Hong Kong Archives - Page 4 of 7

Noodles With My Fahza: YKY Home Noodles in Sai Kung

March 5, 2024March 6, 2024Asia, Food, Hong Kong BigBody Leave a Comment

Friday ~~beers~~ noodles. It has a ring to it. This is something that has become somewhat of a regular staple (and the highlight of my week) for my father and me over the last year in Hong Kong. However, it doesn’t always have to be noodles but most of the time it is. ‘Friday noodles’ is more of a mindset than anything. It’s a call to spend quality time with loved ones.

On the docket for one of the most recent ‘Noodle Fridays’ was YKY Home Noodles (自家麵) out in Sai Kung, a popular no-nonsense chain, with locations scattered across Hong Kong, serving up highly customizable bowls of homemade Chinese noodles, steamed dumplings, and beef pies (xian bing).

Here’s what I love about YKY and what you can expect when you go.

Time to Make the Power Moves & Get the Mozzarella: The Best Pizza Restaurants in Hong Kong

March 3, 2024March 25, 2024Asia, Food, Hong Kong BigBody Leave a Comment

“It’s time to make the power moves and get the cheddar. And buy the real nice things that make life better.” I have no doubt in my mind that Big L was rapping about pizza when he said that. He just used ‘cheddar’ instead of ‘mozzarella’ to fit the rhyme scheme. I know that’s at least 50% why I slug it out with these thankless robots devoid of any form of common sense or empathy each day – to get the ~~cheddar~~ mozzarella. The other 50% is, as Mr. Bizkit himself said, “for the nookie.”

While Hong Kong may not match up to cities like New York or Naples when it comes to the pizza game, it is a powerhouse in the cheese and crust colosseum of Asia. Occasionally, like Commodus in Gladiator, I’ll have to empathetically flip my thumb down in disgust at what took place before me. But more often than not, I find myself not only pleasantly surprised but coming back for more.

From light, airy, and traditional Neapolitan pizzas to hefty, toppings-packed, foldable New York pies (and New York-Neapolitan hybrids), and crispy, saucy Detroit-style squares, here are 10 of the best pizza restaurants in Hong Kong for gastronomic ‘amore’.

The Medium-Rare Letter: Burger Shaming at Eggslut in Causeway Bay

February 14, 2024March 26, 2024Asia, Food, Hong Kong BigBody Leave a Comment

I may be very well late to the game with this one. But I still don’t have an iPhone, I’ve never posted an Instagram story (and am not really sure how), and like Dr. Dre (aka Dre Brickhard the Mechanic) I still rock my khakis with a cuff and a crease (“still the beats bang, still doing my thing, since I left ain’t too much changed”).

As a mindless, YouTube food show fiend, I was no stranger to an infamous L.A. breakfast sandwich and burger restaurant that, in name, appearance, and taste, appeals to both the gastronomic and prurient interests of generations cursed by crippling social media addictions and narcissism. I mean, with a name like ‘Eggslut’, it was set to catch your attention no matter what – even for those who take qualms with the crassness of its etymology.

That’s ‘Marketing 101’ right there.

I didn’t take as long as I did to patronize this promiscuous chicken restaurant because of any sort of moral high ground or pseudo-intellectual protest against social media self-aggrandizing, I just simply didn’t know that there was a location in Hong Kong. So, when I found out there was a (relatively) recently opened branch in Causeway Bay, I clucked with excitement and knew I better taste it before the sky inevitably falls.

On the second day of Chinese New Year, after a quick gym sesh, I kept my smelly running shoes on and chicken ran out to this former fishing town turned densely populated mini-city of consumeristic tribalism to see if Eggslut’s burger was just fowl or actually foul.

Here’s what I found.

Ballin’ on a Brisket in Sai Kung: Rossi’s Pizza & Smoked Meats

February 9, 2024February 9, 2024Asia, Food, Hong Kong BigBody Leave a Comment

At first, I had written several paragraphs on how brisket was at the heart of the American identity. Frankly, it was superfluous. I took a step back, looked at my scraggly Scorcese eyebrows in the mirror, and realized that brisket is a universal language and that there was no need to complicate great food with patriotism, geopolitics, and intersectional social justice.

In Asia, you can find BBQ. Can you find great BBQ? Not often. And when you do, there’s a high probability that whatever restaurant it is, doesn’t serve brisket. There’s a labor of love and a high margin of error when it comes to smoking it, primarily due to space and time (sung like Mos Def in ‘Travelin’ Man’) requirements.

Having lived in Hong Kong for over six years now (and experienced the city at various stages of its political decline), there has been very little in terms of reliable, high-quality BBQ. Sure, you can get a rack of ribs and some cornbread, and it feels familiar – but how often do you walk away actually (a) full, (b) satisfied, (c) not broke, and (d) feeling it was done proper justice? Rarely.

