Fast-paced, culturally vibrant and totally addictive, Hong Kong has a chameleon spirit all its own. English is widely understood, if not widely spoken, making it an accessible destination for Australians – yet it remains an undeniably exotic experience.
From the thriving working-class suburbs that prove the old Hong Kong is alive and well, to the heady mix of luxury hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants and bustling street food stalls, to a refreshing and breathtaking hike through the mountains, a week in Hong Kong can deliver a whirlwind of vastly different experiences.
Ready to dig in? Navigate your way through the dizzying array of Hong Kong attractions with our editor, Tanya Joslin, who recently took a deep dive into the food-obsessed culture of this big-city gourmet destination.
Savour Hong Kong
Eating is everything in Hong Kong, with the city’s flourishing cocktail scene a perfect complement. Quality street food comes cheap, so be adventurous! But, if your tastes tend more towards the refined, Hong Kong will deliver with plenty of hot restaurants and bars to sample.
An instant classic when it opened in 1963, the Mandarin Oriental is woven into the city’s history. Located on the 25th floor, its flagship restaurant, Man Wah, captures incredible Victoria Harbour views and offers an outstanding Michelin-starred Cantonese menu of traditional favourites and seasonal specials, paired with slick and attentive service. The design is spectacular: think traditional rosewood furniture, floating gold-plated lanterns, and silk art on the walls. The space itself (and those views!) help make it one of Hong Kong’s most romantic dining destinations – but it’s the food that takes Man Wah next level: a legendary dining experience.
Billed as a “Cantonese grill and dim sum” inspired by historic spice and trade routes, John Anthony is a triumph of East meets West meets sustainable design. Located in Causeway Bay, the richly evocative interiors feature reclaimed Chinese terracotta flooring, bamboo fixtures, hand-dyed fabrics and hand-woven wickers – we adored the eye-catching illustrations printed onto the tiles of the private dining rooms.
And then there’s the food. It’s innovative, ethical and utterly delicious. The slow-cooked Australian wagyu beef cheek with watermelon and fragrant chilli sauce is an excellent example of how the chefs here are pushing the boundaries.
Ho Lee Fook serves up funky Chinese dishes in a busy underground restaurant just off Hollywood Road. The atmosphere is edgy, loud and fun – we should have known it would be a good night with such a cheeky name (it translates from Cantonese as ‘good fortune for your mouth’)! The menu is intriguing (think modern Cantonese comfort food with international influences) and the dishes delicious. Don’t go past the prawn toast with shaved cabbage, and the signature wagyu short ribs with a soy glaze. Ho Lee Fook is also perfectly positioned to soak up Hong Kong’s dazzling bar scene, including the popular Lan Kwai Fong area, after your meal.
Head to the Kowloon side of the harbour to experience Ming Court, the Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant housed in the Cordis Hong Kong hotel. Wine-lovers will swoon over the cellar alone, which boasts over 400 wines from 100 regions to complement the exquisite meals that have garnered Ming Court endless kudos over the years. The food is best described as a unique take on traditional classics – the layered silk tofu was almost too beautiful to eat, while the chilled suckling pig and barbecued pork were juicy and succulent, and the bamboo shoot shrimp dumplings were divine. The elegant decor adds an aura of heritage to the meal, with a collection of Ming Dynasty bronzes and antiques ensuring the experience is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the tastebuds.
The Hong Kong bar scene is the stuff of modern legend, and we started our bar-hopping at one of the coolest establishments around. “Quinary is to cocktails what Spain’s El Bulli restaurant is to food, playing with perception, flavour and science to create a pioneering and exciting experience,” enthuses the World’s Best Bars website. High praise, indeed – but spot on! Situated on buzzing Hollywood Road with one of the city’s most celebrated cocktail experts, Antonio Lai, at the helm, this is a serious cocktail bar where all five senses are indulged, with quirky, inventive signature cocktails and some seriously ’grammable drinks. Regularly placing in the World’s 50 Best Bars and Asia’s 50 Best Bars awards, the ‘multisensory mixology’ of Quinary is a must.
And then there’s Dragonfly (feature image), one incredibly beautiful flight of fancy, with spectacular interiors inspired by the 19th-century American artist Louis Tiffany, best known for his work with stained glass. Dragonfly’s decor is opulent and unconventional: the ceiling is filled with rich turquoise Tiffany stained-glass lamps, and more than 500 cast-iron dragonflies adorn the bar area. Imagine being inside a treasure box, taking in one fantastical detail after another, then add an imaginative menu of cocktails and bar snacks to tempt you to linger even longer. We discovered this in the new Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Arts (more on that later).
Experience Hong Kong
If you’ve never been to Hong Kong, or it’s a few years between visits, you’ll want to include the usual highlights, including The Peak, where you’ll soak up incredible views over the city and harbour, the popular Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road, and the serenely majestic 34-metre Big Buddha (Tian Tan) on Lantau Island. However, we added a few extras to our itinerary and they proved to be some of our most memorable experiences.
Step back in time on a walking tour of Sham Shui Po, which has long been a working-class district. Today this humble area is one of the city’s hidden gems, and a must-see is the Mei Ho House Museum for a glimpse into the Hong Kong of yesteryear and the site of its first public housing estate. This area has a dramatic back story of Chinese refugees fleeing Communist rule, their sprawling shantytown which was consumed by the city’s most devastating fire, and a government response that created a revolution in multi-level, low-cost housing in the city.
