Anyeong Noona

Showing posts with label Hong Kong Cafe. Show all posts

Noona just ticked one of the checklist in the bucket list. Receiving a pick up line. Ahahahaa. What a weird bucket list to make, she knows. But still, pick up line is functioning just like the name is, picking you up (from the bottomless pit). No matter how lame the pick up line is. LOL.

Ah ok, anyeong everyone! Sorry for the random sharing above. But to be honest with you, this is the first time Noona trying out about an online dating. Let's see how well this goes, okay. Ahem, okay, why is she still rambling on this topic. Right! Has anyone heard of Hong Kong cafe? If you have been in Singapore long enough, you may have eaten at Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe before. Well, that's is the closest experience you can get in Singapore to eating at Hong Kong cafe.

K-in-HongKong: Eating at Tsui Wah, Tsim Sha Tsui

Noona loves eating at Hong Kong (HK) cafe and her favourite HK cafe is Tsui Wah. Just like Xin Wang, Tsui Wah has pages and pages of menu from Western food to local food to comfort food (like instant noodle). She has just had dim sum for lunch and she now prefers something soupy for a change. So her comes the fishball noodle soup. Looks so simple and yet taste so good and comforting. The green drink behind the bowl is actually a mixture of veggie + fruit blended together with ice but it tastes pretty good and refreshing, thankfully. Hahaha.

Dinner buddy ordered another comfort food, egg + luncheon meat + beef instant noodle soup. If you miss eating instant noodle so bad, you should just come to Tsui Wah because the restaurant sells different variety of instant noodles.

Beef Noodle Soup from Tsui Wah Hong Kong

Another main dish that you must order is definitely the condensed milk buns. Tsui Wah's rendition of condensed milk buns is so yummy (and sinful too but who cares, we are on holiday now). The condensed milk buns at Tsui Wah definitely taste better than the version sold at Lang Fong Yuen.

Condensed Milk Buns from Tsui Wah Hong Kong

Close up view of my fishball noodle again. Just realised that Tsui Wah is pretty generous with the amount of fishballs given plus the two pieces of big tofu. Happy me.

Fish Ball Soup Noodle from Tsui Wah Hong Kong

Tsui Wah's price for the dishes is roughly around the same for Xin Wang. The good thing about Tsui Wah is they have so many branches across Hong Kong so you are bound to see one during your trip. Hahaha. Noona visited the branch situated at Tsim Sha Tsui though.

Tsui Wah's address in Tsim Sha Tsui:

2 Carnavon Road

Level G/F

Opening hours:

Sunday to Thursday: 7AM to 2AM

Friday and Saturday: 7AM to 3AM

Anyeong! Our storyteller, Noona, has had a rough day today. Incessant emails asking questions, re-asking questions, even up to the point asking for meetings. Arghh. Noona wonders if she enjoys watching drama where the main characters survive through hardship in life to reach happy ending (not for some). Oh right, talking about Korean drama, W the Two Worlds ended yesterday and Noona has just had the time to watch the ending (with subs, of course). Awesome drama, even though the ending looks a bit forced, Noona still admire the tinge of creativity inside the ending. She will surely feel void tomorrow without W to entertain her. =*(

Oh right, since life seems annoying, let's just jump to those happy days when Noona was travelling to Hong Kong, shall we?

*transported to Central, Hong Kong*

K-in-HongKong: Urban Bakery Works, The Landmark

Anyeong! Welcome to Central, Hong Kong. Central actually kinda looks like a Central Business District in Hong Kong (which probably how the Govt decided the name of the MTR station and the area). Noona did not work here obviously but she went to Central anyway because her Chingu (re: same age friend) was really really eager to try croissants in Urban Bakery Works (yesh, croissant, no kidding).

Urban Bakery Works at the Landmark Central

Urban Bakery Works is a cafe situated inside the Landmark, a prominent shopping centre/ office building in Central. The shopping centre section of the Landmark is basically rented to all those branded store such as Hermes, Dior, Miu Miu, etc (all the stores which Noona feels she's too poor to even enter the stores).

Since we came at 9.30 on a weekday morning, there were less crowds inside the cafe. But, Noona notices that the cafe patrons around that timing are usually...not local. Well, she supposes Hong Kong people loves to work so hard and who has time to go drink coffee at 9.30AM, right? Even Noona would not dream of that in her daily worklife in Singapore. Right, back to the croissants...*focus*, well croissants seem to be the main dishes of Urban Bakery Works since they have a lot of different variety of croissants put on display.

Croissants at Urban Bakery Works the Landmark

Dear Chingu apparently has done some research and she looks very determined in choosing the croissant's fillings. She came back with two croissants on her hands, one filled with butter while the oner filled with yellow liquid.