But then I ate at Rossi’s Pizza and Smoked Meats in Sai Kung. And to quote my dawg T-Pain on Maino’s hit song, ‘All the Above’. Rossi’s checked off…All. The. Above. I always naively assumed that the apex of Western cuisine in Hong Kong was typically situated on Hong Kong Island (or in the likes of one of the five-star hotels in Tsim Sha Tsui). But this article is written to shatter that misconception and to cartoon Batman-slap myself back into reality.

I Tested the All You Can Eat & Drink Limit at Aqua’s Free-Flow Weekend Brunch

February 4, 2024April 23, 2024Asia, Food, Hong Kong BigBody Leave a Comment

“If the limit never approaches anything, the limit does not exist.” – Mean Girls

There isn’t any institution or activity in Hong Kong that strikes both fear and joy into the hearts of chubby, balding, expat bankers and social media marketing evangelists (who create day-in-the-life TikTok reels) quite like the free-flow brunch. And very much like Mark Mcguire and Sammy Sosa of the infamous home run battle in the summer of ‘98, there are only two real names: Aqua and Zuma.

Considering I’ve already written about Zuma’s free-flow brunch and sung its praises, it was only time that I ponied up and made my way across the Harbor to its Darkside (Kowloon) counterpart – Aqua – to test the free-flow food and booze brunch limit and capture the love (and attention) of the dreamy Aaron Samuels from calculus.

So, I gathered a gaggle of Frenchmen (Mes frères – aka ‘The Revolution’), threw on the one nice outfit that I own (no, not my ‘Official Bikini Inspector’ t-shirt), made sure I was in bed by 9:30 PM the previous night, and Steamboat Willie strutted (only using this reference because the copyright is in the public domain now) my way over to Tsim Sha Tsui for I day I wouldn’t forget, or remember, or forget, or remember…

Do I Need a VPN in Hong Kong? Advice From an Average Guy “on the Ground” & on the Web

January 9, 2024May 16, 2024Asia, Hong Kong, Travel, Travel Tips, Tricks, & Resources BigBody Leave a Comment

Having undergone extreme political turmoil and censorship in the past decade, a common question I receive from travelers and expats moving to Hong Kong is, “Do I need a VPN in Hong Kong to access Google and other specific websites?”

While VPNs may seem like “overkill” and a tool “only for those engaged in seditious or unlawful activities,” that’s far from their complete purpose or reality. There are countless reasons why you might consider using a VPN not only in Hong Kong but anywhere in the world.

Hint hint: you may want to access your favorite streaming service that isn’t available or a specific catalog of shows or movies that is only available in your home country. And that television show may or may not be ‘Love Island’.

A Man-Date at One of My Favorite Izakayas in Hong Kong: Uoharu

January 4, 2024January 4, 2024Asia, Food, Hong Kong BigBody Leave a Comment

The first time I went to Uoharu was on a date where mid-way through, after watching her nod off face-first into her grilled mackerel and sake, I learned that she was on Clydesdale-sized doses of lithium. Somehow, after assurances it was just a fluke, the date continued. I spent the remainder of the night eating Scotch eggs at Stockton – while she subsequently nodded off again in the leather booth adjacent – and slugging fresh-off-the-tap cocktails from Draft Land – while she nodded off one more time on the stool next to me.

After the dust settled, I let her know that I had a nice time but I didn’t think we were compatible, to which she sent me a relatively accurate description of myself and one that makes me chuckle to this day. “You are a big sweaty piece of man meat.” I left out the accompanying expletives. This insult is only second to when a rotund Indian man with a handlebar mustache in Bangkok barked out at me, “Where do you think you’re going Daddy Longlegs?” after I hurried past him on Sukhumvit 11.

I digress. Uoharu’s seafood and robatayaki izakaya fare was the driving reason for my initial perseverance and self-convincing in the bathroom that “These things happen” and “I’m sure that she just had a long day.” I ~~needed~~ craved Uoharu redemption and returned countless times over the subsequent years, with it solidifying itself as one of my all-time favorite izakayas in Hong Kong.

Is the Diplomat the Best Burger in Hong Kong?

December 24, 2023March 26, 2024Asia, Food, Hong Kong BigBody Leave a Comment

There was one name that kept popping up over and over when I kept searching online for the best burger in Hong Kong – and it wasn’t from a traditional burger and fry joint like Five Guys or Burger Circus. There was something hypnotizing about it and the name burrowed deep into my brain, like that squid-like creature baby in Holly’s stomach in the movie Prometheus after she made love with the dude who was infected by the “black goo.”

I suffered many late nights trying to piece together if it could be true, like a 33-year-old chubby, balding male Carrie Matheson from Homeland with three yards of string, several packs of Post-it notes, and a whiteboard. I was Ace Ventura in the shower trying to figure out who police lieutenant Einhorn really was after sharing a passionate makeout right before the eureka moment when he realized she was disgraced Miami Dolphins place kicker ‘Ray Finkle’ post-sex change. “Finkle is Einhorn, Einhorn is Finkle.” In the deep throes of befuddlement, I muttered to myself “Burgers at speakeasies, speakeasies and burgers?”

