Penny Watson - Hong Kong Precincts: A Curated Guide to the City’s Best Shops, Eateries, Bars and Other Hangouts

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CONTENTS

Welcome to Hong Kong Precincts. In a city that changes, in the blink of an eye, this book is my humble attempt at capturing a snapshot of the best eating, drinking and shopping venues in 15 precincts across the city.

Its a timely tome. In the past few years, the Hong Kong food scene has been turned on its head, becoming truly international and offering world-class cuisine in the form of some very funky-arse restaurants. Drinking venues have followed suit, with once rare options like rooftop and alfresco bars becoming part of the cocktail landscape. The coffee scene has also found its feet. Cool cafes nonexistent five years ago can now be found in the most out-of-the-way places, usually with an antipodean barista at the helm. Similarly, artisan shops and boutiques offer an alternative to the big brands that have for so long been the hallmark of the citys shopping scene. Happily, this is only one side of Hong Kong. To really getting to know a city you must sidestep the comforts and familiarities of home and go local. In each chapter, Ive tried to include at least one Chinese restaurant, market or mom and pop shop (as the noodle shops are known), where you can happily slurp on a bowl of noodles sitting next to a local.

Get out and about. Hong Kongs red taxis are as iconic to this city as black cabs are in London. Theyre cheap and readily available. On Hong Kong Island, the lovely old double-decker trams are the citys own form of slow transport. The open-air Star Ferries provide a glimpse of days gone by; dont go home without taking one across Victoria Harbour. Further afield, the MTR system (one of the best in the world) and bus network can get you to the far reaches of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. The ferry system puts the dozens of islands and Macau within reach. Alternatively, walk. My favourite Hong Kong haunts have been found on foot. No book would be big enough to incorporate all the greats, but hopefully my inclusions and tips from locals featured in each chapter will guide you to streets, neighbourhoods and precincts where you will find your own gems.

Penny Watson

Hong Kongs CBD, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, is one of the worlds most eye-catching. Wedged between the steep jungle slopes of Victoria Peak mountain and the shores of Victoria Harbour, its teetering, shiny, glass-and-metal edifices lend a futuristic air to the city, an effect thats pronounced at night when the skyline glitters like a galaxy of stars.

At street level, old gardens, churches and heritage buildings survive from British colonial times. Aromatic shrines dot the sloping streets. Market vendors sell live seafood, hundred-year-old eggs and antiquities. Against this backdrop is the modern Hongkonger: well-dressed, hardworking and just as easily won over by a bowl of cheap noodles (see ) as a Gucci bag.

Central Station; Hong Kong Station

SHOP

SHOP, EAT AND DRINK

EAT

EAT AND DRINK

Peel, Graham and Gage sts, Central

Open MonSun 6am8pm

Flapping fish, tubs of tofu and mountains of mushrooms: not far from the citys flashiest retail district is an open-air food market that has operated since 1841. Despite government attempts to move them indoors, about 130 fixed-pitch hawkers still ply their trade here, contributing to the vibrant street life that Hong Kong is known for. Graham Streets narrow pathway is covered by awnings and lined with stalls selling fruit and vegetables, homemade noodles and so-called 100-year-old eggs. Polystyrene boxes brim with fish and crustaceans on neighbouring Gage Street, and on Peel Street rice sellers, traditional medicine stores and repair shops jostle for space next to hip cafes and restaurants.

New World Tower, 1618 Queens Rd, Central

2810 1120

www.joyce.com

Open MonSun 10.30am7.30pm

Forty years ago, Joyce was the first store to showcase international designers a big step in redefining fashion for the colony. Fast-forward to today and this chic, split-level boutique is still leading the field with fashion collections housed in exquisite surrounds that include art exhibitions and installations. Its a fine-label-lovers paradise. Pick up a fitted raincoat by French designer Wanda Nylon, a summer suit by Chinas Xander Zhou or a scarf from New Yorks Title of Work. Delve into the shelves for expensive beauty products, including Renouve hand lotion, Francis Kurkdjian perfume or, intriguingly, dragon-blood eye-lifting pads by Wei. A doorman at the entrance sets the scene for this lavish experience.

98 Wellington St, Central

2851 1969

www.tailorlapel.com.hk

Open MonSun 10am8pm

It can be slightly baffling finding a tailor in Hong Kong, given they all look like carbon copies of each other. Reality check a lot of the clothes are made in the same factory over the border in China. Armed with this information, look no further than Lapel, a friendly mob who will happily measure you up for a stylish classic work shirt or hand-stitched suit and have it back to you almost overnight. Failing that, theyll ship it home and keep your measurements on file for reordering. If you have a favourite shirt that fits to perfection, take it with you and theyll replicate it with exactitude times ten or 20. The walls are lined with pinstripes and checks in Italian and English fabrics to keep you looking good nine to five.

12 Pedder St, Central

Open MonSun 10am6.30pm

Sitting narrowly on Pedder Street, surrounded by modernity, this charming eight-level heritage building with a colonnaded arched facade is one of Hong Kongs elderly darlings. Once the home of , it now hosts