The Best of Hong Kong - John Wiley &...

The Best of Hong Kong

Every time I come to Hong Kong, I feel as though I’ve wandered onto a movieset. Maybe I’m an incurable romantic, but when I stand at the railing of thefamous Star Ferry as it glides across the harbor, ride a rickety old tram as it windsits way across Hong Kong Island, or marvel anew at the stunning views affordedfrom atop Victoria Peak, I can’t help but think I must have somehow landed inthe middle of an epic drama where the past has melted into the present. So manyimages float by—wooden boats bobbing up and down in the harbor beside hugeocean liners; crumbling tenements next to ultramodern high-rises; squalid alleysbehind luxury hotels; old Chinese people pushing wheelbarrows as Rolls-Roycesglide by; market vendors selling chicken feet and dried squid while talking oncellular phones.

In fact, one of the most striking characteristics of Hong Kong is this inter-weaving of seeming contradictions and the interplay of the exotic and the tech-nically advanced. There are as many skyscrapers here as you’re likely to seeanywhere, but they’re built with bamboo scaffolding. Historic trams rumblethrough Central, while below ground is one of the most efficient subways in theworld, complete with the world’s first “contactless” tickets, cards that are wavedover a scanner. The city has what are arguably some of the best and most sophis-ticated restaurants in the world, but it also has dai pai dong, street-side foodstalls. Hong Kong is home to one of the world’s largest shopping malls, but thereare also lively street markets virtually everywhere.

Because of these dazzling contrasts, Hong Kong offers visitors somethingunique—the chance to experience a vibrant Chinese city without sacrificing thecomforts of home. To be sure, much of Hong Kong’s Western fabric comes fromthe legacy left by the British, who ruled the colony until 1997, when it washanded back to China as a Special Administrative Region (thus the SAR abbre-viation you’ll see there and throughout this book). British influence is still evi-dent everywhere, from Hong Kong’s school system to its free-market economy,from its rugby teams to its double-decker buses, and from English pubs and teain the afternoon to (my favorite) orderly queues. But though the city wasmolded by the British, it has always been, at its heart, Chinese, with Chinesemedicine shops, street vendors, lively dim sum restaurants, old men taking theircaged birds for walks in the park, and colorful festivals. Indeed, for the casualvisitor, Hong Kong seems little changed since the 1997 handover. No doubtsome visitors remain oblivious to even the most visible sign of that change: thereplacement of the Union Jack and old flag of the Crown Colony of Hong Kongwith the red, starred flag of China and the new red Hong Kong flag with itsemblem of the bauhinia flower.

Hong Kong was founded as a place to conduct business and to trade, and itcontinues to serve that purpose both aggressively and successfully. The world’sfourth-largest banking and financial center in terms of external assets, Hong

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• Dining on Dim Sum: A great wayto start your day, nothing conveysa sense of Chinese life more vividlythan a visit to a crowded, livelyCantonese restaurant for breakfastor lunch, where trolleys of dimsum in bamboo steamers arewheeled from customer to cus-tomer. Simply peer into the pass-ing bamboo baskets and choosewhat appears the most tempting.See section 7 of chapter 5, begin-ning on p. 153, for more on HongKong’s dim sum restaurants.

• Getting Up Early to Watch TaiChi: Before breakfast, head to oneof Hong Kong’s many parks towatch people going through theslow, graceful motions of tai chi,or shadow boxing. For the bestviewing, go to Kowloon Park,Hong Kong Park, Victoria Park,or the Zoological and BotanicalGardens (see section 4 of chapter6, beginning on p. 170, for moreon these parks and gardens). Youcan even participate in free prac-tice sessions, held 3 mornings aweek on the Tsim Sha Tsui water-front promenade. See p. 179.

• Riding the Star Ferry: To reac-quaint myself with the city, one ofthe first things I do on each returntrip is to hop aboard the Star Ferryfor one of the most dramatic—and cheapest—5-minute boatrides in the world. Hong Kong’sharbor is one of the world’sbusiest, and beyond it rises one ofearth’s most breathtaking skylines.See p. 55.

• Taking a Tram: Take a double-decker tram ride from one end ofHong Kong Island to the other foran unparalleled view of life in thecrowded city as you pass skyscrap-ers, street markets, traditionalChinese shops, and departmentstores. See p. 54.

• Gazing upon Hong Kong fromVictoria Peak: You don’t knowHong Kong until you’ve seen itfrom here. Take the tram to Victo-ria Peak, famous for its views ofCentral, the harbor, Kowloon, andundulating hills beyond, followedby a 1-hour circular hike and ameal with a view. Don’t miss thenighttime view, one of the mostspectacular and romantic in theworld. See p. 47.


