8 Things to Do in Tsim Sha Tsui Hong Kong

 

1. Ride a Star Ferry

We rode one at Central and made our way towards Tsim Sha Tsui (TST). For HKD 2.7, it was a very convenient and relaxing trip! Some of the locals also use this as another alternative transportation for their commute. We traveled while the sun was setting, so we had a nice view of the blue sky turning into a golden one. Also, the water did not smell bad which made the experience more pleasant.

 

2. Relax while watching the sunset

If you’re not on a Star Ferry, you’ll still get to see the sunset at the port in TST. You’ll be able to get a good angle from the area near the strip of restaurants or from the mall (Star House) beside the harbour.

 

3. Listen to buskers near the harbour

When we got off the boat and walked towards the city, we saw two men setting up their equipment for busking. It was about 6 pm at that time. Imagine watching the sunset while listening to musicians fill the air with delightful music.  Although I didn’t understand most of their songs since they were sang in Chinese, I still enjoyed knowing their culture more! Whenever I travel, I make sure to stop and listen to buskers on the street. For those who sing and play at TST, they usually stay for more than three hours in the area. So, drop by if you can!

 

4. Visit 1881 Heritage Park

This was recommended to me by a friend. The building is well-lit at night, but it’s also beautiful in the daylight. It houses a few luxurious brands and has a gorgeous architectural style! You can bring a drink or snack with you as you stroll around the area. Fun fact: This place used to be the Marine Police’ headquarters in the area.


5. Appreciate Architecture

Within a few meters away from the harbour, you’ll get to see numerous buildings and areas with very nice architecture and designs! I still remember feeling the cool breeze as we walked around the area, looked up towards the tall structures, and enjoyed the view with ice cream cones in our hands. What a treat! Plus, sightseeing around this cultural center is free!

 

6. Watch The Symphony of Lights

At night, TST allows the locals and tourists to view the light show from the harbour. For a few minutes, the buildings around it light up as music is being played. It’s not as extravagant as the light shows we see in Singapore, but if you’re in the area, it’s a nice way to relax. You’ll get to watch traditional Chinese boats cruise along the sea too.

7. Book a 45-minute trip with Aqua Luna

Aqua Luna provides a tour (roughly around HKD 200 / PHP 1,300) around the harbour which allows the passengers to witness the sights and sounds of Hong Kong and its cityline. The passengers get one drink (e.g. wine, juice, or water) and sit on lounge chairs on the boat. It is expensive for me, but, I gave it a try because the boats used are some of the last few traditional Chinese boats in the country. I figured that it would also be a relaxing way to end our first night in Hong Kong. There are other cruise options that include dinner or have different time slots (e.g. daylight, sunset, late evening). So, it will depend on your preferred choice. Will I ride it again? Honestly? I probably won’t because it is pricey for me. Haha! But, it was interesting to try at least once.

 

8. Try Food Establishments in TST

Unfortunately, we didn’t have the appetite to have a food trip in TST mostly because of the tiring day that we had. But, we did go around the buildings near the harbour and saw various restaurants (both reasonably priced and expensive ones) in the area. We also visited the stores inside Star House mall. They have a variety of shops inside. From fastfood restaurants to coffee shops and stores which sell souvenirs and gadgets. A friend suggested the restaurant, “Jade Garden” inside this mall. If you have time, feel free to try it out and let me know how it is!


We only stayed for a few hours in TST, but it was nice to finally see it in person. The next time I visit TST, I’ll make sure to come with a hungry tummy! I’ll probably do it on the second day too, so that I wouldn’t be tired from the early flight and plane ride.

8 Things to Do in Central Hong Kong

1. Shop and have a photo walk around the city

One thing that you surely won’t miss when you visit Central is the view of high-rise buildings and malls filled with luxury brands and local products. If you would like to shop in Hong Kong, please remember to show your passport so you could pay for the items, tax-free! As you go through the huge sidewalks, you might find Central’s buildings and streets to be interesting subjects for photography too!

 

2. Visit the Victoria Peak

One of the famous tourist spots in Hong Kong is the Victoria Peak. This is the highest peak in the city where tourists and locals go to get a good view of the cityline. We got discounted tickets from the Klook app days before our trip to avoid any inconveniences. We also went there on a weekday to make sure that we wouldn’t be waiting in line for a long time. However, upon reaching the venue, we still had to wait for 20-30 minutes before we got on the tram.

Nonetheless, it was an interesting tour! The tram ride felt like a rollercoaster ride which only went up. Going back down was even more amusing because we went backwards fast! Haha. If you’re willing to spend extra money, you can avail the access to the Sky Terrace which gives you a better view of the whole skyline. But, if you don’t have more budget, you can take photos from the mall right beside it which gives you a gist of what it looks like.

Roundtrip: Peak Tram Only – around Php 300
Roundtrip: Peak Tram + Sky Pass – around Php 600

More details HERE

 
3. Go on a food trip

You can read more about it HERE.