Butter and Salted Egg Yolk Croissants from Urban Bakery Works

The butter croissant looks like a Chinese bolo bun but instead of the bolo bun, Urban Bakery Works uses croissant instead. The croissant is actually pretty good. Crunchy, sweet and savory at the same time. Taste well when eaten with butter.

Butter Croissant at Urban Bakery Works Hong Kong

The yellow liquid inside the other croissant is the salted egg yolk (which has gained popularity in 2016, god-knows-why). Noona really needs to master how to cut a salted egg yolk croissant in a beautiful way because everytime she tries to make it more pisturesque, she ends up making it grosteque. Oh well. Salted egg yolk croissant taste not bad too but better eat this while the filling is still hot. Otherwise, you will end up with cold yellow liquid inside your croissant.

Salted Egg Yolk Croissant at Urban Bakery Works The Landmark

Urban Bakery Works also sells the usual Western coffees and teas. But since, our foodie trip has just started that day, Noona would rather save some space for the next meal instead of having coffee here.

Urban Bakery Works is situated at:

Shop 322, Level 3, Landmark Atrium

Central

Opening hours:

Monday to Friday: 7.30AM - 8PM

Saturday and Sunday: 8.30AM - 8PM

Anyeong! Noona always tries to eat at Hong Kong cha chaan teng because online article says this is considered lifestyle in Hong Kong. What is cha chaan teng? The phrase literally means tea restaurants and they are famous in Hong Kong and Macau. The unique concept of a cha chaan teng is the extensive Hong Kong dishes menu that they offer to the customers. The common concept shared amongst the cha chaan teng in Hong Kong is they are swift, fast (sometimes to the extent of rude service) and dislike customers for lingering for too long in the restaurant. Sounds pretty nerve-wracking, but Noona ain't back out without trying at least one.

And just like that, here we are at one of Lan Fong Yuen's branches at Tsim Sha Tsui.

K-in-HongKong: Lan Fong Yuen, Tsim Sha Tsui

Just like the sign says, Lan Fong Yuen has been around in Hong Kong since the year 1952 (older than Noona's parents, omo!). It seems that tourists are willing to drag their luggage here (making the meal is either their first or their last in Hong Kong) to have the meal. The cha chaan teng was fully packed when we came around 5PM-ish (not even dinner time!).

If you see a full house, do not worry and just let one of the servers know how many people are dining in. Sharing culture is deeply embraced (or forced) in Hong Kong's cha chaan teng's scene so yes, be prepared to share a table with other customers. Most diners just tend to their own business so introverts, we can do this!

Make sure you know what to order though (otherwise, you'll get scolded by the famously rude Hong Kong restaurant service). Not sure if Lan Fong Yuen has English menu but they sure ain't gonna give you one if you have Oriental look even though you may not possess the Mandarin/ Cantonese language. Luckily for people like us, picture menu is available. So, let's just let our fingers do the pointing when ordering. Noona's finger-pointing method has landed her a glass of iced almond milk.

A plate of condensed milk buns (Tsui Wah's one is better, btw). Her buddy's Hong Kong milk tea.

The two speciality dishes of Lan Fong Yuen (because the menu displays the picture of these two dishes prominently). The first is chicken chop instant noodle. The chicken chop is delicious but the noodle (or to be exact the sauce that they put in the noodle) tastes pretty weird. Don't mix the garlic in before tasting them, Noona does not really appreciate the taste of these chopped garlic inside her noodle.

Chicken Chop Instant Noodle at Lan Fong Yuen

Travelling buddy's ordered the other popular dish (which also comes with instant noodle), Chicken Wing + Fried Egg Instant Noodle. Yep, the weird instant noodle tastes exactly the same as Noona's. The restaurant is packed and yet, the two top dishes taste weird? Noona starts to wonder if her tastebud is somewhat screwed for Hong Kong's food scene.

Chicken Wings and Egg with Instant Noodle at Lan Fong Yuen

The waiter/ waitresses are mostly uncles and aunties and oh boy, you can dream forever if you think you can order them around. Noona's travelling buddy asked for a glass of hot water for her to take the medicine and well, it's considered good enough that the uncle gave her a glass of warm water (before refusing her in the first place). You could try eating at Lan Fong Yuen since it's an oldie cha chaan teng and stuff, but you don't really have to go all the way here to try the experience of eating at cha chaan teng.

Lan Fong Yuen's address:

Shop 26, WK Square, Basement

Chungking Mansion, 36 - 44 Nathan Road

Tsim Sha Tsui

Opening hours:

10AM - 10PM everyday

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Anyeong Noona

K-in-HongKong: Eating at Tsui Wah, Tsim Sha Tsui

K-in-HongKong: Urban Bakery Works, the Landmark

K-in-HongKong: Lan Fong Yuen, Tsim Sha Tsui