Kong is the “Wall Street of Asia,” with banking, international insurance, adver-tising, and publishing among its biggest industries. Hong Kong also boasts theworld’s eighth-largest trading economy, and is one of the world’s leadingexporters of toys, garments, and watches.

Little wonder, then, that as a duty-free port, Hong Kong attracts approxi-mately 14 million visitors a year, making tourism one of its leading industriesdespite a devastating downturn in tourism in 2003 due to an outbreak of SevereAcute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Shopping is one of the main reasons peo-ple come here, and at first glance, the city does seem rather like one huge depart-ment store. But there’s much more to Hong Kong than shopping. There’s alsowining, dining, and sightseeing, as well as isolated places to get away from it all.

For those who wish to journey farther afield, Macau, a former Portuguesecolony handed back to China in 1999, is just an hour’s boat ride away; and vastChina itself lies just beyond Hong Kong’s border, making it the perfect gatewayfor trips to Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, and beyond.

The more you search for in Hong Kong, the more you’ll find. Before long,you, too, may find yourself swept up in the drama.

1 Frommer’s Favorite Hong Kong Experiences

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• Visiting a Tailor: Nothing beatsthe thrill of having something cus-tom-made to fit you perfectly. Ifthis is your dream, make a trek toa tailor one of your first prioritiesso that you’ll have time for severalfittings. See p. 220.

• Bargain-Hunting in Stanley:Stall after stall of casual wear, silkclothing, tennis shoes, accessories,and souvenirs and crafts importedfrom China make this a shopper’sparadise. And after a day of bar-gaining, I like to recuperate in oneof Stanley’s trendy yet casualrestaurants. See p. 218.

• Window-Shopping on NathanRoad: Open-fronted clothingboutiques, jewelry stores, camerashops, tailors, tourists from aroundthe world, international cuisine,huge neon signs, and whirling traf-fic combine to make this boule-vard Hong Kong’s most famousshopping street. See p. 198.

• Shopping at Shanghai Tang: This1930s-style Chinese departmentstore is oh-so-chic, with lime-green- or fuchsia-colored jackets,Mao watches, 1930s reproductionhome decor, and more. The shop-ping bag that comes with your pur-chase is a bonus—just way toocool—and the shop’s free postcardsare also pretty fab. See p. 212.

• Browsing for Chinese Sou-venirs: In addition to ShanghaiTang and Stanley Market, manyChinese emporiums sell vases,vase stands, porcelain figurines,chinaware, calligraphy brushes,birdcages, jade, silk jackets, teas,and various Chinese crafts andproducts. See chapter 8.

• Strolling Tsim Sha Tsui’s Water-front: There’s a pedestrian prome-nade that stretches from the StarFerry eastward along Tsim ShaTsui and Tsim Sha Tsui East,providing close-up views of the

harbor and Hong Kong Islandwith its skyscrapers. After dark,this is a wonderful romantic stroll,with the lights of Hong KongIsland shimmering across thewater. And every evening at 8pm,Hong Kong puts on a spectacularlaser and light show projectedfrom skyscrapers on Hong KongIsland. The best place to see thiscolorful extravaganza? On theTsim Sha Tsui waterfront along-side the Hong Kong CulturalCentre. See p. 198.

• Hearing the Birds Sing at YuenPo Street Bird Garden: See pam-pered birds at this unusual garden,brought by their owners so theycan sing and communicate withother birds on their daily outing.Vendors sell wooden birdcages,porcelain bird dishes, and otherparaphernalia. See p. 171.

• Paying Respects at the BigBuddha: Laze on the open aftdeck during the 50-minute ferryride to Lantau island (and enjoygreat views of the harbor and sky-line along the way), followed by ahair-raising bus ride over lush hillsto see the world’s largest, seated,outdoor bronze Buddha, locatedat the Po Lin Monastery. Com-plete your pilgrimage with a vege-tarian meal at the monastery. Seethe “Lantau” section of chapter10, beginning on p. 246.

• Hiking Across Lamma: Anexcursion to this outlying islandwill do your soul good. Start withthe 35-minute ferry trip, followedby a 90-minute hike across theisland, perhaps some swimming ata beach, and finally a meal of freshseafood at an open-air waterfrontrestaurant. See the “Lamma” sec-tion of chapter 10, beginning onp. 252.

• Expanding Your Cultural Hori-zons at the Hong Kong Museum

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of Art: Hong Kong’s most impor-tant art museum is a must-see forits vast collection of Chineseantiquities, including ceramics,jade, and lacquerware, as well asits gallery of old paintings depict-ing Hong Kong through the agesand its changing exhibition ofcontemporary Hong Kong art—all against the dramatic backdropof Hong Kong’s harbor outside itswindows. See p. 162.

