We're finally halfway through the Hong Kong post series! Hopefully it won't take me a year to finish all of them. But let's not get ahead of ourselves (because it probably will).
It was another early start to the day, so we checked out Kam Wah Cafe in Mong Kok for breakfast. This cha chaan teng is famous for their pineapple buns, which contrary to their name, do not contain any pineapple at all. The name derives from the crackled appearance of the crunchy, sugary topping.
To enjoy a pineapple bun, it's typically served with a slab of butter sandwiched inside. (Vacation diet you know?) It's best when the buns are fresh, so you get the contrast of warm bun and slightly melted cold butter. I wouldn't say Kam Wah's pineapple bun was life-changing but it was pretty good. Soft fluffy bun, thick crunchy top.
We also shared a Hong Kong-style French toast. They spread a thin layer of peanut butter inside but I couldn't really taste it. I preferred the kaya jam filling from Capital Cafe better.
My mom also ordered instant noodles which came with a side of egg, sausage, and ham.
Overall, it was a pretty greasy and oily breakfast. I wouldn't mind coming back for their pineapple buns but service definitely leaves a lot to be desired. We were also forced to move to another table while we were in the middle of eating which annoyed my dad. At the end of a day, it's a different restaurant culture than we're used to.
Fast forward a couple trips on the MTR later, we arrived at Tung Chung and took a ride on the Ngong Ping 360 cable car. We were a bit worried about what the fog and rain would mean for the view, but we had already bought our tickets in advance.
The cable car ride was pretty fun though! It's about 5.7 km in length, and takes about 25 minutes from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping. When buying tickets, you also have the option of riding the crystal cabin. With a glass floor, you can see everything beneath your feet, from the water to the tree-lined hills. Since I'm already afraid of heights, that was a definite no go.
Since it was still raining, we bypassed all the shops in Ngong Ping Village and hurriedly made our way over to see the Tian Tan Buddha, otherwise known as Big Buddha. This big bronze statue was built in 1993, standing over 112 feet tall and weighing over 250 metric tons. To get to the top, you'll have to make your way up 268 steps. Not going to lie, it was quite the journey that required multiple breaks along the way.
In this photo, you can also see Po Lin Monastery in the background.
Despite the rain, the views of Big Buddha were really clear! My parents had come on their previous trip to Hong Kong and couldn't see a thing so they were happy to return.
At the base of the statue are six smaller bronze statues. Each of them hold offerings towards Buddha (flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit, and music). These symbolize the six perfections (generosity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom) which are necessary for enlightenment.
When we made our way back down, it finally stopped raining. (As expected). We took that time to explore the rest of the village.
Next on our agenda was a visit to Tai O, which required a 20 minute bus ride to get to.
Tai O is a small fishing village on Lantau Island. The houses are built on traditional stilts right over the waterway.
My parents took a liking to this shop which was run by a local family and sold dried seafood goods. They actually bought a lot back home for friends and family. Who needs tacky keychains as a souvenir anyways?
We were starving by lunchtime so we just stopped in one of the first restaurants we found. Black bean stir fried clams is always a classic.
As is beef chow fun (gon chow ngau ho).
Since we were in a fishing village, we also ordered scallops, steamed simply with garlic and glass noodles.
Tai O was definitely an interesting place to visit and worth the detour from Big Buddha. Although the fishing lifestyle is not as common as it once was, you can still see glimpses of a simpler time. It was a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong proper.
Instead of taking the cable car back, we took a bus from Tai O that went straight back to Tung Chung. We were pretty exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel.
It was raining pretty heavily still, so we didn't stray too far for dinner. For the past few days, my parents had noticed this Vietnamese restaurant called Lee Kam Kee while we were walking back to our hotel. Truthfully, I don't think my parents can last a few days without Vietnamese food.
For an appetizer, we got the deep fried pork spring rolls. The meat was packed a little too densely and we weren't fans of the wrapper they used.
My parents both ordered the pan-fried lemongrass pork chop and steamed egg on rice. It seemed to hit the spot for both of them.
I got what was essentially their pho dac biet, with raw beef, beef brisket, tripe, tendon, and beef balls. I typically don't eat tripe or tendon but my dad was having my leftovers anyway. I think we're pretty spoiled by the pho we can get back home (including my mom's homemade pho) because I found the broth to be really weak. Interestingly I found the beef balls to have a similar texture to fish balls.
Lesson learned.
- CT
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