One area of food that I lack the most knowledge in is with fruits. Yes, the sweet and juicy, vitamin packed produce that mostly grows on trees. Why? Because I grew up eating a very limited variety of them all-year round. Thanks, uncommon allergies! Fruit seasons might as well not exist for me; otherwise, I would miss out on the chance to fill my daily sugar allowance with preferably natural ones.
This doesn't mean that the opportunity to go fruit picking doesn't still excite me. As long as it isn't pollination season and not departing for the farm at 6:30 AM on a hot summery day, I am far more willing to be outside in nature and farmland than just a few years earlier. I might not be able to consume the fresh fruits but my allergies aren't so bad so I could still touch them and be fine.
Mid to late summer is, apparently, the perfect time for peaches and nectarines. I saw them more often in our fruit basket throughout July and August but didn't know if my mom had sudden cravings or sales were too good to resist, usually meaning it's their season and time to shine. It only clicked after the parentals said we were going on a peach picking day-trip. We joined a bus tour that brought everyone from New York City to Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, Connecticut.
The orchard must be doing something right since they are celebrating their 276th year anniversary this year, 2017. Even though we went with a tour group, there were many families who drove to enjoy the day outdoors as well. It seems to be quite popular amongst the local state residents nearby.
Seeing the rows and rows, acres upon acres of the orchard is just breathtaking. Our bus only allotted enough time for peach picking, but the orchard had PYO peach, apple, and pears the day we went. Lyman's also has a nearby marketplace that sells fruits, baked goods, pantry items as well as BBQ sandwiches. For those looking for activities, the orchard has a golf course and sunflower/corn maze nearby. The maze seemed fun but the day we visited was a little too cloudless to bear the thought of potentially getting lost inside.
The director said that all picked fruit should be paid for first but I would say a majority of visitors had very generous samplings as they went on their picking frenzy. Staff weighs everyone's loot by the entrance/exit and the bags are paid per pound. I believe all peaches were ~$1.50/lb. (give or take) when we visited.
Lyman's has both white- and yellow-flesh peaches (furry) and the same for nectarines (smooth). Since I couldn't eat them, the differences between the variations that I knew were all superficial. Wiki does say the white ones are less acidic and sweeter. My mom recommended us to only pick and purchase firmer ones since these fruits ripen and soften even after picking. It is also wise to keep the peaches and nectarines well protected in the car ride home as any sudden thrashes will surely cause it to bruise.
My biggest regret is not purchasing one of their apple pies and peach crisps/cobblers. It is supposedly an award winning recipe. I got to taste their peach crisp a la mode at the marketplace and it was delish! If only I didn't buy it at the last minute and the bus wasn't on a schedule to leave. Bummer... Perhaps next time?
It's mid-week and I cannot stop thinking about sunny food-filled weekends. Even though Smorgasburg at any location is usually unbelievably crowded, there is nothing else like it where a group of friends can disperse and buy a bunch of treats to share picnic style at the park. It is hard to pick a wrong spot when each of the 20 something odd vendors are handpicked by the organizers. Some are brand-spanking new Smorgasburg-exclusive food ventures and quite a good bunch are long-time Smorgasburg favorites.
Call it a tourist trap if you'd like. Crowded and expensive it definitely is. But then again so is a majority of the eateries in the rest of New York City. To each their own! The best I can recommend is to pick a good time to visit either their Williamsburg or Prospect Park location. The earlier it is, the less packed it will be. Most people are probably still asleep at 11 AM on a Saturday or Sunday. If an Instagram trendy vendor is a must-try, pre-noon is a wonderful time to avoid lines. They only get busier and busier as the day progresses. The only other times when crowds are small and lines short is when the forecast is dreary. While most vendors do end up showing up, the number of visitors who turn out pales in comparison. Downpours aren't fun for anyone; drizzles are perfect.
Tastes
Raindrop Cake. The hype for this water jelly last year was unreal. I get it, the perfectly smooth round blob looks beautiful in person and in photos. The taste is refreshing and light—a stark contrast to typical Western delights that are carby and creamy. But if you really think about it, this is just congealed water with syrup and soybean powder and it costs almost $10. Make some at home with honey and peanut powder.
