Quite possibly the last of squalid lawlessness in the heart of Hong Kong, it’s the Kowloon Walled City I wish I could have been to, with hit-or-miss Indian food and that elusive Ghanaian home eatery I hope to visit before I leave Hong Kong. This might sound strange, my impression of Hong Kong changed for the better the last time I stayed here five years ago.

Chungking Mansions
36-44 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon, Hong Kong

We might have explored more dockside if not for trespassing concerns and oh the mosquitoes – which were coming right at me, just me.

From last October when a good friend sneaked out of a work retreat in Macau to come visit and so it was Peng Chau again on a weekend afternoon chatting by the sea as the sun set. Good times even if we didn’t stay for too long.

An exhibition opening and then a bar that provides complimentary marshmallows for roasting. Wish there were vegetables or chicken wings on sticks but I might have been asking for too much. Oh well, the marshmallows were pretty ingenious all the same.

Following our Christmas binge gluttony over the weekend, we embarked on a hike for some fresh air and much needed exercise. Life is good with pepper jack cheese and ham sandwiches plus paper cups of rosé. Here’s to a wonderful new year ahead everyone !

Or we would have gotten ourselves the baked spareribs rice. Moral of the story: Best to head to cha chaan tengs at proper mealtimes, never in between. Something I’m sure Terence’s dad would agree with as well.

We spent Saturday afternoon picking clams for Sunday’s dinner, pretty much a day out at the beach with Chinese characteristics. Battling waves, we were waist deep in waters using our feet to feel for clams, which are actually buried deep in the sand (never knew that before). 

I made linguini alle vongole on Sunday night. There were so many clams my saucepan could barely fit them all and everyone said the clams were delicious, yay.

A hastily-planned hike which eventually morphed into a barbeque at the beach with only 30 minutes’ worth of hiking each way, not that I’m complaining. In between time spent in the crystal-clear waters and ice-cold cups of rosé wine, there was that best barbeque I’ve had in a long time (small selection of simple, delicious food, well cooked not burnt) ! It was as if we were on vacation in [insert name of random tropical beach paradise], if only just for one afternoon.