• Reliving the Past at the HongKong Museum of History: For aquick 101 course on Hong Konghistory, make a visit to the HongKong Museum of History one ofyour first priorities. A life-size dio-rama of a Neolithic settlement,replicas of fishing boats and tradi-tional houses, ethnic clothing, re-created street scenes, displays ofcolorful festivals, and the Chinesetake on the opium wars are justsome of the visual feasts awaitingvisitors. If you see only onemuseum during your stay, thisshould be it. See p. 164.

• Having Your Fortune Told: Wantto know about your future lovelife, marriage, family, or career?Consult one of Hong Kong’s manyfortune-tellers; those who speakEnglish can be found at Man MoTemple in the Western District, orWong Tai Sin temple and the TinHau Temple near the TempleStreet Night Market. See p. 169,170, and 200, respectively.

• Exploring the Western District:Produce, bolts of cloth, live snakes,ginseng, dried seafood, Chineseherbs and medicines, a historictemple, a museum dedicated toChinese and Western medicine,and antiques and collectibles arejust some of the things you’ll seewhile strolling through one ofHong Kong’s most fascinatingneighborhoods. See p. 48.

• Browsing Antiques Shops onHollywood Road: Whether youhave thousands of dollars to spendon Ming dynasty heirlooms or justa couple of bucks for a snuff bot-tle, there’s something for everyonein the dozens of antiques shopslining this famous Hong KongIsland road and from outdoorvendor stalls on nearby Cat Street.A sightseeing bonus is Man MoTemple (p. 194), Hong Kong’soldest temple, on HollywoodRoad. See the “Antiques & Col-lectibles” section of chapter 8,beginning on p. 208.

• Hopping Aboard the Central/Mid-Levels Escalator: Hop aboardthe world’s longest covered peoplemover as it snakes its way uphill ina series of escalators. You can hopoff at one of 29 exits to enjoy adrink or meal at one of the manyestablishments along its link, ortake it to the top for a 20-minuteride. See p. 58.

• Meeting the People: Learn aboutpearls, Chinese antiques, feng shui(geomancy), tai chi (shadow box-ing), and other cultural traditionson free, 1-hour tours and lecturesgiven by local experts. Stop by oneof the Hong Kong Tourism Board’sVisitor Information & ServicesCentres for the Cultural Kaleido-scope brochure outlining HKTB’s“Meet the People” program. Seechapter 3’s “Visitor Information”section, beginning on p. 43, formore information on the HongKong Tourism Board.

• Taking High Tea at a Posh Hotel:The British rulers may be gone, buttheir legacy lives on in the after-noon tea. Virtually all upper-classhotels offer afternoon tea, but myfavorites are those offered by ThePeninsula and Hotel InterConti-nental. Come for afternoon tea,nibble on finger sandwiches, andgaze away. See p. 156.


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• Betting on the Horses: Jointhousands of spectators (betweenSept and May) at Hong Kong’sfavorite sporting event. The cityboasts two sophisticated racingtracks, and if you need help inwagering bets, consider joining aspecial tour of the races. See the“Spectator Sports” section ofchapter 6, beginning on p. 180.

• Regressing to Childhood atOcean Park: Southeast Asia’slargest oceanarium and fun parkboasts one of the world’s longestand fastest roller coasters amongits many thrill rides; a great cable-car ride with breathtaking views ofthe South China Sea; playgroundsjust for kids; and a theater withseats that move with the action onthe screen. If it’s wildlife you’rewild about, you’ll find the world’slargest reef aquarium, a shark tankwith an underwater pedestriantunnel, a fascinating collection ofweird and wonderful goldfish, anaviary and butterfly dome, pandabears, and a dolphin and killer-whale show. A must for kids of allages. See p. 174.

• Escaping to the New Territories:The New Territories is a vast areastretching from the densely popu-lated area of Kowloon to the Chi-nese border. Almost half of HongKong’s population is housed herein huge satellite towns, but pock-ets of rural life and preservedcountry parks remain. One of thebest things to do is follow a self-guided hike that will take you pasttraditional Chinese homes, tem-ples, and other buildings in asmall village. See p. 237.

• Imbibing at Happy Hour at aBritish Pub: End a busy day ofsightseeing and shopping by rub-bing elbows with Hong Kong’sworking population as they takeadvantage of happy-hour prices in

British pubs throughout the city.Most pubs and bars offer a happyhour that can stretch on for hours,with two drinks for the price ofone or drinks at reduced prices.See “The Bar, Pub & LoungeScene” section of chapter 9, begin-ning on p. 228, for more on HongKong’s pubs and bars.

