By Andy Wong, on 11 May, 2015

Hong Kong, Hong Kong! Part 3. The Colorful Tastes

Hong Kong, Hong Kong! Part 3. The Colorful Tastes

Afternoon Tea at the Hotel Panorama by Rhombus

Afternoon Tea at the Hotel Panorama by Rhombus
Afternoon Tea at the Hotel Panorama by Rhombus – wide selection of food with a choice of tea, coffee, glass of sparkling rose or beer provided

Afternoon Tea at AVA Restaurant Slash Bar

The memory of a good trip always consists of the food consumed. In order to make sure I cover all dishes, I decided to honor it with a separate part. The first meal that I had as soon as I landed in Hong Kong was the afternoon tea at the Hotel Panorama by Rhombus. The adorable mini burgers and succulent grilled shrimp with caviar was exquisite, but my favorite was the Pistachio Cannoli. I never liked Pistachio but this dish made by taste buds enjoy the creamy freshness. The Orange Pekoe tea that I chose was savory, preparing my mouth for the next piece. A portion for two but one fulfilling meal for me.

Spicy Beef Noodle & Noodles with Seaweed and Fish balls

Noodle with Diced Chicken

Noodle Wonton Soup
Spicy Beef Noodle & Noodles with Seaweed and Fish balls; Noodle with Diced Chicken; Noodle Wonton Soup

Noodle Varieties

From spicy to balsamic, I had one noodle dish each day to try out different food. The noodle with diced chicken was mellow, where the balance of the Bok Choi and the diced chicken balanced very well without any stimulating flavors. Everybody said that I had to try the wonton soup at Hong Kong which I had a chance to try at the IFC mall – the wontons were a mouthful with a rich flavor (as the soup was soaked into the wonton skin) and the noodles had a hard but flavorful taste. The local restaurant that I went to where I had the fish ball soup was somewhat similar to the seaweed soup we have in Korea, but more appetizing with a salty taste of the fish cakes. Noodle dishes are a must to try-out, and in all different varieties.

Crispy Pork; Shrimp Siu Mai; Beef Fried Rice; Xiao Long Bao; Sweet and  Sour Prawn; Taro Bun
From left corner clockwise – Crispy Pork; Shrimp Siu Mai; Beef Fried Rice; Xiao Long Bao; Sweet and Sour Prawn; Taro Bun

Dimsum!

The heavenly food we should all devour ourselves into. I had Dimsum everyday starting with the so famous Xiao Long Bao to the first-try Taro bun. One mouthful with the beef stock stored in the Dimsum and your mouth experiences the mouthwatering taste of the meat. The taro bun was sweet and nectarous, perfect for dessert. The crispy pork contained the fatty taste which made you drink a lot of tea but addictive. The highlight was the beef fried rice where the rice, the beef, and the vegetables were fried to give that scrumptious texture. You cannot leave Hong Kong without trying Siu Mai and Sweet & Sour Prawn – reminding you how tasty seafood can be!

Afternoon Tea at EAST Hong Kong
Afternoon Tea at EAST Hong Kong

Afternoon Tea Second Round at Feast

As the afternoon tea in Hong Kong is so very special, I decided to treat myself one more time at the EAST Hong Kong. The afternoon tea here was a little lighter with a layered sandwich and meringue cookies. The chocolate muffin was rich and sugary and the coffee cake was different with the texture as it consist of brown bread. Scones cannot be left out of a traditional high-tea, and the strawberry jam was a nice touch to it. A key point: always start from the bottom of the tray and make your way up. With the sunlight shattering into the restaurant, the harmonious atmosphere provided me with the perfect getaway relaxation needed after a long restless week.

Mango juice Hui Lau Shan

Cappuccino with egg tart
Mango juice; Cappuccino with egg tart

Sweet Desserts

Although I have a bad sweet tooth that coax me into afternoon snacks, there are times when some of the sweets are too savory for me. Unable to overcome my urges, I had to take the moment to enjoy the pleasurable sweets. While walking through Temple Street, the heat had gotten over me and the vision of other tourists holding a cup of juice provoked me into looking behind the shops for a juice bar. At last I reached one stall, where I ordered a cup of mango juice: the juice was freshly squeezed and still had fresh grains of mango. The juice had the natural sweetness in it which provided the cool feeling to my stomach. Shopping through Causeway Bay and looking around, I was able to get in touch with an egg tart paired with a cup of cappuccino: a dessert one must try at Hong Kong. The cappuccino was warm and foamy as any other coffee would with the egg tart having a contradicting soft yet crispy texture.

Overall, each step I took of each area and each bite I took off each dish left an impression of the vast, wondrous city and made me promise myself to return to Hong Kong once again.

***Special Thanks to Nawon Sohn & the Hong Kong Expedia™ Lodging Partners Service Group for providing this blog post.***