Hong Kong: Shopping, Dining and Checking in by Cynthia Rosenfeld
Featured Hotel in Hong Kong City
Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong
See all hotels in Hong Kong City >
Doomsayers who predicted Hong Kong would lose its luster after returning to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 have been proven wrong as the one time pirate outpost shines brighter than ever these days. Financial markets move up and down, affecting Hong Kong’s fortunes but shoppers, gourmands and nightlife seekers will find plenty of enticements to satisfy any budget. Bottomless wallets have long been well looked after here but new addresses all over town increasingly deliver memorable experiences and excellent value, recasting Hong Kong as a dream destination for one and all.
In Wan Chai, the neighborhood made famous by ‘resident’ Suzie Wong, The Fleming offers 66 well priced guestrooms in the shadows of nearby mega-structures like Central Plaza and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. All boast high ceilings, indulgent bathrooms with powerful showers, generous desk space and aerodynamic office chairs while executive suites add kitchenettes, ideal for those who prefer to cook for themselves.
Travellers seeking to have their expectations exceeded can rest assured the concierge team at the Mandarin Oriental works around the clock, literally. Chief Concierge Benson Soo and his top notch team know that “no” is never the right answer. Unburdened by life’s banalities, be it mailing a letter or renting a luxury yacht, make your way to one of the 113 sublime guestrooms or unwind in the 21,000 square foot spa. The vitality pool’s powerful neck massage jet pummels away tension with unexpected precision while yoga classes allow jet-setters to stay flexible away from home.
Luxury brand addicts and those who aspire to be draped in their wares have long associated Hong Kong’s Central District as the neighborhood to know. Trend setters are turning their stilettos around, heading east on the island to Causeway Bay, where bargains and style abound. A haven for Japanese fashion followers, Delay No Mall (68 Yee Wo Street, Causeway Bay) squeezes the cutting edge over three ever-changing floors of clothing from designers like Bangkok based Greyhound plus essential accessories from frothy cappuccino to glitzy diamonds. The nascent talents behind the buzz worthy concept store were brought together by the irreverent innovators behind local home wares brand G.O.D. where Hong Kong goes to find quirky kitchen items and wacky wallets (Sharp Street East, god.com.hk).
Across the street, clean lines and fair prices define every item inside Muji (3/F Lee Theatre Plaza, 99 Percival Street, Causeway Bay), as notable for their pre-packaged Asian treats like sweet potato chips and colourful marshmallows as for their classic tote bags, functional yet chic office supplies and casual wear for men, women and even kids that always looks cool. Teen visitors to Hong Kong will delight in the discoveries that await them inside Island Beverly (1 Great George Street, Causeway Bay) a multistory warren of itsy-bitsy boutiques where local designers sells their lower priced interpretations of Paris and Milan’s catwalk trends. More of the same plus better known youth oriented brands can also be found next door among the equally intimate spaces inside Fashion Island (19 Great George Street, Causeway Bay).
After getting all dressed up in Causeway Bay, you’ll need somewhere worthy to go after dark. Hong Kong’s nightlife has been taking it up a notch. Bespoke suited bankers of both sexes climb one level higher towards the Peak from the perennial buzz of Lan Kwai Fong to a slew of new addresses along once sleepy Wyndham Street. At Tivo (43-45 Wyndham Street) everyone gather to gossip around the unisex communal sink and paper thin pizza fuels revellers until the early hours. Nip underground to the red lit bordello like bar at Yun Fu (43-55 Wyndham Street), housed in Hong Kong’s former police canteen. Imbibe by the glass at Wagyu (60 Wyndham Street), a wine bar despite the carnivorous name. Join the considerable queue outside the foreboding Moroccan doors of Prive (60 Wyndham Street) where only a lucky few get to groove on the generous dance floor.
For something more low key, curl up on a cushy couch at HIP Holiday Library and Café (6/F Parekh House, 63 Wyndham Street, Central) with a selection from their 3,000 plus travel books. The required membership is a bargain at HK$200, offering access to global atlases, photo filled coffee table books and the company’s own glossy bilingual publications, The Invisible Great Wall and The Invisible Palace lavishly documenting mainland China’s all too quickly vanishing past. Those hungry for more of what Hong Kong has to offer need only take the elevator to understated Hakka Ye Ye (2nd Floor Parekh House, 63 Wyndham Street, Central) beloved as much for its regional Chinese fare like minced pork mixed with dried squid dumplings fried in a bean curd wrapper and Hakka style salted chicken as for its extremely reasonable pre-fixe lunch menu. Or cross the street where Frog Face Fish (43-55 Wyndham Street) serves unusual but deliciously edible underwater entrees like sole with grilled banana and an absinthe flamed seafood broth.
Diners seeking somewhere especially sleek will be duly impressed by the massive blocks of raw stone Japanese architect Super Potato used to create an unexpectedly earthy ambience at Zuma (Level 5 and 6, The Landmark, Central), a Japanese gastronomic extravaganza that attracts Hong Kong’s most recognizable and beautiful faces nightly. Executive Chef Dan Segall hails from Boston but proves his Asian culinary expertise with grilled Japanese eggplant grilled lacquered with Kyushu and white miso chili sauce and succulent black cod with wasabi lime sauce. End the night in the sexy upstairs lounge filled with rare sake and fine wines.