Welcome to Hong Kong Stopover Guide

The idea of creating an online-stopover-guide to Hong Kong came up after I realized there are so many travelers who pass through this fascinating city on their way from here to there, and don't really know what are the best possible ways to spend a day or two, while waiting for their next flight...

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I'm sure you'll find the info in this blog helpful and I look forward to hear from you...

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Bon Voyage


Sunday, April 5, 2009

5) Hong Kong restaurant and entertainment areas - Part B

While my previous entry (Hong Kong restaurant & entertainment areas – Part A) was all about the dining & entertainment precincts of Hong Kong Island, this one will take you through Kowloon's popular areas… From Tsim sha Tsui's swanky restaurants to Mong Kok's eateries…

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Often abbreviated as TST, Tsim Sha Tsui is Kowloon's most vibrant and active entertainment and shopping area, and one of Hong Kong's busiest districts. It's a relatively small area which extends from the waterfront esplanade along Victoria Harbor in the south, all the way to Austin Road in the north.
Although fairly small in size, Tsim Sha Tsui is chock-a-block with shopping, dining and entertainment venues, as well as with tourist attractions... Moreover, Tsim sha Tsui itself is divided into some different wine & dine areas... each with its own personality and atmosphere...
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Knutsford Terrace: a small terrace street, lined with bars, pubs and restaurants, is Tsim sha Tsui's smaller version of Lan Kwai Fong (although the ambience here is far more relaxed...).
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Recommended venues in Knutsford Terrace include: Balalaika (one of Hong Kong's only Russian resto-bars, well known for its "Siberian Vodka room"), Bahama Mama's (an easygoing bar, with nice dancing music and great pub grab), Island Seafood & Oyster Bar (one of Tsim sha Tsui's best places for seafood), Mai Nouveau Thai Cuisine (chic restaurant, serving excellent Thai cuisine with a contemporary touch), Tutto Bene (serving fabulous south Italian food that combines traditional Italian cooking with some of the chef's own innovations...), Papa Razzi (serves some of the best pizzas in Hong Kong in a lovely surroundings...), Apgujeong Korean tent bar (serving hearty portions of authentic Korean food in a lovely environment) and Black Stump (an Australian steakhouse and grill) .

Getting to Knutsford Terrace is quite easy: If coming from the waterfront ("Symphony of Lights"), from Star Ferry Pier or from Tsim sha Tsui MTR station (exits A-2 or B-1), walk up Nathan Road, turn right to Kimberley Road and then left, to the stairway that leads from the street to the terrace (next to the junction of Kimberley and Carnarvon).

From Kowloon's Airport Express station - Take shuttle bus K-5 to Kimberley Road. You can drop off at either the Luxe Manor or the Empire Hotel Kowloon. Both are just a stonethrow from Knutsford Terrace.

If coming by bus from the airport: Take Citybus' route A21 and alight at the bus-stop outside Miramar Shopping Centre, on the corner of Nathan Road and Kimberley Road. Turn to Kimberley and follow as above.


Hillwood Road, north of Kimberley Road and Knutsford Terrace (the section between Nathan Road and Pine Tree Hill Road), has been nicknamed "Hillwood SoHo" although it doesn't resemble Hong Kong's SoHo that much... There are a few good Chinese and Asian restaurants here, alongside some nice cafés... Tin Heung Lau (this long established restaurant specializes in classical Hangzhou Cuisine, from the Yangtze River Delta), Lo Chiu Vietnamese Restaurant and Tai Woo Restaurant (one of Hong Kong's best Cantonese restaurants) are particularly recommended.


If Knutsford Terrace is Tsim sha Tsui's answer to LKF, than Ashley Road somewhat resembles Wanchai's Lockhart Road, with a good mix between restaurants, resto-bars and nightspots (forget about the girls though...).

Our recommended restaurants and entertainment venues in Ashley Road are: Ned Kelly's Last Stand (a great Jazz bar and restaurant, with "wild west" ambience...), Mes Amis (a very popular nightspot), Weinstube (serving delicious home style German and Austrian food, together with some good beers and wines), Gaylord Indian Restaurant (This excellent Indian restaurant has become a landmark in Hong Kong's culinary scene) Jimmy's Kitchen (an 80 years old culinary institution, serving familiar international specialties...), Sushi One (A very popular Japanese restaurant) and La Taverna (has been serving splendid Italian cuisine in a romantic ambience for more than thirty years).