• Celebrating Sundown with aCocktail: Many hotel loungesoffer spectacular views of the cityas well as live music. As the sundisappears, watch the city explodein neon. See “The Bar, Pub &Lounge Scene” section of chapter9, beginning on p. 228, for venueswith especially good views.

• Stuffing Yourself at a BuffetSpread: If you have a big appetiteor like variety in your meal, there’sno better bargain than HongKong’s countless all-you-can-eatbuffet spreads. Almost all hotelsoffer buffet lunches and dinners;other restaurants may feature buf-fets for lunch. Many offer anassortment of international fare,from Japanese sushi and Chinesedishes to pasta and carveries. Seechapter 5.

• Relaxing at an Open-Air SeafoodRestaurant: Get rid of stress byrelaxing over a meal of fresh seafoodat one of Hong Kong’s rural water-front seafood restaurants. Favoriteplaces include Lamma island andSai Kung in the New Territories.See p. 253 and 245.

• Eating Your Way ThroughChina: There’s no better place inthe world to sample regional Chi-nese cuisine than Hong Kong,where you can eat everything fromthe ubiquitous Cantonese food toSichuan, Shanghainese, Hunanese,Beijing, Chiu Chow, and Pekingesedishes. See chapter 5.

• Dining with a View: Enjoy Chi-nese or Western cuisine at one of

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Hong Kong’s many restaurantsthat offer spectacular views ofeither Kowloon (with its glowingneon lights) or Hong Kong Island(with its skyscrapers and VictoriaPeak). In fact, Hong Kong boastsso many restaurants with views,the dilemma will be in the choos-ing. The absolute winners? Thoseatop Victoria Peak. See “VictoriaPeak” in the “Around Hong KongIsland” section of chapter 5,beginning on p. 149.

• Spending Time at the TempleStreet Night Market: Highlightsinclude shopping for casual cloth-ing, music, toys, and accessories;enjoying a meal at a dai pai dong(roadside food stall); watchingamateur street musicians; and hav-ing your fortune told. See p. 236.

• Listening to the World’s LargestProfessional Chinese Orchestra:Established more than 25 yearsago, the 80-member Hong KongChinese Orchestra is the world’slargest, playing traditional andmodern Chinese instrumentsin orchestrations that combine

Chinese and Western musical ele-ments. See p. 224.

• Partying Till Dawn at Lan KwaiFong: It’s standing-room only atbars and pubs in Central’s mostfamous nightlife district, wherethe action spills out onto the streetand continues till dawn. Otherburgeoning nightlife districtsinclude SoHo, Knutsford Terrace,and Wan Chai. See chapter 9.

• Zipping Over to Macau: Macau,a Portuguese colony until it washanded back to the Chinese in1999, is just an hour away by jet-foil and offers a fascinating blendof Chinese and Mediterraneanlifestyles, evident in its spicy cui-sine, colorful architecture, temples,churches, and handful of special-interest museums. Although youcan “do” Macau in a day, I stronglyurge you to spend at least a coupledays in this tiny outpost. You’ll savemoney doing so, too—Macau’shotels and restaurants cost a frac-tion of their Hong Kong counter-parts. See chapter 11.


2 Best Hotel BetsChoosing a favorite hotel in HongKong can be a bit overwhelming, ifnot impossible, because the choicesare so vast and there are so many com-petitors. Few cities offer such a largenumber of first-rate hotels, and fewplaces can compete with the servicethat has made the Hong Kong hotelindustry legendary. With apologies tothe rest, here are my personalfavorites. For full details on HongKong’s hotels, see chapter 4.

• Best Historic Hotel: This cate-gory has no competition: ThePeninsula, Salisbury Road, TsimSha Tsui (& 800/462-7899),Hong Kong’s oldest hotel, haslong been the grand old hotel ofHong Kong. Built in 1928 and

boasting the most ornate lobby inHong Kong, it retains the atmos-phere of a colonial past, evendown to its restaurants, Gaddi’sand The Verandah, both of whichhave changed little over thedecades. Even its new tower, withhigh-tech rooms and a trendyrooftop restaurant, only adds tothe general aura. See p. 71.

• Best for Business Travelers: Ifyou can afford it, spring for a roomat The Ritz-Carlton, 3 Con-naught Rd., Central District(& 800/241-3333), convenientlylocated right in the heart of Cen-tral’s financial district. Small andintimate and filled with art andantiques, it seems more like an

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expensive apartment complex thana hotel; it offers rooms with sweep-ing harbor views; excellent service;a state-of-the-art business center;and a health club with a heatedoutdoor swimming pool. For thosewho like to stay connected, thereare also rooms that come with acomputer hooked up to the Inter-net, a fax, printer, and scanner. Foreven more pampering, executivefloors offer special privileges,including a private lounge withcomplimentary snacks and drinksthroughout the day. And for busyexecutives with no time for shop-ping, the hotel even offers personalshoppers. See p. 74.

