Hong Kong: A Whirlwind Affair, Part 2
Day 1: Tai Tam Country Park & Wan Chai
Last Wednesday, I made an “impulse” trip to Hong Kong for the first time. What started out as my soul’s plea for new landscapes became a whirlwind adventure that opened my eyes, challenged old perspectives, and shifted personal paradigms. This is a 6-part story about my 4 days in the most densely populated city in the world.
I never imagined in a million years that Hong Kong’s landscape would be so mountainous. That’s the kind of thing I imagined buried deep inside the heartland of China.
My friend Rachel met me at IFC when I got to Hong Kong Island and we took a taxi to her place. When we arrived at her condo, sat majestically in clear view outside her windows was one of the most beautiful compositions I have ever seen from an urban hide, the Tai Tam Country Park.
This natural wonder attracts local hikers and tourists alike to meander through its many trails. The amazing thing is that you don’t have to drive two hours to see this confident display of geographic virility. Tai Tam is just 20 minutes from Central Hong Kong.
It was quiet up there, the air was chilly but it wasn’t cold enough to make steamy breaths. I was really happy to see and catch up with Rachel briefly, and not long after I had settled in, we got changed and headed to Wan Chai to meet her husband SJ for dinner.
Sang Kee Seafood Restaurant
We met SJ at Sang Kee Seafood Restaurant for a typical Cantonese dinner. Since nobody wastes any time at restaurants in Hong Kong, after an initial hello, I followed Rachel downstairs to the tanks to pick some live seafood. We picked a fish and some live prawns, and added pork patties, pork & watercress soup, fried spinach, and congee to the spread.
Being a Guangdong-Chinese descendant myself, the flavors of the dishes were not that foreign to my tastebuds. What is worth noting however, is the freshness and natural flavors of the ingredients that was brought out beautifully by Sang Kee. All the dishes we ordered had the hallmarks of the very best of Cantonese cuisine; texture, flavor, and most of all freshness. This really came to the forefront of our dining experience.
I really enjoyed my first meal in Hong Kong. More than anything I enjoyed the company of the people I dined with. Thanks to SJ’s generosity, I had a wonderful primer to the quality that this city of 7 million expects from its chefs.
Here’s where to go if you would like to have some fresh seafood in Hong Kong:-
Sang Kee Seafood Restaurant
Address: 1/F, Hip Sang Building, 107-115 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, China
Phone: 25752236
After dinner, we headed back and turned in early in anticipation for Central Hong Kong the next morning (which is when the fun really begun!)
Part 3 of 6 will be published on Wednesday, 25th Nov 2009 at 10pm MY/SG/HK time.