Saturday, October 18, 2014

Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 3 - Tim Ho Wan

Pre Hong Kong & Macau trip | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Comic Avenue | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Victoria Harbour | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Avenue of Star | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - Wong Tai Sin & Australia Dairy Co | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - Sheung Wan, Central, Wanchai, Clearwater Bay | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - The Peak | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 3 - Tim Ho Wan | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 3 - Ap Lei Chau Outlet | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 4 - Macau | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 5 - Hong Kong and home

Plan for the Morning : Breakfast at Sham Shui Po Tim Ho Wan
How to go : From Sham Shui Po Exit B2. The exit is facing Pei Ho Street, so walk straight and turn right. Then continue down the road till the end. You may need to walk 5-10 minutes to reach Tim Ho Wan. (Refer map below)






Sham Shui Po area have a famous street here call Apliu Street. This street has many electronic device and computer hardware for sale. In recent years, the Hong Kong movie about police, will have mention getting the device from here. Especially those about, spying and eavesdropping.  

But I am too early today. These shop have not open for business yet. And my target for this area is Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum restaurant.

Tim Ho Wan started business in year 2009 and have a few branches in Hong Kong. However only their branch at Sham Shui Po is awarded the Michelin Star Restaurant. They got one star for year 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. They are also the cheapest Michelin restaurant.


I am expecting to see a long queue here but a bit surprise, the queue is not that long. I got my seat in less than 5 minutes. Must give credit to the shop, the service and attitude is much better here.


Chee Cheong Fun. The thin rice noodle is silky smooth and tasty. I would say 3.5 star for this.


Prawn dumpling or "Har Gau" is one of tradition dish that can be fine in Dim Sum Shop. But Tim Ho Wan manage to do this better than most of the Dim Sum Shop that I have try before. The outer dumpling skin is so thin. 5 Star for this.



A tradition char siew pau, BBQ Pork Bun with a twist. Traditional BBQ Pork Bun, the bun is steamed and is soft white color. This bun dough is made using Pineapple Bun style. The end result is a new flavor of BBQ Pork Bun. 5 star for this.


Siew Mai is another traditional type of dim sum. This one just like the chee cheong fun, simple tradition way but still taste very good. I give this 3.5 star


Pan Fried Radish Cake. I like this radish cake. In most dim sum shop that I try this, it normally end up very oily. But Tim Ho Wan manage to fried the cake without too oily. I will give this a 4 star.


The Michelin one star means "A good place to stop on your journey, indicating a very good restaurant in its category, offering cuisine prepared to a consistently high standard." And Tim Ho Wan clearly let me understand the meaning of this one star award. The dim sum even if follow the tradition method, it still is of high standard. certainly worth for me to wake up early and come to this place.


Pre Hong Kong & Macau trip | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Comic Avenue | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Victoria Harbour | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Avenue of Star | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - Wong Tai Sin & Australia Dairy Co | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - Sheung Wan, Central, Wanchai, Clearwater Bay | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - The Peak | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 3 - Tim Ho Wan | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 3 - Ap Lei Chau Outlet | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 4 - Macau | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 5 - Hong Kong and home

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - The Peak

Pre Hong Kong & Macau trip | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Comic Avenue | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Victoria Harbour | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Avenue of Star | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - Wong Tai Sin & Australia Dairy Co | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - Sheung Wan, Central, Wanchai, Clearwater Bay | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - The Peak | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 3 - Tim Ho Wan | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 3 - Ap Lei Chau Outlet | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 4 - Macau | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 5 - Hong Kong and home

Plan for the Evening & Night : Take the train to the Peak 
How to go : From Central walk towards HSBC office building. The tram to the Peak is behind the HSBC office. Or you can also take a bus.

From Jordan MTR station, take the train till Hong Kong island. Change train at Admiralty station.


Behind the HSBC road, go up a stair way to this Battery road, and you will pass by this court house. It looks like some old English building. But I don't think I have seen this court building in TV drama.



St Joseph church. To have wedding in old church building like this, should be the wish of many girls.
It looks very pretty but somehow feel odd. since surrounded by other high rise office building.


I am told that many people go to the Peak but I never guess it is this many. This is just 30-40% of the queue. More people near the ticket counter. I think I queue for an hour plus here. 


It is very sunny day. I got darker because of this. (>.<)


The peak ticket. $80 buck but can go to top floor to view the city. Quite worth it if you have a good camera and the weather is good. Please keep this ticket. You need it for the return too.


The train comes quite fast. About 5-10 minutes one train. The rides is very stable and fast.

After reach the peak, you can go to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum.   


When I first see these wax puppet, I wonder if they really measure the height of real person and do a 1:1 puppet. Some of the puppet feel really short. And I must say "fake"


A very fake looking Huang Xiao Ming.


Louis Koo looks very real to me. And handsome.


A super ugly Andy Lau.


Michele Yeoh looks real too


Kelly Chen (^___^)


Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie


Leslie Cheung


Leon Lai with the setting of movie Comrades:Almost a Love Story (甜蜜蜜).


Donnie Yan with setting of  Ip Man. 我要打十个~!!!!


David Beckham is inside here too.


Leo Ku with the his concert look.


Michael Jackson


Jay Chow. Looks ugly and short here.


A super real, super perfect wax puppet. But if this also cannot make it looks very real than this wax museum can be skipped.


Same as Spiderman, Ironman looks super real too.


Doraemon
There is more wax puppet in the museum. I did not take every puppet photo because some is really look fake. The peak itself have a few nice restaurant that can see a nice view and while having dinner.
But early booking is recommended if you want to have meal here. Also prepare for some damage to your wallet. About HKD 400 per person for a meal here.

Note for shopper, there is a Coach Outlet here which might be running promotion sometimes. They have a 50% discount during my visit.



