Tag Archives: hong kong

Mongkok Noodle Stand: Fish Balls, Meatballs, Wontons & Noodles

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Address: 15 Nelson Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Specialty: Fish balls, meat balls & wontons

Cost: $22 HKD a bowl (~$3 USD)

This store has a little bit of history and it’s tucked just besides the notoriously packed streets of Sai Yeung Choi Street and the Ladies Market. I must have passed by this place so many times and never noticed it until my mom brought us here. You can order quite a lot of things here but the fish balls really stood out. They were light, almost airy, and full of taste. I didn’t realize how good they were until we had some store bought ones the next day and the difference was incredibly noticeable.

I think I ended up coming here to eat 3 separate times over the span of a few days. It was glorious on each occasion.

HUGE CAVEAT: don’t eat here if cleanliness and a relaxed atmosphere is what you’re looking for. You won’t find it. There are only a few tables and nearly everyone shares. There’s little to no customer service but if you sit down and are vocal with your order, you’ll get exactly what you want. If you do have the heart and the stomach to try it out, don’t look down. just…trust me.

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As I said at the top, this store has a little bit of history relating to my family. My mom said this store’s been open since she was here in HK. Right across the store is a used book store and right underneath the large yellow sign was where my dad used to sell used books 40+ years ago! He’d buy used text books from students, carry them from their homes to their store front and resell them when the next quarter came around. My dad was quite the book worm so it was a great job while he was a kid. I have no idea if this is the same store he once worked for or if there was even a store back then, but it’s a trip to see that connection.

Macau Restaurant: Portuguese Egg Custards

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Address: 25 Lock Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Specialty: Portuguese Egg Custards

Cost: ~8 HKD (~$1USD)

Macau is known for it’s Portuguese cuisine and though we had just gone to Macau and sampled its food a few days earlier, there just can’t be enough of a good thing.

Now we had just finished a ginormous, banquet-worthy dinner in the area (pictures coming soon) and wanted to walk off the meal by taking a stroll. My sister was complaining how full she was but I always save a little space just in case something undeniable presents itself. This was one of those times and this is one of those places. My sister proceeded to say, “how can you still eat?! Just get 2 for yourself and Jess, I just want to sample a bite out of yours”.

So we order 2 and she takes one bite of mine, then goes, “okay 哥哥 (thats me), take a bite and I’ll finish it”.

Yah. It’s that good…and yah, my sister’s a fatty.

Stop by the front and they got a guy selling these all day. It’s a pretty popular place so you don’t have to worry about the freshness. The food inside isn’t that memorable (I had it at another location years ago) but these custards are a must stop if you’re in the area. Get a batch just as it’s coming out and enjoy!

HK Trends: Hit or Miss…they may be coming

Asian trends tend to take a while to make their way over to the States so here’s a heads up on  some unmistakable trends spotted over in Hong Kong these days.

#1. Frames without lenses

We’ve seen them before but maybe the return of larger frames make them more pronounced then ever before. Girls are wearing them, guys are wearing them. No lenses…just frames. Nerd fashion is still on the up swing.

#2. Angry Birds

They’re everywhere. No longer is this obsession confined to smart phone apps, these little birds sell like hotcakes…and in the photo above they’re literally cakes. They’re on clothes, they’re in commercials, there are angry bird mini sling shot toys on the streets. Fortunately, I think this trend won’t be rising in America any time soon. (Okay, perhaps I underestimated its global appeal as indicated in the comments)

#3. Double Decker Chucks

Chucks + an extra inch. These deceptive clones of the classic Converses look like a regular pair from afar. You almost don’t notice the bottom rung until you get pretty close. No wonder they sell well.

Make way for 2012, it’s gonna be a killer year

Happy New Year from HK!

2011 was a frantic year. New job, new house (still renting =P), awesome mlife community, media collaborations with Chiyori.A, Chris Changchien, Vision, Claudeo, Finding Francis, a marriage proposal, and a wedding…what a blast!

I can’t begin to explain how excited I am for 2012. This year starts off with a bang and I’ll be going full speed once I’m back in the states. According to wordpress’ analytics, I now have a few consistent readers and I appreciate your continued support so very much!!  I’ll work hard to have many more interesting posts to keep you entertained.

I am so thankful for all of you who play such a crucial role in my life. May this coming year be fruitful, may it be filled with new experiences, new friendships, and for some of you…new beginnings!