Getting there: From Star Ferry Pier take Canton Road (along Harbor City), turn right to Peking Road and you'll be there after a minute (It's a five minutes walk from the pier). From Nathan Road and Tsim sha Tsui MTR station (exits A-1 or E): Turn to Peking Road or Haiphong Road and you'll be there at no time (the entrance from Haiphong is through a building) .

From Kowloon's Airport Express station - Take shuttle bus K-3 to the Kowloon Hotel. From Middle Road (off Nathan Road), turn right to Ashley Road .

If coming by bus from the airport: Take Citybus' route A21 and alight at the last stop, outside the Star Ferry Pier. Then follow as above .


Classy restaurants, as well as some nice cafés, can be found in Tsim sha Tsui's five star hotels, as well as in the large, glittering shopping malls... Here are some the best:

Yan Toh Heen (Yan Toh Heen serves some of the best Cantonese cuisine in Hong Kong, in an elegant and refined setting that matches in with the fabulous food), Ruth's Chris Steak House in Mody Road's Empire Centre (a Louisiana steakhouse and restaurant, serving some of the best steaks in Hong Kong), Super Star Seafood Restaurant (serving some of the best Cantonese food in Hong Kong), Dong Lai Shun (an opulent restaurant, specializes in the Huaiyang cuisine), Chesa (serving superb Swiss and central European cuisine in a pleasant environment), Gaddi's (located within the classic Peninsula Hotel, this superb restaurant is considered as one of Hong Kong's best), Felix (an ultra stylish resto-bar on the top floor of the Peninsula. Designed by Philippe Starck), Spoon (Chef Alain Ducasse's creation - one of Hong Kong's landmark restaurants), The Bostonian (serveing outstanding seafood and grill dishes in a charming environment), T'ang Court (Named as one of the world's best hotel-restaurants by several international magazines, T'ang Court serves world-class Cantonese cuisine in a swanky environment), Sabatini (this luxurious restaurant is the Hong Kong outlet of one of Rome's best known restaurants...), Habitu, the pier (Excellent Italian restaurant, with lovely harbor views, specializes in thin and crispy pizzas, as well as home-made pasta and risotto dishes) and "HER" Thai Restaurant (lovely Thai restaurant, with great views towards Western Harbor and the China-Ferry Pier).

Other highly recommended venues in Tsim sha Tsui include : 798 Unit & Co. (a fantastic New York style bistro), Aqua Spirit (a romantic and stylish bar, with absolutely gorgeous views), La Tasca (Spanish bistro style, resto-pub), Tack Hsin Restaurant (serving great Chinese hotpot at reasonable prices), Hu Tong (serves fabulous northern Chinese cuisine in an elegant and aesthetic setting), Surya Restaurant (excellent Indian restaurant), Kenjo (possibly, one of Hong Kong's best Japanese restaurants), Sushi Toku (serves outstandingly fresh Sushi and Sashimi in a very pleasant environment), Akita Robatayaki & Teppanyaki (stylish Japanese-style grill), Spring Deer (one of Hong Kong's best and most popular Chinese restaurants) and Fook Lam Moon (a Hong Kong 'culinary institution', serving legendary Shark's fin and Abalone specialties)

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Mong Kong and Yau ma Tei
(The areas around Temple Street's Night Market) have both been already mentioned in another entry in this blog... (Covering Hong Kong "must sees" in a day)

If authentic eateries are your thing, those precincts are, probably, your best bet.

Our list of recommended restaurants in Mong Kok and Yau ma Tei includes: Ming Court (This Michelin starred restaurant serves culinary creations that combine traditional Cantonese cuisine with contemporary western influences... ), Mak Man Kee Noodle Shop (some of the best noodle dishes around Yau ma Tei), Little Fusion (good selection of Italian, French and Japanese specialties...), Nathan Congee and Noodle (this humble eatery has been serving some fabulous congees, noodles and dumplings for the last 40 years or so...),


Curry A La King (a curry lovers paradise, serving a wide selection of scrumptious curries from different Asian cuisines), Mongkok Fung Shing Restaurant (specializes in traditional Shunde cuisine, from the Shunde area, in the Pearl River Delta, and serves some superb dim-sum), Fu Kei Restaurant (very popular restaurant, specializing in several Chinese cuisines... The chefs keep on coming with new "inventions" all the time), Tanyoto Hotpot Restaurant (serving delicious Hotpot/Steamboat and Szechwan dishes...), Little Sheep (possibly, one of Hong Kong's most favorite Hotpot restaurants) and Lok Yuen Beef Ball King (some of the best Beef Ball and Pork Ball noodle soup in Hong Kong)




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