Re-exploring Hong Kong Day 4 – Hong Kong Island!

1 April 2013 (Monday)

While everyone is back to work after the long weekend, mine hadn’t ended! 😀

Intended to wake up super early to go queue for my famous egg rolls, but after reading lots of people advising online that it’s better to call and reserve to avoid disappointment, I decided to do that and sleep in a little more…hehe. I definitely don’t wanna be disappointed!

So I woke up at the usual timing as every day and confidently waited for them to open before I called to reserve, thinking that “Hiak hiak hiak~ I’m gonna get my egg rolls for sure! (And without queuing!)” But who knows, I was told that they are not taking in reservations for this period until June! Jiang jiang jiang jiang! T.T

The staff told me that I have to come down and queue at around 9 plus or 10am, but it was already close to 10am when I called! By the time I travel from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island side, it would be around 11~

Nevertheless, I quickly made my way down to try my luck! I read online that sometimes the egg rolls finish at around 10+ in the morning and they have a limited supply for each day. I was really scared that I wouldn’t be able to make it in time! x.x

Haven’t wake up face~

The Island line over at the Hong Kong Island side has their own theme for the stations, which is something like Chinese calligraphy. So this is how one of the stations look like (:

Finally reached North Point and by Day 4 of this trip, I was really getting lazy with directions and I basically just tapped on a grocer, then pointed to the name of the shop on my itinerary without even speaking. Haha! But of course I did thank him after that. My point is, to those who are holding back about travelling alone because of this reason, getting around can be as easy as this you see~

So when I finally reached the shop, expecting to see this…

(via notverycomplicated.wordpress.com)

This was what I saw instead O.O

No queue at all!

I was rather disappointed for a while, thinking that it has probably sold out, since by the time I reached it was already past 11am D:

But when I stepped in, there were still a few people buying inside! 😀 Cho~ happy!!! Because I managed to get my egg rolls, and I did not have to queue at all!!! Hehe! Super lucky~

德成號 Duck Shing Ho

Price list as of 01.04.2013

The prices have been increasing over the past few years and each tin (1 pound) costs around S$10-$11 now. I was really broke by this time so I only got 3 tins – 1 for home, 1 for Sis and 1 for sharing around. So those who managed to meet me earlier will get to try!

It’s really damn nice and flaky and I have finished the tin at home by now! Kinda regret not buying 1 more tin x.x

德成號 Duck Shing Ho
G/F Goldfield Mansion 64 Java Road North Point, Hong Kong 北角渣華道64號地
North Point Station > Exit A1 > (turn right) Walk straight till you reach Goldfield Mansion 高发大厦
(Mon to Sat 9.30am to 7.00pm but while stock last)

The down side of getting the egg rolls is that I had to carry them with me the whole day =/
Nevertheless, I set off for my next destination, which is even further down, at Shau Kei Wan.

What I’m afraid of seeing the most during the trip x.x
Because I really climbed so many stairs and walked so much every day!

Transferred to the bus over at Shau Kei Wan and the bus terminal was crowded with people heading to 拜清明～ I boarded the bus that takes me to my destination and because I was afraid of missing my stop, I stood somewhere near the driver (there were no more seats around).

Then this nice man who heard me inquiring the bus driver earlier on actually advised me to take a seat because it’s gonna take around 30 minutes to reach my destination =/
I definitely wasn’t expecting it to be so far~

The bus went round and round up a hill and it passed by many nice scenery! It was like a nature trip and after all the shopping for the past few days, it was indeed time to do more of exploring, which doesn’t really require that much money…hehe.

Finally reached my destination, which is away from all the city life~ I was actually here for the beach and I definitely wasn’t expecting this place to be like this. I think it’s like a little village!

Old school-looking coffeeshop

Provision shop

One of the many dogs there~

I kinda walked the wrong way and ended up at this housing areas, where I see quite a number of elderly living alone. I think this is like a place for retirement, where the people lead a more simple life and away from the busy city~

Pretty house!

I kinda like the idea of retiring here and staying in a house like this. When you feel like slacking, you can just nua upstairs. Then when you feel like getting some fresh air, you can just come downstairs or even head to the beach! 😀

So I finally found my way to the beach that I kept mentioning – Shek O Beach!

I actually researched about quite a number of beaches in Hong Kong but I only had the chance to visit Shek O. If I had the time, I would love to visit all the pretty beaches because I just love them! I love beaches in general and I love to see how the beaches in other countries look like even more (:

Their BBQ area

Kids playing with the sand as usual~

Building sand castle

Shek O Beach is one of the nicest and more popular beaches in Hong Kong, apart from Repulse Bay and Sai Kung Beach. Thanks to the rare fine weather, I managed to visit this beautiful place!

It’s kinda weird to be wearing stocking at a beach, and indeed also kinda emo to be there alone…hahaha! But I definitely enjoyed the fresh air and breeze there (:

The weather was really good, very breezy and not hot at all. I could really stay there the whole day if I had a book with me!

And of course if I were in the right outfit =/
Would really love to step into the sea!!!