And finally the night view here. It looks fascinating. Worth the time I spent to queue for the tram.

That is all for my Day 2 in HK. I did think of spending the night at Lan Kwai Fong but skip it in the end. Too tired with all the walk in the day.


Pre Hong Kong & Macau trip | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Comic Avenue | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Victoria Harbour | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Avenue of Star | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - Wong Tai Sin & Australia Dairy Co | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - Sheung Wan, Central, Wanchai, Clearwater Bay | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - The Peak | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 3 - Tim Ho Wan | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 3 - Ap Lei Chau Outlet | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 4 - Macau | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 5 - Hong Kong and home

Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - Sheung Wan, Central, Wanchai, Clearwater Bay

Pre Hong Kong & Macau trip | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Comic Avenue | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Victoria Harbour | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Avenue of Star | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - Wong Tai Sin & Australia Dairy Co | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - Sheung Wan, Central, Wanchai, Clearwater Bay | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - The Peak | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 3 - Tim Ho Wan | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 3 - Ap Lei Chau Outlet | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 4 - Macau | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 5 - Hong Kong and home

Plan for the Afternoon : Take the famous tram car and walk around  Queens Road  
How to go : Take MTR to Sheung Wan station. And then take the tram bus till reach Clearwater Bay. Have lunch at Central and then walk around Central.

From Jordan MTR station, take the train till Hong Kong island. Change train at Admiralty station.



Stop at Sheung Wan and buy my ferry ticket to Macau first. There is a lot of "reseller" that sell the ferry ticket to Macau at a higher price. A very bad culture in my opinion. But I guess business is very good. There is almost a reseller every 20 - 30 step.


An old western style building name Western market here. The building use to be a market but today it is more of a shopping complex.


The famous tram car in Hong Kong. The tram car is one of the earliest public transport in Hong Kong. It provide transport from Shau Kei Wan and Kennedy Town. 


View from the top of the car.


Near Wan Chai area, at beneath of a highway, there is a group of lady gathering there. These lady is specialist for one of famous tradition in Chinese society,villain hitting 打小人. This is normally perform when the someone feel that there is a bad villain that is hurting their career or business.
It is nice to see if never see before but in general, villain hitting is consider may cause bad karma.


I get down from the tram car at Causeway Bay and come to this special Spiral pedestrian bridge.This location is also setting for a lot of Hong Kong movie and TV drama. A very interesting fact about this bridge. It is not designed by famous architecture but by a primary school kid. 


Move back to Causeway Bay MTR station.


Reach Wan Chai MTR station. 湾仔一向我大晒 我玩 晒洪兴掌菅一带


While walking on the road to the blue house in Wan Chai. Building in Hong Kong island is build encircle the middle peak. Road in Wan Chai, Central etc is very hilly. So please get a pair of good shoes. For lady, highly recommend for a pair of flat instead of high heels. 


Police of Hong Kong. Stop to instruct the car cannot stop at the road and need to move.


The blue house at Wan Chai. This is part of a historic preserve project in Hong Kong. This building is an example of tenement building of the Old Hong Kong. It gives a glimpse of how life is at Hong Kong in the old days.


Pass by a 泰昌餅家. This bakery egg tart is highly recommend by the ex Hong Kong Governor as best egg tart in Hong Kong.


Bought 2 diffeerent type of Egg Tart. After tasting I feel the praise is not really justify. The outer part is crunchy and good but feel oily. The egg tart is too sweet and do not have the egg taste. If the change the egg with other ingredient like milk or strawberry, it won't taste different.


Next stop is Central MTR station. Visit the heart of Hong Kong finance center. The photo above is the Hong Kong Stock Exchange center.

One of my most favourite TV drama 大时代. The final scene part where the stock price rise and the villain lose all their money. In the end the jump from the building top floor.  


There is many tourist spot in Central. Thus the road sign is very confusing for first timer.


The famous pedestarian bridge in Central.


Lin Heung Bakery, 莲香楼 is a famous dim sum shop in Hong Kong. The shop is a very tradition dim sum shop with peddler pushing the dim sum car and customer need to almost fight for the dim sum and for the seating place. It is a battle zone. That is the review I got from other blogger. Taste wise, the blogger highly recommend the shop though.



Continue down the same road and you will reach a place where there is a lot of people queuing.
2 famous food shop here. The 胜香园 and 九記牛腩 is here. Both shop is famous for beef related food and do not open on Sunday. But from the crowd, you can be sure the food taste won't be too bad.



Other noodle shop that also famous here. I research for these food shop before my trip. But in the end I did not have my meal here. (>.<)


This is my choice in the end. A Hong Kong gon lou mian.


The noodle is quite good. Wanton is very big but the soup is so so. Overall not bad but considering the price of this noodle is almost RM15. I feel a bit overprice. Ok la... this is Central, Hong Kong.


A school in Central area. Can see the school area is very very small. Little space for other activity for the student. Maybe there is indoor swimming pool, I guess.


Lan Kwai Fong or Lan Kwai Fuck. XD


1997 is a very famous pub at Lan Kwai Fong here. Take note on the other pub name. "Naked Bartenders Flirt With You".


The full name of the pub is "The Naked Truth About Our Bartenders Is That They Only Flirt With You To Get More Tips". Hmm, A very HONEST signboard for a bar.

Pre Hong Kong & Macau trip | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Comic Avenue | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Victoria Harbour | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 1 - Avenue of Star | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - Wong Tai Sin & Australia Dairy Co | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - Sheung Wan, Central, Wanchai, Clearwater Bay | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 2 - The Peak | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 3 - Tim Ho Wan | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 3 - Ap Lei Chau Outlet | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 4 - Macau | Hong Kong & Macau Trip - Day 5 - Hong Kong and home