If experimenting in the kitchen isn't your thing but you "gots to have", split one amongst 2+ friends. Otherwise it isn't worth it even for a photo.
Carnal. There is something so primitive yet so satisfying about being served meat on the bone. Short rib is one of my favorite types of beef, but I have only ever had it braised and grilled. Smoked and slow-cooked is something completely new to me. Having such a large slab of short rib is even more uncommon.
Don't be fooled by their sign; even though it is described as Beef Short Rib with Bone Marrow, the meat part is the star. Don't even think about being civil. Going hands in and gnawing is the best option. The ligament that holds the meat to the bone is not quite cooked down enough in this fashion to eat with a fork and knife. Pack a toothpick or flosser, be prepared to stand on a long line, and get ready to munch on some good meat.
Mofon•GO. My favorite part about Smorgasburg is discovering new foods. I tend to gravitate more towards Asian flavors whenever I search Yelp, especially if dining in Manhattan. Even though I would love to try other cuisines, the number of options and unfamiliarity to the menu is intimidating. Vendors at Smorgasburg, however, are specialized. Many have 1-3 item menus and the variety comes in the form of toppings and sides.
Mofongo refers to the Puerto Rican dish of fried mashed plantains and stuffed with meats. The one we tried was filled with fried pork and served with sriracha mayo. I think they currently offer it with shredded pork. I am not sure if I am not a fan of mashed plantains or if this could have used something juicier/saucier. I remember it being on the drier side. Is this normal for mofongo?
Craves
Lumpia Shack. Hands down favorite at Smorgasburg that my friends and I get at least once every year we visit. Skinny lumpia is pure love and joy. If frying foods at home wasn't so messy, I would gladly make and stock my freezer with these babies.
Although Lumpia Shack is must-have in general, it isn't a must at Smorgasburg if you'll ever be around the West Village and Washington Square Park as they have a Lumpia Shack Snackbar nearby.
Goa Taco. I wish I knew about the deliciousness that was paratha tacos earlier even after taking just one bite. Even though I have eaten scallion pancakes before, it was just a dish on its own. Wrapping it around meats and veggies is ingenious, might I daresay even better than standard corn tortilla tacos! The flatbread is crispy but still has flaky chewy layers.
Like Lumpia Shack, Goa Taco has 2 storefronts in the Lower East Side and Greenwich Village. If the crowds at Smorgasburg are unrelenting and there are other vendors to try, take a walk across the Williamsburg Bridge afterward and grab Goa Taco on the other side.
Big Mozz. How can anyone not like fried cheese sticks? Lactose-intolerant excluded. These are giant and heavy in all respects. The mozzarella core is the chewiest and stretchiest. Yet it is worth all the calories.
Wishes
Since I haven't gone to Smorgasburg yet this year, here's a list of a few new vendors I want to try.
Burrito Juárez. I just love food wrapped with anything carby. They supposedly make their tortillas fresh and don't stuff with rice (which is usually what a majority of burritos are filled with).
Kreung Cambodia It is still Asian eats but Cambodian food is definitely something new even in New York. I think I read somewhere that said profits made go back to helping the owner's farm in Cambodia.
Ube Kitchen They had me at ube. I won't deny my bias towards anything purple. While halo halo seems easy enough to put together at home, the hardest part is having just enough toppings on hand to not be eating the mixed dessert all week long.
Rutte's Dutch Waffles Stroopwafels are the perfect combination of everything I like: sugary, gooey, and crispy but soft. I've only ever dreamed of having it fresh and hot. All my praises to the person who finally brought the made-to-order version of the Dutch treat Stateside!
Dulcinea Churros & Co. Because one ice cream snack is never enough for an ice cream monster. Although, I am sure I would regret wishing for an ice cream sandwich. My sensitive teeth and (assuming) the hot sun will not make good friends with this sweet treat. Regardless...it looks delicious!
The idea of stuffing our faces silly with nothing but our hands could sound archaic to those who are used to utensils and pre-portioned plates. Oh...all the germs and dirty hands! I am a firm believer in the notion of "big germs eat little germs" (it sounds better in Chinese 大菌吃小菌 ); a little bit of bacterium will only add to build immunity.
