Perfect brunch
It used to be that whenever I lined up in front of Tim Ho Wan, the dim-sum specialist located in Central, and found myself surrounded by travelers from places like Seoul, Toyko and New York, as well as Taipei and Singapore, I couldn't help but wonder why people from Taipei and Singapore would bother lining up for hours to have the very same dim-sum they could enjoy at the Tim Ho Wan branches located in their own cities.
I could understand why those from the West or Japan and South Korea would be eager to get a taste of this inexpensive dim-sum restaurant recommended by Lonely Planet and Michelin Red Guide Series, but why the others?
My question was later answered during a trip to Singapore. Entering a Tim Ho Wan there, I wondered why there were no lines. However, after I got a taste of one of my favorite dishes I realized that the Tim Ho Wan in Central is the only one worth lining up for.
In my experience, the best time to go to avoid hours of waiting is around 10:30 am on work days. In most cases, you should only have to wait less than five minutes.
The best dishes you can order to accompany your Pu'er tea are the baked buns with BBQ pork, prawn dumplings, vermicelli roll stuffed with prawn and steamed egg cake. If you have an open mind, I recommend you also try the vermicelli roll stuffed with pig's liver and the steamed chicken feet with black bean sauce.
Spending less than HK$100 per person, you and your friends can have the perfect brunch.
From there you can wander the IFC Mall in Central and other boutique shops nearby before taking the Star Ferry heading to Kowloon.
One of the top ten must-visit attractions in Hong Kong, the Star Ferry offers passengers the most exciting yet cheapest way to appreciate a splendid sea view of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon for only HK$2.5.
Kowloon eats
After a roughly 10-15-minute ride, you will find yourself in a place quite different from Hong Kong Island - more travelers, crowded streets, neon shop signs everywhere… and of course, more street food stalls.
Curry fish balls, egg waffles, egg tarts and Siu mai are very popular eats among both tourists and locals. Since the 1950s, curry fish balls have been Hong Kong's most traditional street snack. You can see people enjoying these on practically every street corner.
For meat-lovers, I recommend a small vendor, Fei Jie's in Meng Kok.
The menu mainly has squid, pork, turkey kidneys and intestines. If you don't know what to choose, then go with the stall's signature dish, which includes small intestines, squid tentacles and turkey kidneys. Before you order, make sure you tell your server if you want mustard or not.
Hong Kong is home to many other wallet-friendly street stalls that I haven't mentioned. Feel free to explore on your own and no matter what you choose you really can't go wrong.
