Well off the tourist path

Trying to not look like a tourist in Hong Kong is difficult and not just because I carry a camera around. For all those times when I felt short in Australia, I feel like a giant over here. I've been eating quite well, but tonight I decided to venture well away from the tourist areas to try a place a Sydney chef recommended.

I spent the morning at Mui Wo walking around the Po Lin Monestary and climbing up to the giant Buddha. That was certainly touristy, but something you have to do. In the afternoon, I took the ferry across the harbour to Kowloon and Mong Kok.

This city was more of what I think of when I thought of Asia. Packed, neon signs everywhere, hawker markets, stall selling crap everywhere, and electronics galore. I was getting pretty hungry do I headed towards the restaurant. After a good 30 minute walk east of Mong Kok I finally hit Kowloon City. And I didn't see a single other tourist on that walk. After a bit of searching, I found the restaurant, Chong Fat Chiu Chow.



The restaurant had no menu and the owner spoke only a bit of English. But that was more than my understanding of Mandarin or Cantonese. I can only guess this was the "menu."



After talking to the owner (my guess) I ended up going with goose, prawn and fried rice. Having no idea how they'd be cooked, I just went with it. The goose came out first with a vinegar dipping sauce. I could eat this every single day, without a doubt.



Small slices of rich goose, the small layer of fat and skin with just a bit of cooking juices and soy sauce.

Next came out the prawns and fried rice. These huge prawns were wok charred with an addictive sauce.



It was a bit difficult working the shells off with a chop stick, but well worth it. I also think its the first time I ate the head of a shrimp. Not sure if I was supposed to, but it was crunchy ad rich.



I could have had a few more dishes, but the place was filling up and I didn't want to take the table up much longer. Walking around the neighborhood, there were all sorts of food stalls and butchers, seafood and fresh veggies.

I wrapped up the night watching the nightly laser show of the skyline. This could be one of the coolest skylines I've seen. It goes on for miles and all the sky scrapers have lights on them that they choreograph to music.

Location:Hong Kong

First Impressions of Hong Kong

I'm just wrapping up my third day in Hong Kong, and this city is crazy. It's packed, but not overly crowded. There are new buildings right next to what look like the old world all at the end of an alley crowded with semi-permanent stalls. I need to get out at night to take more pictures so that's my goal for the next few days.

I started on Sunday by going to Macau. The new gambling Mecca of the world. It has more gambling revenue than the Las Vegas strip and has only a fraction of the casinos. After the hour ferry ride and the half hour line to get through customs, I was there. While I wanted to see a few of the casinos (the Sands, the Wynn and the Venetian) I ended up only at the Sands. Had I left that casino I would have been happier, but hey, you win some and you lose some. On the way back to the terminal, I walked past the Macau Grand Prix. There weren't many good viewing spots for non ticket paying spectators, but I did see a few laps. I also took a look around the Duty Free shop since I was in another country. But I held back. Had I won money, it could have been a different story. Sine they had a large vertical range of every single Premier Cru French Boudreaux.







I bummed around the neighborhood I'm staying in looking for a place for dinner and getting frustrated that streets aren't labeled well, if at all. I ended up at a small noodle shop and for about $5 had a bowl of noodles with wontons and a coke which was quite good.

Works been keeping me busy so I haven't ventured out too much at night, but that will change. I went to Yung Kee for dinner on Monday which is a local institution. I had the roasted goose and some sides. It was good, but nothing special. Something to say I went.

Tonight, however, I went to Shui Hu Ju for their Black Chicken.



I'm not one to take pictures of food, but this trip is an exception. I started with a Bean Curd with Spring Onion Oil. And if all tofu tasted like this, I might be able to get on board.



I also managed to eat an inlets with just chop sticks. But the reason I went here was for the Black Chicken. I sort of knew what to expect, but what came out was quite different. Black Chicken is exactly that. A black skinned chicken. The deep fry it and the toss it in the wok with Szechuan peppers. Szechuan pepper is a peppercorn and has a tongue numbing sensation. It was a bit like a dry Arizona heat. I didn't break into sweats like with buffalo wings, but I felt like I was breathing fire. I was cursing under my breath it was so hot and trying to cool it with water and beer. Note for next time, hot tea does not work. You might be wondering how hot could it really have been. Well.....



Yep, those red things, all 60-70 of them, we're tossed in the wok along with the chicken (hidden below the peppers). It was very very addictive, but the heat won out with just a few pieces left.

And walking out of the restaurant into a side street like this.



Old and new, living side by side.

Location:Hong Kong