• Best for Business Travelers Pay-ing Their Own Way: The BestWestern Rosedale on the Park, 8Shelter St., Causeway Bay (& 800/528-1234), is making waves withits complimentary broadbandInternet service and cordlessphones in each room, in-housemobile phones that keep you con-nected even if you step out of yourroom, free drinks in your fridge,and—in case you left your laptopat home—a lounge with comput-ers hooked to the Internet. Best ofall, you won’t go broke stayinghere. See p. 92.

• Best for a Romantic Getaway:Go to Macau, where the WestinResort Macau, Estrada de Hac Saon Colôane Island (& 800/228-3000), has the perfect and mostidyllic setting for those who wantto get away from it all, with largerooms (each with private terrace)overlooking the sea, landscapedgrounds, indoor and outdoorpools, and a nearby beach formoonlit walks. See p. 270.

• Best Trendy Hotel: Design guruPhilippe Starck is the mastermindbehind Jia, 1–5 Irving St., Cause-way Bay (& 852/3196 9000), a

57-room boutique hotel featuringwhimsical furniture in its lobbybut minimalist, high-tech decorand gadgets in its rooms. A slew offreebies (such as Internet broad-band access and Continentalbreakfast), rooms that are dividedinto distinct living, dining, andworking areas, and monthly ratesmake this a shoo-in for fashion-conscious travelers ready to bur-row in. See p. 85.

• Best Lobby for Pretending ThatYou’re Rich: The Peninsula haslong been the favorite lobby forpeople-watching (no Japanesetourist misses it), but there’snothing that quite matches theovert extravagance of the GrandHyatt, 1 Harbour Rd., Wan Chai(& 800/233-1234), which flauntsspace and is decorated like a 1930sArt Deco ocean liner. Just walkingdown the curved staircase canmake you feel like Greta Garbo.See p. 76.

• Best Budget Hotel: The over-whelming number-one choice haslong been The Salisbury YMCA,Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui(& 800/537-8483), with a fan-tastic location right next to theprestigious (and very expensive)Peninsula and just a short walkfrom the Star Ferry. Rooms aresimple but offer virtually every-thing (from cable TVs to wirelessInternet access and coffeemakers);some even have stunning harborviews. Throw in two inexpensiverestaurants, a health club, andlaundry facilities, and you havemore than enough to satisfybudget-minded vacationers whodon’t want to sacrifice conven-ience. See p. 98.

• Best for Families: Again, thenumber-one choice for families interms of price, facilities, and loca-tion is The Salisbury YMCA (see

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address and telephone above). Itoffers large suites great for families(and even views of the famousVictoria Harbour and Hong KongIsland), an inexpensive cafeteriaserving buffet meals, two indoorswimming pools (including a chil-dren’s pool), a play area on thefourth-floor terrace, and babysit-ting. See p. 98.

• Best Service: Other hotels may bejust as good, but probably nonecan match the professional, unob-trusive service offered by ThePeninsula (see address and tele-phone above); it has one of thehighest staff-to-guest ratios inHong Kong. See p. 71.

• Best Location: The MandarinOriental, 5 Connaught Rd., Cen-tral (& 800/526-6566), a long-time landmark in the heart ofCentral, is just a few minutes’walk away from the Star Ferry,trams, MTR, and Hong KongStation with service to the airport.It’s the best place to stay if youwant to rub elbows with profes-sionals who actually live and workin Hong Kong, but even better areits rooms with harbor views,which boast balconies and binoc-ulars, making this also a goodlocation for would-be spies pre-tending they’re characters in aJohn Le Carré novel. See p. 72.

• Best Health Club: Most of HongKong’s deluxe hotels boast state-of-the-art health clubs. But what Ilike most about the health clubat the Hotel InterContinentalHong Kong, 18 Salisbury Rd.,Tsim Sha Tsui (& 800/327-0200), is that it’s open 24 hours aday, so you can work out when itfits your schedule. There’s also anoutdoor, filled-to-the-brim hori-zonless Jacuzzi that gives the illu-sion of flowing into the harbor,and a state-of-the-art spa that

observes architectural rules forfeng shui (geomancy) and special-izes in jetlag relief and Orientaltreatments. And to top it off, thishotel even offers free tai chi classesfor its guests. See p. 71.

• Best Hotel Pool: The GrandHyatt (see address and telephoneabove) and Renaissance HarbourView Hotel Hong Kong, 1 Har-bour Rd., Wan Chai (& 800/228-9898), share one of HongKong’s largest outdoor pools, sur-rounded by a lush, landscapedgarden and with views of the har-bor. See p. 76 and 85.

