Lunching at Canton-I, Midvalley Gardens

It has been a 2 long years since we've had authentic Hong Kong wanton noodles. Although the wanton noodles in Malaysia are not at all bad, I still hanker for good wanton noodles every now and then. On a recent visit to Midvalley Gardens, we chanced upon the newly-opened Canton-I (they have another outlet at 1-Utama Old Wing) and decided that it's about time we satisfy our craving for good ol' Hong Kong-styled wanton noodles.

There was a long queue at the counter when we arrived and we promptly got ourselves a number before taking a seat outside the restaurant. It wasn't long before our number was called and we got ourselves settled at a nice table.

Who could have missed the roasted meats and pastry on the way in?

For starters, we ordered the absurbly cute piggy buns with red bean filling. Our daughter was very amused to be eating piggy-shaped buns. I would have thought they were way too cute to be eaten! The red bean filling was smooth and not overly sweet, just the way I liked it.

The second order was for Custard Egg buns that came in a purplish-swirl. Dizzying to look at, but oh-so-yummy! Just look at the egg custard oozing out of the bun!

With our tummies partially satiated by the little sweet treats, our orders for wanton noodles finally arrived. We had the wanton noodles in soup with honey-barbecued meat (char siu) that came in a separate plate. The wanton noodles were thin and springy, just how it tasted like in Hong Kong. The char siu was sinfully sweet and succulent!
We also ordered wanton noodles with Japanese-styled spareribs and roasted pork belly. The Japanese-styled spareribs were surprising melt-in-the-mouth. I've never thought that is quite possible for spareribs. The meat separated easily from the soft bone and the meat was quite flavourful. I loved the slightly fatty roasted pork belly which contrasted nicely with the crackling rind. I've always liked my roasted pork belly slightly salty and this one fits the bill perfectly.

Next to arrive was the Roasted Goose wanton noodles. Goose is not widely available in Malaysia and can be quite expensive but I'd gladly pay the RM18 a pop at Canton-I, if only to satisfy my cravings. The goose was roasted to perfection with a gleamingly crispy skin. It's so good I forgot to take pictures!

I would love to have my wanton noodles in Hong Kong again, but until then, Canton-I is certainly top of my list for Hong Kong-styled wanton noodles. At least it's cheaper considering I don't have to pay for an airticket to have wanton noodles.

Traipsing around HK's Central District

Central is Hong Kong’s business district. It’s streets and snaking alleyways are teeming with people at all hours.

During our holidays in Hong Kong we decided to hop onto the Star Ferry to get across, just for the experience. It was not much different from the ferries in Penang, except that the seas were choppier and also the views are different. Central is where the skyscrapers reign. We spotted this fisherman’s boat in the seas. Once we got off the ferry we went hunting for Man Mo Temple. We’ve missed this temple on our previous holidays in Hong Kong and thought we’ll find it this time. It took us a long time to get our bearings and to finally find the temple. The Man Mo temple is one of the oldest and most beautiful temples in Hong Kong. Built in the 1800s, the temple is dedicated to two deities, Man – the God of Literature, and Mo – the God of War.
We also rode on the longest elevator in the world – the Mid-Levels elevator. Sorry, in our excitement, we forgot to take some photos! There's always next time, right? I'm forever looking for an excuse to go to Hong Kong!

Sweet treats at Hong Kong

One of the things I like most about Hong Kong is the delectable spread of desserts that are sold at every street corner.

One of our favourite dessert stop is the Hui Lau Shan which has branches all over Hong Kong. We went there every single night of our holiday for our sweet fix of mangoes, mangoes and mangoes.

I've never tasted fresh fruit desserts this good. It's very addictive although they don't come cheap.

Food hunt at Lyndhurst Terrace, Hong Kong

We bought tickets for the Star Ferry at the Star Ferry Terminal to get across to Central where our food hunt begins. The ferry is quite like the one we have in Penang, the only difference being the view of the skyscrapers across the sea. Hong Kong’s skyscrapers are the real deal.

I found Central to be just as chaotic as the rest of Hong Kong, even more so actually because Central is the business district of Hong Kong.

It was at the snaking alleyways of Lyndhurst Terrace that we tasted HK’s most famous egg tart, ex-governor Chris Patten’s favorite, at the equally famous Tai Cheung Bakery. The melt-in-your-mouth pastry and smooth egg custard is absolutely delectable! At Wong Chi Kei, we had wanton noodles with mushrooms and shrimp roe for breakfast. The noodles were wonderful, firm yet springy. The soup that came with the noodles were very flavourful!