 

4. Enjoy street arts at the Soho area / Graham Street

Of course, we wouldn’t miss the opportunity to visit one of the most famous Instagramable spots in Hong Kong — Graham St. It’s nice to appreciate free art in the city. As you walk along the artsy streets, you’ll even find small coffee shops and restaurants that you might like to visit too.

 

5. Shop and take photos at Pottinger Street

Don’t be intimidated by the steep slope at Pottinger Street. By exerting just a bit more effort, you’ll find it worthwhile to check out the local items sold at the stores along the way or to simply take photos at the uniquely constructed pavement — something that you don’t see everyday.

 

6. Ride the mid-level escalators

The longest mid-level escalator in the world is located at Central, Hong Kong. This is also used by the locals as their mode of transportation from one street to another, especially since the streets in the area are very steep. Feeling a bit more adventurous? Hike up the streets! But, it’s quite relaxing to street-hop by riding this one too!

 

7. Buy meat, fruits, or flowers at Graham street

While we were walking along Graham street, we happened to pass by fruit and flower stalls at the side of the road. There wasn’t much fruit markets in the area where we stayed at (Mong Kok), so it was refreshing for me to finally see fruits after all of the dim sum and noodles we ate.

 

8. Go on a tram ride around and across the cities

This is an experience that we don’t have in the Philippines. The ride was a bit bumpy but, it was fun to sightsee from the second level of the tram. Make sure to try it when you’re there! From Central, we rode the tram to Causeway Bay! It took us 15 minutes to get there. Not bad.


There are so much more to experience in Central, but we only had one day! Let me know which ones you’ve tried!

Where to Eat in Hong Kong (Part 2)

Click HERE for the first part of our Food Trip in Hong Kong.

 

DIMDIMSUM DIM SUM SPECIALTY STORE

G/F Tung Choi St. Mong Kok

When we arrived at the place, there were about ten people waiting in line outside the small restaurant. Similar to Tsim Chai Kee, DimDimSum only has a few tables inside. At first, we hesitated to fall in line, but because we saw that it was recommended online and we noticed how the people patiently waited for their turn, we got curious. In less than ten minutes, we were given a table for two. Surprisingly, the service was fast! They were able to serve all of our dishes in less than five minutes. However, I think they didn’t understand our request for chili because after asking three times, they still didn’t give us chili. Hahaha.

We ordered the ff.:

*Steamed Shrimp Dumplings (HKD 27 / PHP 175)

*Pork Dumplings with Crab Roe (HKD 23 / PHP 150)

*Deep Fried Wontons with Sweet and Sour Sauce (HKD 19 / PHP 123)

*Steamed Spareribs with Black Bean Sauce (HKD 19 / PHP 123)

*Milk Tea (HKD 15 / PHP 100)

I recommend everything we ordered except for the Deep Fried Wontons with Sweet and Sour Sauce. It wasn’t worth the money since it was 10% shrimp and 90% fried wonton wrapper. Their milk tea is a bit expensive for me. But, it wasn’t too sweet or too bland, so it was a good ending to our savory meal.

 

STARBUCKS AT DUDDELL ST.

13 Duddell St., Central

I discovered this branch while I was preparing for our itinerary a few days before our trip. It was a must-visit place for me because of two reasons: 1) I love Starbucks; and 2) It was a very unique branch since the interior design gave a cultural experience of Hong Kong. Hidden along Duddell St., this branch was surrounded by tall buildings filled with high-end branded shops. We didn’t expect to find it there, but we were very excited to spend at least an hour inside their lovely store. I wish Starbucks could build more stores around the world which show fusions of the countries’ and Starbucks’ cultures.

 

MISTER SOFTEE

Ice Cream Truck

We saw a truck of Mister Softee near the clock tower at the southern shore of Tsim Sha Tsui while we were waiting for our cruise at Aqua Luna’s ship. You can pay for the ice cream using cash or the octopus card and you can choose to have it in a cone or cup. The ice cream was very light. It wasn’t rich or very creamy too, but, it was a pleasant snack to much on while strolling around the place.

 

MAXIM’S CAKES

Inside and beside various MTR Stations

We wanted to eat a light breakfast before going to Disneyland because we knew that we were going to ride a few rollercoasters. While we were walking inside the MTR station in Mong Kok, we saw Maxim’s Cakes and decided to give their products a try. We didn’t buy the cakes though, since it was 8:30 in the morning. We did, however, enjoy eating their Sausage rolls. I liked the taste! The texture of the sausage was firm and chewy. The bread roll wrapped around the sausage had a sweet and salty taste too. It somehow reminded me of Bread Talk’s sausage rolls.

 

YUM CHA

Nan Fung Tower, 2/F, Nan Fung Place, 173 Des Voeux Road, Central

Yum Cha is  one of the famous restaurants in Hong Kong featured in Instagram! They have found a way to creatively produce savory and sweet steamed buns. We dropped by their branch in Central in the afternoon and enjoyed taking photos and eating the Custard Buns (HKD 49 / PHP 320) and Pork BBQ buns (HKD 49 / PHP 320). Between the two, we enjoyed the Pork BBQ buns more because we just weren’t fond of too much custard.