• Best Views: Most of Hong Kong’sdeluxe hotels boast harbor views,making this category the toughest.However, in my opinion, the bestharbor views are from the Kowloonside, where you can feast your eyesnot only on the boats plying thewater but also on Hong KongIsland with its stunning architec-ture, Victoria Peak, and, at night,the shimmering of neon lightsand laser-light extravaganza ofHong Kong’s nightly Symphony ofLights. And no hotel is as close tothe water as the Hotel InterConti-nental Hong Kong (see addressand telephone above), built rightover the harbor; as many as 70% ofits rooms command sweepingviews of the water and boast floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall win-dows, making the most of one ofthe world’s most breathtaking cityviews. See p. 71.

• Best for Those Addicted to theInternet: The Grand Hyatt (seeaddress and telephone above)offers rooms with cordless key-boards that access the Internet ande-mail through an interactive TVat speeds 50 times faster than aconventional modem; views of theharbor are a bonus. The moder-ately priced Kowloon Hotel,


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19–21 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui(& 800/262-9467), impresseswith its sophisticated “interactivetelecenter,” allowing access to theInternet, interfacing with a faxmachine (which also acts as aprinter), and even containingvideo games. Best of all: Internetaccess is free. See p. 76 and 89,respectively.

• Best for Art Lovers: The IslandShangri-La Hong Kong, PacificPlace, Central (& 800/942-5050),is a gorgeous hotel with more than700 Viennese chandeliers, lush TaiPing carpets, flower arrangements,and more than 500 paintings andartworks. But the clincher is the16-story-high Chinese painting inthe hotel atrium, drawn by 40artists from Beijing and believed tobe the largest landscape painting inthe world. See p. 84.

• Best for Ex-Pat Wannabes: Mid-Levels has long been afavorite residential area for ex-patsliving and working in Hong

Kong. Bishop Lei InternationalHouse, 4 Robinson Rd., Mid-Levels (& 852/2868 0828), islocated about halfway up VictoriaPeak, with great views from itssmallish rooms. Nearby ethnicrestaurants and neighborhoodbars abound, but for a real taste ofMid-Levels living, travel the esca-lator that local residents use to getto and from their jobs in Central.See p. 91.

• Best Hotel for Dining: HongKong boasts some of the besthotel restaurants in the world, but for an all-around winner, The Peninsula (see address andtelephone above) offers a varietyof restaurants that never disap-point, from the longtime favoriteGaddi’s, serving traditional Frenchcuisine, to the over-the-top Felix,designed by Philippe Starck, aswell as restaurants serving Can-tonese, Swiss, and Japanese food.See p. 71.

B E S T D I N I N G B E T S 13

3 Best Dining BetsI’m convinced Hong Kong has someof the best restaurants in the world—which makes it extremely difficult tochoose the best of the best. Neverthe-less, the following are my personalfavorites. For full details on HongKong’s restaurants, see chapter 5.

• Best Spot for a Romantic Din-ner: With views of Hong Kong’sfabled harbor, live piano music,French cuisine, and one of HongKong’s best wine lists, Petrus,Island Shangri-La Hotel, SupremeCourt Road, Central (& 852/2820 8590), sets the mood for aspecial evening à deux. You’ll wantto linger for some time here, savor-ing the Mediterranean-influencedfood, the castle-like ambience, theview, and each other. See p. 132.

• Best Spot for a Business Lunch:Since 1963, business travelershave favored the Mandarin Grill,Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 5 Con-naught Rd., Central (& 852/2522 0111), conveniently locatedin the heart of Hong Kong’sfinancial and business district. Itoffers drawing-room comfort andhigh-powered food, a winningcombination for clinching thosebusiness deals. And since no chil-dren are allowed except for Sun-day brunch, business deals won’thave to compete with toddler the-atrics. See p. 130.

• Best Spot for a Celebration: Anelegant, colonial-age setting, atten-tive service, dependably goodFrench haute cuisine, and an

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extensive wine list make Gaddi’s,The Peninsula hotel, SalisburyRoad, Tsim Sha Tsui (& 852/2315 3171), a natural for a splurgeor special celebration. If, however,your idea of a celebration is moreexuberant and youthful, you cando no better than M at the Fringe,2 Lower Albert Rd., Central(& 852/2877 4000), a HongKong favorite for its quirky inte-rior, artsy crowd, and always excel-lent creative cuisine. See p. 135.

• Best Decor: The avant-gardeFelix, in The Peninsula hotel,Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui(& 852/2315 3188), was designedby Philippe Starck. In addition toproviding Hong Kong’s mostunusual, innovative setting, therestaurant offers stunning views,one of the world’s smallest discos,and slightly exhibitionist bath-rooms. Wear your trendiest duds—you, too, will be part of the display.See p. 116.