Lifeguard post

Cam-whoring with the beach! 😀

Stayed there for quite a while to enjoy the breeze and to have my own little picnic…haha! I was definitely hungry because after rushing to queue for the egg rolls, I rushed down to the beach before the weather changes~

Goodbye Shek O Beach (:

Houses by the beach!

Shek O Beach
No 9 Minibus from Shau Kei Wan MTR station (last stop)

The bus was just nice waiting for me! 😀

Took the bus back to Shau Kei Wan station before heading off to my next destination! But before taking the train, this bakery with lots of nice-looking mango cakes caught my attention! So the hungry me splurged on this yummy mango cake (despite being very broke) and omgggggg~ Why are mangoes in Hong Kong so damn sweet?! Just a mango cake from a normal bakery and yet it tasted sooo good!

Headed down to Causeway Bay and started my food exploration journey~ And then Vivian Bee happened to meet Curry Bee O.O

Chanced upon one of these snack stalls which is commonly found everywhere in Hong Kong and I decided to grab a bite!

Some mixed viscera thing which I didn’t like very much =/

I like the curry fish balls more! 😀

Found my first egg tart place – Lord Stow’s Bakery and Café! Somehow all the nice egg tarts are found around the Central area and I had like 3 egg tart places to try in a day! =/

This totally reminds me of the Portuguese egg tart in Macau and it’s damnnnnnn yummy!!!!!!!!!

Lord Stow’s Bakery and Café
EXpresso at the Excelsior Hong Kong (a hotel)
281 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay exit D1

Was actually getting kinda full after eating so much nonsense along the way and I decided to take a stroll down Jardine’s Crescent to digest a little~ It is yet another street market selling clothes and accessories at affordable prices, but I think the stall owners here are generally more “stuck up” in my opinion =/

Jardine’s Crescent
Causeway Bay Station > Exit F

Pretty Forever 21 @ Causeway Bay!

Moved on to my next egg tart location which is 1 stop away at Wan Chai. And it did not take me too long to find the famous Honolulu Coffee Shop!

If you go about searching online for famous egg tarts in Hong Kong, this will definitely be listed as one of them (:

Everyone was stopping by to get an egg tart or polo bun, so you can see how popular they are!

Instead of the Portuguese egg tart I tried earlier on, this is more of the Hong Kong traditional style~

The filling is very much like my favourite egg tart in Tong Heng (Chinatown)! Super soft and “melts in your mouth” kind! Since it’s my favourite, I definitely enjoyed it. But of course I still prefer the Portuguese style, and I think Tong Heng‘s crust is also thinner and more flaky (which is nicer)~

Honolulu Coffee Shop
G/F & Mezz Floor, 176-178 Hennessy Rd., Wan Chai 灣仔軒尼詩道176-178號地下及閣樓
Wan Chai station exit A4
P.S. They have more than 1 outlet and I think I actually saw one later on in Central.

I was seriously rather full after the egg tarts but I still had 1 famous wanton mee and another famous egg tart to try over at Central! So I headed over and it took me quite a long walk before I found the wanton mee shop – 沾仔記 Tsim Chai Kee!

Right opposite the shop is another famous wanton mee – Mak’s Noodle! They even had a Wikipedia page, so I guess it’s indeed rather well-known.

I had a hard time deciding between these 2 because by right, I think Mak’s Noodle is more famous due to a longer history (I think???). But over the years, 沾仔記 has garnered its own fans with the bigger portion and yet equally satisfying noodle~

Furthermore, 沾仔記 was actually full house when I went but Mak’s Noodle seemed a little more “empty“. If I had enough space in my stomach, I would have tried both just to tell you guys which is better. But since I was really too full, I chose 沾仔記 eventually! (:

Interior of 沾仔記

And here is the famous wanton noodle with a generous filling of super sweet prawns in the wantons!

For someone who was rather full and who isn’t really a fan of wanton mee in Singapore, I actually finished this up!!! The wanton is super yummy, the noodle is damn Q (chewy) and the soup – I don’t know if it’s MSG or what but it just makes you wanna finish the whole bowl of noodle up! *slurp!* Super full but no regrets! Hehe!

沾仔記 – Tsim Chai Kee
98 Wellington Street Hong Kong Island

Went to hunt for my third egg tart of the day and after walking up and down the steep slope, I still could not find the place! In the end, I think the place has closed down or was under renovation =/
But thank goodness, because I was really damn FULL!!!

Nice building in Central (:

Done with food exploration and I decided to head back to Mongkok to put my egg rolls, which I had been carrying around for the whole day! Rested my feet for a while before I headed out for shopping again~!

Changed another 50 bucks and went for round 2 at Argyle Centre! Hehe! Simply loveeeeeeeeeeeeee this ladies’ paradise!!! Managed to find a few more items which I missed out during my first round! 😀 And then I was broke again…haha!

P.S. For those who are interested in visiting any of the places I listed, I have uploaded my itinerary (with maps) to my Google drive and you can download it here. There are some food places that I skipped because I was too full, but they are all recommended places that you can try (:

(via picsandquotes.com)