We were lucky to have local expert Olivia Tang Yiu-sum from Walk In Hong Kong to guide us through the museum and on to a neighbourhood food tour, starting with a bowl of tofu (naturally!) at legendary Kung Wo Tofu, which opened in 1853, and where they still prepare the tofu fresh each morning. Dumplings, rice rolls and even snake soup were on the menu as we wove our way through Sham Shui Po’s bustling streets. You could easily spend half a day here exploring the local haunts and soaking up the sounds, smells and atmosphere of a Hong Kong invisible to many visitors.
Hong Kong’s magical Victoria Harbour is legendary, and most romantic after dark. We marvelled at the neon-lit skyline and the city’s dazzling Symphony of Lights laser light show with a cocktail in hand on an Aqua Luna evening cruise. Inspired by ancient Chinese sailing vessels called ‘junks’ and handcrafted in timber, the Aqua Lunar ships offer a fitting introduction to this fabulous destination. Look for the iconic red sails, a nod to Hong Kong’s rich maritime past. During the day, cross the harbour on a Star Ferry – one of the cheapest and fastest ways to explore.
To take a fresh look at HK, head to Sai Kung, dubbed the ‘back garden of Hong Kong’, and where the more serene natural beauty of this bustling city awaits.
Famous for its seafood restaurants, fishing villages, nature trails and access to beaches and islands few would imagine existing here, Sai Kung is around 30 minutes from the city via taxi (don’t worry, taxis are cheap). We ate and drank a lot on this trip, so a day spent hiking and taking in leafy vistas before indulging (again!) in freshly caught seafood at one of the local restaurants lining the promenade in town was a lovely contrast. If you’re serious about hiking, Hong Kong Tourism’s website is an excellent place to find the perfect trail to explore.
Locals and visitors alike can enjoy the new artistic heartland at the Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage & Arts, Hong Kong’s most significant revitalisation project to date. What was once the city’s Central Police Station – complete with prison blocks – is now a gift to the Hong Kong community and its many visitors.
In such a densely populated city, where it seems a new skyscraper goes up every other day, it’s extraordinary to think this cultural gem lies in central Hong Kong. Enjoying an entire city block, 16 heritage buildings and two brand-new buildings house a rich rotation of exhibitions, artistic performances and education programs. Enjoy a free tour then eat and drink your way through the centre’s imaginative restaurants and bars. Dragonfly was our favourite (it’s just so pretty!) but Behind Bars scores points for its creative setting, found within a series of old prison cells and now happily lit in bright neon colours. You can’t miss the waiters, kitted out in orange prison overalls.
Stay Hong Kong
The Peninsula Hong Kong
The Peninsula Hong Kong, often referred to as the “Grande Dame of the Far East,” holds the distinction of being the oldest hotel in Hong Kong and a flagship property of the Peninsula Hotels group. Since its establishment in 1928, this iconic hotel has embodied an air of timeless elegance and sophistication. Today, The Peninsula continues to enchant guests with its lavish interiors, grandeur, and unparalleled service, solidifying its status as one of the foremost luxury hotel brands in Asia and beyond.
Read more with our review on The Peninsula Hong Kong here.
Cordis , Hong Kong
Another five-star but more affordable option (The Peninsula is, after all, one of the most luxurious hotels in all of Asia, if not the world!) is the five-star Cordis, Hong Kong. Boasting a location that is unbeatable – connected to Langham Place and surrounded by the markets mentioned above, you’ll have everything at your fingertips.
A pair of sculptor Jiang Shuo’s enormous bronze Red Guards are on hand to welcome you, just two of the 1,500 pieces of mostly Chinese contemporary art throughout the building. Rooms are elegant and modern with mesmerising views of the city or South China Sea. We splurged on a Club room for access to the fabulous Club floor, where breakfast, snacks and afternoon tea are served and a dedicated Club team is ready to assist with all your Hong Kong questions.
The hotel’s tai chi lesson, offered daily at the pool on the 42nd floor, was unexpectedly memorable. This was a different way to experience the local culture, beyond food and markets, with the meaning behind the moves explained by the ever-patient resident tai chi master, Master Cheung. We also enjoyed sampling the popular local street foods on one of the hotel’s complimentary daily walking tours. Although the Cordis is home to some stellar dining spots, including the Michelin-starred Ming Palace, the neighbourhood eats deserve to be devoured, too.
The Details
GETTING THERE
We flew non-stop from Brisbane to Hong Kong with Hong Kong’s national airline, Cathay Pacific. All Australian flights offer three classes of travel – business class, premium economy class and economy class – providing excellent, award-winning levels of service to both the business and leisure traveller. cathaypacific.com
HELPFUL LINKS
Dining Concepts // Discover Hong Kong // Ho Lee Fook // John Anthony // Mandarin Oriental // Quinary // The Peninsula Hong Kong // Cordis Hotels // Walk In Hong Kong //
DON’T MISS
Walk in Hong Kong tours offer an incredible array of walking tours in addition to Sham Shui Po, from LGBT in the City to a Market Hopping Food Tour.
Download the My Hong Kong Guide by Hong Kong Tourism Board before going. This all-in-one app allows you to create customised guides from 1,800 activities and attractions, get trip ideas from other travellers, share your experiences on social media, and more.
The writer travelled as a guest of Hong Kong Tourism Board.
