Monday, July 18, 2016

7 Hour Hong Kong Layover

Some people hate connecting flights and layovers. I on the other hand, plan for them.

Especially if they’re 7 hours long.

And in Hong Kong.

Can someone say eating frenzy?

After a whirlwind trip to Hoi An in late May, my flight from Hoi An to Hong Kong landed at 1pm in the afternoon, and my flight back to Melbourne was to depart at 7:30pm. 

I was excited, and very hungry. 

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Off the plane I got in a jiffy, and onto the bus - which is actually a fabulous option if you have a bit of time instead of taking the Hong Kong train express. It’s a third of the price and has some stunning views of Hong Kong as you’re driving in over bridges. 

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By the time I got into Hong Kong itself, I hadn’t eaten in about 5 hours and blood sugar levels were getting dire. I quickly got my butt into Yung Kee Restaurant for one one of the classic Hong Kong things to eat. Roast goose.

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Don’t be put off by how shiny and clean Yung Kee is, sure, it’s super palatable for the tourist (so it’s great and easy when you’re travelling alone - and nicely air-conned when it’s summer out), but there’s still locals in here at odd hours at the communal ‘single diners’ table, tucking into all the meaty goodness. It’s still legit.

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Also don’t get confused like me and think that your only goose options are the big serves for 4 people; the individual meal sizes are at the back!

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Yang Kee’s charcoal roasted goose smells like heaven when it’s popped down in front of you. The first couple of pieces of skin on top, just shatter in the mouth, they’re just so crisp, hiding the juicy and tender meat underneath. A meal comes with a bit of greens and rice; and I love myself a bit of hot barley water to keep the body warm. 

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When I wander around Hong Kong, I’ve always loved how layered and textured the city feels. Dense, with people and activity. 

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Despite the heat, I made sure to pop into Tai Cheong Bakery for the best egg tarts ever. I’ve talked about them before, and they’re big in the hand, warm, soft and absolutely delectable. Nothing like it back home in Melbourne. 

But the main highlight that I was keen to hit up in this brief Hong Kong adventure? 

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Oddies Foodies. 

After all, what kind of self proclaimed sweet tooth would I be otherwise? 

Despite the allure of all sorts of wonderful artisan gelato flavours, I had to go for what these guys famous; the crazy egg waffle…sundaes? Is that what you can call it? 

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When I visited they had two flavours, a new matcha concoction and their classic Night Wolf, and despite my love of matcha, I had to go with what made them famous.

Italian low fat twist soft gelato with butter crumbs, scoop of gelato of the day, passionfruit panna cotta, brownie chocolate chip eggettes and crunchy flakes. Wow. Looks totally crazy, but I was surprised how balanced and thought out the combo was. It wasn’t as rich as I expected and much lighter than I expected, which meant I demolished all of it.

When I ordered, I hadn’t read the description properly, and was absolutely delighted that the eggettes weren’t just plain waffles, but actually laced with chocolate chip throughout, meaning you had gooey chocolate filling in the cavities. The passionfruit panna cotta was a lovely burst of freshness amongst the chocolate and kept the dessert from being too sweet. 

Overall? Totally worth it. 

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All too soon, after darting in and out of shops to satiate the shopaholic in me, it was time to head back, and back on the bus I got to head to the airport, and back home to Melbourne. But seriously, best way to spend a layover, ever! 

Wellington St, 32-40號
Yung Kee Building, Hong Kong

35 Lydhurst Terrace, Central
Hong KongChina

45 Gough Street
Central, Hong Kong

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