• Best View: In a town famous for itsviews, you might as well go to thevery top, where the curved facade ofCafe Deco, Peak Galleria, VictoriaPeak (& 852/2849 5111), offersHong Kong’s best panorama, alongwith live jazz in the evening andmoderately priced—though occa-sionally mediocre—internationalcuisine. Reserve a harbor-view win-dow seat a couple of weeks inadvance; what you’re really payingfor here is the unparalleled view. Seep. 149.

• Best Wine List: Not only doesSPOON by Alain Ducasse,Hotel InterContinental HongKong, Salisbury Road, Tsim ShaTsui (& 852/2313 2256), offergreat harbor views, excellent con-temporary French cuisine, andimpeccable service, but it alsoboasts a selection of 3,000 bottlesof wine, on view at the restaurant’sentrance. See p. 113.

• Best Cantonese Cuisine: Withsome of the world’s best Can-tonese restaurants located inHong Kong, this is obviously atough call, but you can’t go wrongat the very sophisticated and classyYan Toh Heen, Hotel InterConti-nental Hong Kong, SalisburyRoad, Tsim Sha Tsui (& 852/2721 1211), where the emphasisis on stark simplicity, a view of theharbor, and traditional and cre-ative dishes that border on Chi-nese nouvelle cuisine. See p. 118.

• Best Chinese for the Uninitiated:If you’re unfamiliar with Chinesefood beyond sweet-and-sour porkand feel—perhaps reluctantly—that Hong Kong is the place towiden your horizons, ShangPalace, Kowloon Shangri-LaHotel, 64 Mody Rd., Tsim ShaTsui East (& 852/2733 8754), is agood introduction to the almostlimitless variety of Cantonese food,all listed on an English menu. It’salso a good place to try dim sumfor the first time. The helpful staffis happy to make recommenda-tions. The elaborately decoratedlacquered walls and Chineselanterns all fit the fantasy of a Chi-nese restaurant in Asia. See p. 118.

• Best Chinese Hot Spot: Makereservations early for Hutong, onthe 28th floor of an office build-ing at 1 Peking Road, Tsim ShaTsui (& 852/3428 8342). Thisplace is as hip as a Chinese restau-rant can be, with fantastic viewsover Hong Kong, a darkened inte-rior with splashes of red lighting,and innovative northern Chinesecuisine. Dining here will want tomake you live forever, if only tosee what can possibly top this; thisbeing Hong Kong, somethingeventually will. See p. 122.

• Best Dim Sum Experience: Thequaint ceiling fans, spittoons, andwooden booths evoke a 1930s


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ambience at Luk Yu Tea House,24–26 Stanley St., Central(&852/2523 5464). First openedin 1933, it’s one of Hong Kong’soldest restaurants, famous for itsdim sum and filled daily with reg-ular customers. It’s hard to find anempty seat here but worth theeffort. See p. 139.

• Best American Cuisine: There’sno better place in town for a Cae-sar salad than Napa, KowloonShangri-La Hotel, 64 Mody Rd.,Tsim Sha Tsui East (& 852/27338752), where you can follow yoursalad with Californian cuisine thatincludes pastas and seafood. Thegreat harbor views make it a per-fect place for a relaxed lunch ordinner. See p. 117.

• Best French Cuisine: Petrus,Island Shangri-La (see “Best Spotfor a Romantic Dinner,” above) isthe top French restaurant in moreways than one: It’s located on the56th floor and offers breathtakingharbor views. Decorated like aFrench castle, it features contem-porary French creations and one ofHong Kong’s most definitive winelists, delivered by a professionaland discreet staff. See p. 132.

• Best Italian Cuisine: There are alot of contenders in this category,but the harbor views, airy palatialsetting, and traditional northernItalian home-style cooking com-bine to make Grissini, GrandHyatt Hong Kong Hotel, 1 Har-bour Rd., Wan Chai (&852/25881234), a favorite choice for lunchor dinner. See p. 143.

• Best Western/Asian Fusion Cui-sine: Trendy restaurants utilizingWestern and Asian ingredients tocreate new dishes are the vogue inHong Kong, but few carry it off asmasterfully as Vong, MandarinOriental Hotel, 5 Connaught Rd.,Central (& 852/2522 0111),offering what is arguably the best

interpretation of Franco-Asiancuisine in this part of the hemi-sphere (same owner/chef as theVong in New York City), as well asgreat views of the harbor and anattily dressed crowd. See p. 133.

