Having had a great time in Hong Kong, courtesy of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, and omy.sg, and having made some wonderful friends over the previous three days, the final day came all too quickly, and it was time to bid the Fragrant Harbour goodbye. All I guess were busy in the morning trying to stuff whatever shopping they had done into their bags, and when the time came to say a sad goodbye to the fabulous hotel room at 9.30 am, most of us had made it down to the glorious lobby of the hotel with bulging bags, which we soon loaded into the bus that was to ferry us around that day. Once on the bus, the ever amusing Aussie Pete, gave us an account of his shopping exploits at Harbour City Shopping Mall, and how he had managed to fill his very large and what had been an almost empty suitcase, even getting a toy dog that his son had wanted (isn’t that sweet?). That I can tell you is no mean feat, having not had much time to do any form of serious shopping, with the activity packed programme that the HKTB had lined up for us over the previous three days!
Pete started our morning with the story of how he managed to fulfill the big shopping task his wife had set him.
Evidence of Pete's shopping exploits.
The day’s programme started with breakfast at a congee restaurant that is apparently on list of recommended local restaurants in Michelin Guide, Law Fu Kee on Des Voeux Road. The word is that the chef has been dutifully gotten up at 3 am everyday for the last 50 years to prepare his highly rated concoction of Thai rice, crushed preserved eggs and fish bones that many crave. I myself, not being fond of congee, opted for a plate of beef brisket noodles, after which I was ready for what was to prove a very interesting walk around SoHo and Sheung Wan with Mr Leon Suen, which I have mentioned in two previous posts.
The day's programme started with breakfast at Law Fu Kee on Des Voeux Road in Central.
Law Fu Kee is highly rated for its congee which has been prepared in the same way for 50 years.
After the walk which ended at the Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road, it was time for lunch at the Yin Yang, a private kitchen with three tables housed in a historic building of 1930s vintage in the Wan Chai area, run by celebrity chef Margaret Xu. Xu had given up a job at an advertising firm to run the kitchen and an organic farm on which most of the fresh produce used in the kitchen comes from. The exclusive kitchen, known for its signature dish of “Yellow Earth” chicken which is roasted in an earthern oven designed by Xu herself, hosts up to 30 people and each sitting features a menu that is hand picked by Xu herself, which can cost around HKD 700 per person. I guess this and the sauce making session conducted by Xu herself that followed deserves another post and that I guess is what I would just do.
Yin Yang is a private kitchen housed in a historic building on Ship Street.
The historic building dates back to the 1930s.
Yin Yang's signature dish: "Yellow Earth" Chicken
The specially designed oven that the "Yellow Earth" chicken is roasted in.
We had a Blue Girl at the table.
Celebrity chef Margaret Xu later conducted a sauce making session for some of the bloggers.
Margaret's sauce making demonstration was very intently followed by the bloggers who attended the session.
Margaret Xu demonstrated how to turn this mixture of green chillies, spring onions, ginger and oil from this ....
... to this tangy tasting pesto like paste ...
... which Pete seemed to like ...
We each had a bottle to take home with us.
When the session came to an end, we had a chance to taste the tangy green chilli sauce that Margaret had shown us how to make, which had perhaps the consistency of pesto, of which Pete seemed to enjoy the most. We were each given a bottle of the green sauce which Catherine Ling of Camemberu fame mentioned goes well with Chicken Rice. With that, it was almost time for a sad goodbye to what had been a really enjoyable trip, made better by the company of the friends we had all made on the trip, including the members of the HKTB team, the omy team, and my fellow bloggers, as well as that of the excellent hospitality we all had been shown by the HKTB. After a quick look around the area, during which I had a quick glance at the Hung Shing temple on Queen’s Road East, which was constructed in 1847 and at the time of its construction was by the sea, it was time to board the bus for the airport and say goodbye to some of those who had opted to stay behind. With that, what certainly had been one of the most enjoyable trips I have made, came to an end.
A last look around: Hung Shing Temple (1847) on Queen's Road East.
An annex to the Hung Shing temple, a Kwan Yum temple was added in 1867.
Queen's Road East in Wan Chai.
Darren completing formalities, before we said goodbye ...
A lasting last impression of Hong Kong ... a city that reaches out for the skies in many ways.
Time to say goodbye.
All settled for the final journey to the airport.