My burger world was thrown upside down. I knew that I was going to have to test this for myself to make sure that this wasn’t some Truman Show-esque experiment orchestrated by Ed Harris to provide 24/7 entertainment to home viewers at my expense. So, post-Tuesday night workout, I grabbed my finest Pure tote bag and a raggedy old black sweatshirt that I cleaned BBQ sauce stains off of earlier in the day and headed to The Diplomat in H Code.

It was time to settle this literal and metaphorical burger beef once and for all.

21 Date Ideas in Hong Kong to Avoid Becoming “The Boring Couple”

December 21, 2023October 22, 2024Asia, Hong Kong, Travel BigBody Leave a Comment

I’ve been there before. You mindlessly scroll Reddit on your phone next to one another in bed, being intimate hasn’t been on the table since your mother-in-law moved in “just for a few weeks,” you look over at your partner and see them doing the same. Something snaps and you look at them, “Babe, have we become ‘the boring couple?”

“We’re not boring, everyone’s like this.” “Do you remember when we went whitewater rafting in West Virginia? Or snorkeling in The Maldives?” You smirk, “Or the time we did…on top of…while there were people nearby…”. You raise your eyebrows and give them a playful nudge. “This weekend, what say you and I get out and try something different?” Your partner’s eyes widen as they abruptly sit up in bed and begin to visibly shake with excitement.

“How about we ask ‘so and so’ and get a few drinks before?” “I said ‘try something different’ not ‘try someone different’.” “Oh. Alright. Then l know just the list of date ideas to choose from.”

Without further ado, here are 21 certified, tested, fun date ideas in Hong Kong for couples that want to avoid being referred to as “The Boring Couple” and reclaim a bit of spontaneity (without destroying your marriage) – or who just want to get away from their in-laws.

Croque Hong Kong: Ain’t No Such Things as Halfway Croques

December 15, 2023December 15, 2023Asia, Food, Hong Kong BigBody Leave a Comment

As the boys from Queensbrisdge, Mobb Deep, so timelessly rapped, “Son, they shook, ‘Cause ain’t no such things as halfway ~~crooks~~ croques.” And boy, am I shook. Because I just found out that every croque monsieur I’ve ever eaten in my life has been a “halfway croque.” Granted, I’ve only been to France as an enfant terrible, naively and boorishly satiated by chicken nuggets, artificial (mutant) macaroni and cheese, and Capri suns.

But today, I became a man. No. Scratch that. Today, I became a Monsieur. Complete with a black three-piece suit, bushy mustache, and monocle like the Monopoly Man. That’s all thanks to a newcomer to the SoHo restaurant scene, Croque, a new age, vibrant, cheesy oasis of unique (and classic) takes on a French classic – the croque monsieur.

8 Christmas Date Ideas in Hong Kong to Unlock Your Own Winter Rom-Com

December 9, 2023December 3, 2024Asia, Hong Kong, Travel BigBody Leave a Comment

‘Tis the season for requited love. Or unrequited love. Or that unspoken “group love” that your parents partake in every year in their late 60s when they go down to Jamaica for ‘Hedonism 47’ with ‘Aunt Sally’ and ‘Uncle Jim’ – who you only found out when you turned 18 weren’t related by blood. Whatever the case, love, tinsel, gingerbread cookies, and your local middle school’s rendition of ‘The Nutcracker’ are in the air – and it’s time to celebrate.

I have to be honest with you. Up until several years ago when I moved back to Hong Kong, Christmas was one of my least favorite holidays. Something about the shove-it-down-your-throat consumer and brand tribalism, needing to shovel my car out of several feet of snow regularly, and the fact that I literally could (still can’t) never figure out who the ‘Sugar Plum Fairy’ was in the Nutcracker until post-intermission, all were major factors that fueled this “bah humbug” mentality.

Now, I can’t get enough of it. Not because of the LED flatscreen televisions that sync with your frontal lobe and can be purchased via Amazon with a single click of a button, or the catchy Christmas jingles (found in every major Hong Kong mall) that bury themselves deep into your brain to the point where you end up in a content, infantile stupor like Danny Devito (aka ‘Martini’) in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, or Hong Kong’s weather finally being palatable and not requiring you to take three showers every day.

What’s the Legal Drinking Age in Hong Kong? (2024)

November 28, 2023November 28, 2023Asia, Hong Kong, Travel BigBody Leave a Comment

If you’re coming to Hong Kong (or in the midst of growing up here) and looking to get your alcohol fix at one of the city’s countless (timeless) British pubs (for a cheeky quiz night), world-class cocktail bars or lounges, raucous and sweaty night clubs, communal 7-11s (which are an institution in their own right), or other bustling watering holes, you might be wondering what the actual legal drinking age in Hong Kong is.

As someone who moved to Hong Kong at 21, coming hot off of the United States’ archaic drinking and liquor laws, I was in awe at just how different this city was from my hometown and how nothing was off-limits (for better or worse).

Find out everything you need to know about drinking alcohol in Hong Kong.