• Best Seafood: Huge decorativeseafood tanks and views of VictoriaHarbour provide the perfect settingfor a memorable seafood dinner atYü, Hotel InterContinental HongKong, Salisbury Road, Tsim ShaTsui (& 852/2721 1211). Lobster,crabs, prawns, abalone, mussels,and fish are kept alive until thedecisive moment. Chefs prepareyour food according to yourwishes; there are also imported oys-ters and a sushi bar. See p. 114.

• Best Buffet Spread: Lots of hotelsoffer buffets, but none can matchthe sheer extravagance and chicatmosphere of café TOO, IslandShangri-La Hotel, Supreme CourtRoad, Central (& 852/28208571, ext. 8571). Overlooking thegreenery of Hong Kong Park andsporting a hip, contemporary look,it features open kitchens and seven“stations” of food presentationsspread throughout the restaurant,eliminating the assembly-lineatmosphere inherent in most buf-fet restaurants. The danger? Thetemptation to try every delectabledish on display. See p. 136.

• Best Steaks: Juicy U.S. primeMidwestern beef, broiled to perfec-tion, is the forte of American chainRuth’s Chris Steak House, 68Mody Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui East(& 852/2366 6000) and 89Queensway, Central (& 852/25229090), along with side dishes ofmashed potatoes, sautéed spinach,and Caesar salad. This place isguaranteed to satisfy the cravings ofthe most dedicated carnivore. Seep. 117.

• Best Burgers and Beer: DanRyan’s Chicago Grill, with two

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locations both sides of the harborat 88 Queensway, Central (&852/2845 4600), and Ocean Terminal(& 852/2735 6111), offers casualdining, good burgers (and othergood American food), and drinksthroughout the day; its Kowloonbranch even provides a view of thebusy harbor. See p. 120.

• Best Pizza: Located in HongKong’s prime nightlife district,Baci Pizza, 1 Lan Kwai Fong,Central (& 852/2840 0153), is asmall casual pizzeria offeringdelicious, wafer-thin pizzas at rea-sonable prices, as well as pastas.See p. 142.

• Best Outdoor Dining: Atop Vic-toria Peak, away from the constantdrone of Hong Kong’s traffic, is thedelightful Peak Lookout, 121Peak Rd., Victoria Peak (& 852/2849 1000), which serves interna-tional cuisine. From an outdoorterrace surrounded by lush foliage,you can actually hear the birdssing. Some tables provide views ofHong Kong Island’s southerncoast. Musicians entertain nightlywith oldies but goldies. See p. 150.

• Best for Families: MövenpickMarché, Peak Tower, VictoriaPeak (& 852/2849 2000), is acafeteria offering something foreveryone (pizza and pasta for thekids, international fare and drinksfor the parents), along with greatviews of Hong Kong. It’s also oneof the few restaurants that actuallyacknowledge the existence of kids,with a children’s corner completewith a toddler slide, toys, crayons,and other diversions. For olderkids, there’s a Ripley’s Believe It orNot! Odditorium, Madame Tus-saud’s, and a motion-simulationtheater in the same building onthe Peak. See p. 150.

• Best Place to Chill Out: If thestress of travel and the noise and

crowds of Hong Kong havepushed you to the breaking point,take a ferry to one of the open-airseafood restaurants on the water-front of Sok Kwu Wan village onLamma island, where you candine on fresh seafood, drink a beeror two, and regain perspective. Foreven more relaxation, hike to oneof the island’s beaches. See p. 252.

• Best Afternoon Tea: For thatmost British institution, no placeis more famous than the golden-age and unparalleled PeninsulaHotel Lobby, Salisbury Road,Tsim Sha Tsui (& 852/29202888), where you can nibble ondelicate finger sandwiches andscones, watch the parade of peo-ple, and listen to live classicalmusic being played from anupstairs balcony. See p. 156.

• Best Sunday Brunch: You’ll bespoiled forever—or at least for therest of the day—if you begin Sun-day morning at The Verandah,109 Repulse Bay Rd., Repulse Bay(& 852/2812 2722), completewith a three-piece band. Wonder-fully reminiscent of the colonialera, it features Hong Kong’s mostfamous Sunday spread, with maincourses like eggs Benedict from amenu, a carving of the day, pastacooked to order, sushi, dim sum,and more. If ever there were aplace that inspired champagne forbreakfast, this is it. See p. 151.

• Best Desserts: I was born withouta sweet tooth, but even I wastempted when the dessert cart waswheeled out at the end of a mem-orable dinner at Sabatini, RoyalGarden hotel, 69 Mody Rd., TsimSha Tsui East (& 852/27332000). The sinfully rich creationswere all lovingly described andlooked equally delicious. In theend, I went for the tiramisu, and Ican’t imagine the meal without it.See p. 118.


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