FOR the past three years, Hong Kong has been far from hibernating, and has been abuzz with changes. Tourists can expect plenty of new hotspots, particularly for dining and shopping. Bustling with city lights and crowded streets, Hong Kong has long been known as a giant melting pot and this is translates into a dynamic tourism destination.
Hong Kong dining ranges from Michelin star rated restaurants to local street food favourites and its signature ‘cha chaan teng’. It is witnessing a growing interest in sustainable dining as well as expanding its halal options.
Apart from dining, Hong Kong is famous as one of the best cities in the world to go shopping. From luxurious malls, outlets, specialty stores, and street markets, the diverse selection allows anyone of different budgets, personal tastes and interests to be able to shop their hearts out.
Central Market – Retro vibe, modern shop and dine experience
Once Hong Kong’s first modern wet market, The Central Market was opened in 1842 and was fully functional for more than six decades before it was revitalised. When it was opened to the public in August 2021, the new Central Market was transformed into a vibrant community hotspot with dining and retail options. While the building's interior seems modernised, its exterior retains its nostalgic character.
Euxyn, who is the owner of HomeKong Mart in Singapore and Malaysia recollected her nostalgic memory of her first visit to Central Market, “A spacious old-school cement staircase greeted me at the entrance. Those faded handwriting typos, display signages, classic red lamps, and the preserved market kiosk gave me a better idea of the past HK heritage. There are so many treasures in these collectives that we should pass on to future generations.”
The Central Market focuses on showcasing homegrown talents and small businesses not only in the F&B industry but retail as well. There are many unique ones but do keep a lookout for Slowood and HK Tram Store.
On top of these highlighted shops, there are many other businesses selling various uniquely Hong Kong experiences and you have to drop by to personally witness them.
Tea Chateau – First #madeinhk tea capsules
Tea culture in Hong Kong started at the end of the 19th century. People would buy tea leaves from tea houses to serve visiting guests. Thanks to modernisation, tea lovers can now enjoy traditional Chinese tea within 30 seconds. The latest hype in Hong Kong, Tea Chateau brings you the traditional Chinese tea culture, but in a capsule. Not only can you nail your tea-to-water ratio to perfection, but the advanced packaging will ensure your leaves will be fresher, and longer.
The notable flavours are Free Your Soul, Lingzhi Dahongpao, Chenpi Puer, and their limited edition seasonal flavours. The best part about Tea Chateau is that you are most likely to find it in whichever area you are in, making bringing a piece of Hong Kong back home a breeze.
Fish Ball Gor – Famous curry fish balls and cart noodles
Fish Ball Gor, is a must-visit eatery that serves a variety of Hong Kong-style authentic snacks. The hunt for Hong Kong's authentic delicacies won’t be complete without cart noodles and they have more than 30 kinds of food for you to choose from. Fishball Gor is also very clean and bright, the perfect place to enjoy street food without compensating for the cleanliness.
The famous curry fish balls are made of secret sauce with more than ten ingredients and fresh spring fish meat, making you crave more. It is also known for its thick-cut fried stuffed 'Sam Boh', where each piece is fresh and fried immediately, which is especially delicious to be eaten with a cup of milk tea. Other snacks are handmade rice, glutinous rice, fried noodles with soy sauce, and squid curry.
Shanghai 618 – A brand-new revitalised mall in the heart of Mong Kok
Shanghai 618 is a revitalised mall in the heart of Mong Kok. The site, which comprised of 14 protected historical buildings, was once a strip of waterfront shophouses or tong lau (唐樓) selling sweetened fruit tobacco, electrical appliances, medicinal tea, and leather goods. A century later, it has been restored with modern additions and today you will find retro photo ops, murals paying homage to the street’s history, and independent local businesses selling and making all manner of goods. The shophouses’ interesting façade and interior features will give you a glimpse of what the pre-WWII balcony shophouse looks like. This underrated gem houses some of the 20th-century shop occupants and the new, modern boutique shops and a handful of eateries.
Hung Fook Tong Life – Additive-free soups and healthy drinks, HFT Life also serves fresh baked goods
Hung Fook Tong (HFT) was established in 1986 and evolved from a traditional Chinese herbal tea shop to a modern wellness concept F&B business. Over the years, modern cafes have sprung up like mushrooms and HFT faced competition from industry players, making htem realise they needed to innovate. HFT Life is a brand-new café-inspired concept store that brings together Western and Chinese food cultures and adopts a simplistic design to accommodate the pursuit of modern urbanites toward healthy living.
This movement in modernising heritage cultural trade has also brainchild cafes like South Herbal Lab, which is a new cafe concept by traditional liang cha (herbal tea) brand Wing Sang Tong. It brings innovative and colourful offerings like a series of 'herbal coffee', which are java infused with Chinese medicinal herbs such as hemp fruit, Chinese hawthorn fruit, chrysanthemum, You’ll find hemp fruit oat latte; frangipani elderflower coffee tonic; among other innovative items specially curated to attract younger crowds.
JAJA – The most fashionable vegetarian delights
JAJA is a Spanish word pronounced as [ˈhɑːhɑː], which is a laughing sound and inspired the vegetarian restaurant celebrating happiness. It is driven by the passion to redefine healthy, vegetarian dining as fun and fashionable. Being a meat-free dining spot, this is perfect for Muslims who are looking for pork and lard-free restaurants to put on their list.
Await Café & Studio – Coffee, western food, and cakes
If you enjoy café-hopping and you happen to be in the Kowloon area, you will not want to miss Await Café from your bucket list. With a wide choice of cakes and western food, paired with good coffee, this café makes a great lunch spot, especially when you make a pit stop at Prince Edward MTR Station. Located just a few minutes walks away from the station, you can also get your daily dose of caffeine to keep you going on your Hong Kong adventure.
Cruise Liner Mall – A mall that looks like a ship
Situated in Hung Hom, Kowloon, it is a part of a bigger mall called The Whampoa. It is a lesser known and underrated gem compared to the more famous shopping malls like Causeway Bay, Harbour City and the rest in Central. Sticking like a sore thumb in the middle of a residential area, this 360-feet-long unique structure houses a Japanese grocery market, AEON, restaurants, theatres, and even a small theme park.
This mall carries a meaningful history, where it used to be the largest and busiest shipyard in Asia in the early 20th century. From then until the mid-80s, the dockyard kept changing ownership until it became what it is today. Its history and uniqueness are not known by many.
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With all these places to welcome tourists back for a remarkable experience, there are more for you to explore and create new adventures at every turn. It is never too early to plan the itinerary for your next Hong Kong holiday.
– The Vibes, October 1, 2022