We loved the crispy fish skin that came with a helping of very flavoursome soup. We've never eaten fish skin done this way before and found this extremely tasty! This makes a good snack albeit not a very healthy one!

The Macau Pork Chop bun was fantastic! Across the road from Wong Chi Kei is the very famous Yung Kee Roasted Goose. We queued up for close to half an hour for our take-away of roasted goose. Suffice to say that it was well-worth the wait. We also stocked up on crispy egg rolls and almond cookies at Kee Wah Bakery down the road. Next time I'm in Central I'll be sure to check out other great places to eat! There's just too many to conquer in a day!

Calm & Serenity @ Ngong Ping 360, HK

One of Hong Kong’s newer attractions was the Ngong Ping 360. The Ngong Ping experience begins with the cable car ride from Tung Chung (accessible via MTR from Kowloon) to the Ngong Ping cultural village atop a mountain plateau on Lantau Island. The 25-minute cable car ride is an unforgettable experience across the sea. In the distance we could see the planes taking off at HK’s Chek Lap Kok Airport. We could also see people hiking up the hills. Surely, an easier way to go up is via the cable car! We know we’ve arrived at Ngong Ping when the giant Buddha looms ahead of us. A sense of calm seems to envelope Ngong Ping, the perfect antidote to the bustle of downtown Hong Kong. Disembarking at the Ngong Ping station, we made our way to the picturesque Ngong Ping Village where attractions, shops and good food awaits! The multimedia Walk with Buddha attraction took us through the life of Siddharta Gautama and through his path to enlightenment. The walk through the attraction was so surreal, I had goose bumps. The calm and serenity that I experienced in this walk with Buddha is one which I will not forget in a hurry.

The next attraction was the Monkey’s Tale Theatre which was a computer generated animation with special effects and sound. The antics of the cute monkeys were definitely amusing!

As in elsewhere in Hong Kong, shopping is another attraction in Ngong Ping Village. There were many small village shops where we indulged in retail therapy from jades to chopsticks to our favourite - local sweets! Small intimate cafes are also a feature of Ngong Ping Village. We particularly like the little shop where we filled our tummies with delicious meatball noodles and deep-fried salt & pepper cuttlefish tentacles before making our way up to pay homage to the Giant Buddha. At the end of Ngong Ping Village, the majestic Buddha sits serenely atop the plateau. It is the world’s tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha statue. It is also a very long climb up – all 268 steps of it! The reward for attempting the climb to the top was the spectacular mountain scenery of Lantau Island.

Once we descended we went to the famous Po Lin Monastery at the foot of the hill. A short walk through a small beaten path dotted with derelict abandoned houses took us to the Wisdom Path, an outdoor replica of the Heart Sutra. Wooden pillars inscribed with the sutra were placed in the form on the infinite figure. I am in my element in Ngong Ping. Somehow I felt like I belong.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong has always been a favorite destination for me and my family. We’ve been on shopping pilgrimages there so many times I’ve lost count, yet the discoveries and excitement never ends. Hong Kong, the vibrant, fast-paced metropolitan city, keeps reinventing itself, never remaining the same.

Some people may find Hong Kong too hectic and a little crazed but Hong Kong’s fast-paced lifestyle suited my impatient personality perfectly!

We visited the Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong’s equivalent to Hollywood’s Walk of Stars. It was fun looking for handprints of our favorite HK superstars which is probably the closest we’ll ever get to Jet Li! We also caught the magnificent Symphony of Lights show against spectacular harbour views at the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade.

Of course, shopping is synonymous with Hong Kong. It’s a shopper’s mecca, an endless strip of shopping malls and outlets, perfect for all budgets, big or small. We love the jewellery shops where beautiful contemporary designs in 999 gold are sold.

Our hotel was located in the Mongkok area so we spent a lot of time just shopping to our hearts’ content. Most people liked the Ladies’ Market at Mongkok but I found it quite boring because every stall seems to sell the same clothes, hair clips, souvenirs. Not my kind of thing. Having said that, it is still worth a visit because although it’s not to my liking, it’s surely a shoppers’ haven.

It’s impossible to visit Hong Kong once and see it all. That is the best excuse, isn’t it? What better excuse do you need to visit Hong Kong again and again?