Kong, and I spent the morning in the office. I met Jackie in front of the Man Mo Temple around noon, and after a quick and easy lunch on the Escalator, and a stroll around Central’s high-end (and air-conditioned) shopping malls, we headed to the fascinating and informative Hong Kong Museum of History. It was a perfect way to escape the midday sun and learn a bit about the illustrious heritage of the region, and I would have been disappointed if Jackie hadn’t been able to fit in a visit to the place during her time in town.

The Escalator

Unfortunately, that morning when I left for work, I stupidly forgot to mention to Jackie not to lock the wooden front door of our apartment. We have a key for the main door to the building, and we also have a key to the iron gate leading to our apartment, but the actual front door is always left unlocked because the location of the key is unknown! Since I had spent the entire week with Jackie so far, I never told her this. So when leaving the apartment that morning to come and meet me for lunch, she naturally assumed she should lock it!

A local locksmith fiddled with the door for what felt like hours to no avail! Eventually he had to drill through the lock to get it to open, but the good news is that he replaced the whole handle and brought us three new keys, so hopefully a similar situation never arises again!

Hot and sweaty... and locked out!

Feeling a bit rushed, and slightly behind schedule, we arrived at Peking Garden in Alexandra House, the restaurant I had selected for Jackie’s grand last meal in Hong Kong. We were going all out for a Chinese feast, complete with Peking Duck, Beggar’s Chicken, sweet and sour pork, fried prawns in chili and many other delicious dishes. Of course, it was all washed down with generous helpings of Tsing Tao and red and white wine. 

Peking Duck

I had never had Beggar’s Chicken before, because you have to order it in advance thanks to the long time it takes to prepare. It’s cooked overnight in a clay pot, and Jackie got to crack the clay to reveal the chicken inside! I loved all the pomp and circumstance that went into the dish's presentation, and it was absolutely delicious! The dinner was the last in a long line of great meals we had enjoyed over the past week. And at the end, Jackie flawlessly asked for the bill in Cantonese one last time. 

Jackie breaking open the Beggar's Chicken

Beggar's Chicken

Jackie had specially requested a karaoke night at some point during her trip, so after dessert, most of the eleven dinner guests headed to Neway in Wan Chai for some serious singing! Jackie is a great singer, and she seemed to have a special affinity for Whiteny Houston, belting out all the classics over the course of the night.

Karaoke Night

We even fit in a quick visit to Lan Kwai Fong after we left Neway, so that Jackie could say goodbye to Court, who had gone off to LKF a few hours earlier.

Back at home around 3am, Jackie decided to take a short nap, wake up at 5am, and head to the Airport Express for 6am. We both set our alarms; in fact, I set two—my actual alarm clock and my phone alarm. You can imagine my confusion, then, when I woke up at 7am! I assumed Jackie had tried to wake me earlier with no luck and hopped in a taxi by herself. However, I went to check just to make sure she wasn't still in our third bedroom. I let out a scream when I saw her lying there, and she hopped up! In a frantic rush, we bolted out the door and down the five flights of stairs and furiously flagged down the first taxi we could find.

At the Airport Express station in IFC, they told Jackie she would have to go to the airport itself to find out if she could still make her flight, since the “in-town check in” option had already closed.

I bought her a round trip ticket for the train, just in case she needed to come back to the city. It was a pretty stressful goodbye, but she e-mailed me a couple of hours later saying that everything had worked out alright. She did wind up missing her flight, but for only $75, she caught the direct flight to Newark, avoided connecting in Beijing, and landed even earlier than she would have had she made her original 8:30am departure. As with everything else over the past six days, it all worked out pretty much perfectly! Hope you had as much fun as I did, Jackie... You’re welcome back anytime you want!