The Pork bun is similar to Pork Asado siopao in the Philippines, while the filling of the custard bun tastes very much like a thick and creamy egg yolk paste. Do note that they DON’T serve house water. You’ll have to pay HKD 30 / PHP 195 for a teapot of hot drinking water. If you’re willing to spend this, it’s better to just buy a pot of tea to go along with your steamed buns. Moreover, I liked the interior design of the restaurant. It was very clean and spacious. We even sat at a table beside a huge window overlooking the busy street below.

So, there you have it! If we had more time, we would have ordered other recommended food in Hong Kong such as the egg waffles, French toast with condensed milk, pineapple buns, roasted goose, and street food. We really enjoyed the experience of discovering food in Hong Kong. I hope you get to try the food that we tasted! If you have other suggestions, let me know what you think too, so I can try them next time!

Where to Eat in Hong Kong (Part 1)

Going around Hong Kong was a fun experience for me since I got to taste different flavors in a number of cities. Here are some of the restaurants and stores we visited during our stay.

TSIM CHAI KEE

98 Wellington St., Central

Tsim Chai Kee has been earning Michelin stars since 2010 and is still one of the most sought restaurants in Hong Kong. Without a doubt, it has one of the best wontons in the country! I still remember how the flavors exploded in my mouth after eating the plump and savory wontons in their noodle soup. We ordered the King Prawn Wonton Noodle (HKD 29 / PHP 188). However, unfortunately, the broth was bitter for me. Imagine overcooking onion leeks or chives in the broth and tasting its bitterness with every slurp. Nonetheless, the delicious wontons made the experience unforgettable! If ever you’ll visit this restaurant, you’ll probably share your table with strangers since the place only has around 8 tables inside and is very much visited by locals and tourists.

Tsim Chai Kee is situated right across one of its competitors, Mak’s Noodles. Although, we weren’t able to try the latter one because it opened at a later time (11 am). Based on other reviews, Tsim Chai Kee has bigger wontons compared to Mak’s. Next time, I’ll make sure to drop by!

 

GUANGDONG ROAST RESTAURANT

37 Dundas St., Mong Kok

This was located a few streets away from the Airbnb apartment we stayed at. The staff couldn’t speak English that much, but with the help of a few hand signals and their menu card, we were able to order a bowl of Wonton Noodle Soup (HKD 35 / PHP 227) and a plate of Roasted Duck with rice (HKD 57 / PHP 370). Both dishes were delicious! I liked the broth of this wonton noodle soup more than Tsim Chai Kee’s and their wontons were also very delicious. I liked how they did not skimp on the shrimps. There was a whole, freshly cooked shrimp in each steamed wonton. Aaaahhh! I love Chinese food! The service was also quick. We had our dishes in less than 5 minutes.

 

EMACK & BOLIO’S

26 Cochrane St., Central

My friend had a discount voucher for this ice cream shop, so while it was drizzling, we stopped over and got ourselves a cold and creamy treat! Of course, I got the usual flavor (Cookies & Cream), but I paired it with a waffle cone which was covered with chocolate and crushed Oreos. They have other crazier options for their waffle cones, but because it was too much for me, I chose the Oreo Overload.

 

TAI CHEONG BAKERY

35 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central

One of the go-to stores in Hong Kong is Tai Cheong Bakery. Their freshly baked egg tarts are delicious! I am not a fan of tarts, but I enjoyed eating this one! The egg flavor was just right and the tart’s crust was savory. It also had the right amount of salt and sugar. The light filling can be likened to gelatin. I really wanted to bring some home to the Philippines, but I wasn’t sure if they would last the trip. Now, I regret not being able to buy more of the egg tarts.

 

TAI HING

Shop G25, G/F, Grand Tower, 639 Nathan Road, Mong Kok

For my late dinner / early midnight meal, I passed by Tai Hing because I was thinking about Hong Kong’s crispy roasted pork. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to clarify that I wanted the single serving, so I ended up buying the whole serving of crispy pork which was good for 2-3 persons. I ate it with a cup of white rice and their mustard sauce. I wasn’t a fan of their mustard sauce though. But, I liked how they served the good parts of the pork. There was more meat than the fatty part. Plus, the thick skin was delightfully crispy! I would have liked it more if the skin was saltier. But maybe it was because I was just used to eating salty lechon skin in the Philippines. I heard good reviews of this restaurant. Hopefully, I can go back and give their other dishes a try!

Click HERE for more restaurants and food stores we visited in Hong Kong.

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About Me

My name is Nicole Obligacion and I started this blog because I was inspired by Hebrews 10:24 and Hebrews 3:13. I love to eat, cook, bake, read the Bible, and encourage. :)

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