In reality, there are many cultures that have eaten with their bodily utensils for, probably, centuries. It isn't any less unmannered or uncultured, just a different set of customs: using only a specific hand, pinching rice with specific fingers, scooping meat in a particular way, and the list goes on. If the whole table does the same thing, then is it really weird anymore?
I would imagine everyone's inner kid would especially love this style of eating—so much freedom to lick the leftover sauces from your fingertips and savor every last bit. No one has to pretend to be neat and tidy either. The life!
Jeepney is a Filipino Gastropub in New York City's East Village. They have normal plated service every day. On Wednesdays and Thursdays of the week, and if specially reserved otherwise, the restaurant offers what they call Kamayan Night. This does require an inquiry for reservation ahead of time via a dedicated form on their website. If the availability is right, they will reply via e-mail with a link to another form for a proper reservation. Then you and your party of 4+ could decide on what foods to pre-order.
Just to clarify, I know next to nothing about Filipino culture and cuisine so I could be slightly off. Kamayan style eating is synonymous with family and get-togethers. It is also a type of meal that is reserved for special occasions, but everyone is still familiar with. People gather around a table that uses banana leaves for tablecloths and ladened with rice, meats, veggies, and other finger foods. This was perfect for my friends and I because we were celebrating 2 birthdays and a new job.
Yelp reviews say that Kamayan Night is very popular; reservations made way in advance is highly recommended. We must have been quite lucky since I made the actual request for a reservation only a few days beforehand. It could also be that we chose a time earlier on in the night (6:30 PM). Communication with Jeepney was very speedy.
Even on the Kamayan Nights, they have space for customers who want to order plates of food as well. There is quite a lot of bar seating and side-by-side chairs near the front of the restaurant.
The staff starts to assemble the dinner spread when they've confirmed most of your party arrived. It takes maybe around 15-20 minutes to have everything ready before everyone could sit. The waiter or waitress will hand out hot towels, explain each component, and how properly eat & dip foods Filipino style.
It might look like a mish-mash of food, but everything is placed with thought. The same grouping of food replicates 6 times down the row for our group of 6 diners. Everyone theoretically has their own area to cover but where is the fun in that when food is display this way? We gave little thought to sticking to what was in front of us and just picked whichever food we felt like eating, even if it meant dipping into "other's pile".
The below was the options we were given at the time. Jeepney might change some things up depending on availability and such.
Pulutan // Small Plates (Choice of 2)
Fried tripe - With spicy banana ketchup
Chicharon bulaklak - Crispy ruffle fat
Lumpiang Shanghai - Beef and pork, carrots, water chestnuts, xiao xing, rice paper
Tahong - Steamed mussels, tanglad, shallots, garlic, sili, San Miguel beer
Ukoy fritters - Julianned kamote, carrots, onions, rock shrimp
Banana ketchup ribs - Pork ribs, Filipino dry rub, spice banana barbeque glaze
Batangas bone marrow - Ginger, patis (supplement $2/person)
Ulam // Large Plates (Choice of 3)
Adobong hipon - Head on shrimp sauteed in garlic, ginger, vinegar & bay leaf
Inasal na manok - Roasted chicken marinated in lemongrass, calamansi, soy sauce & achuete butter
Bicol express - Slow-roasted pork shoulder, coconut milk, sili & bagoong
Dinuguan & puto - Boneless port sholder, beef blood, suka, sili, bay leaf, San Miguel lager, served with crispy puto pancake
Kare kare fried chicken - Boneless crispy chicken, peanut butters sauce, pickled long beans
Short rib pares - Braised short rib, star anise, caramelized onion, fried leek, eggplant a la plancha (supplement $4/person)
Dampa fry - Whole market fish, fried hard served with blistered chilies, scallions & escabeche (supplement $4/person)
Rice (Choice of 1)
Jasmine rice - plain rice
Garlic rice - Pinoy staple for garlic lovers with garlic chips (supplement $1/person)
Chino-Latino coconut - Coconut rice with toasted coconut flakes (supplement $2/person)
Drinks
They offer a bunch of options for unlimited draft beer, cocktails, premium alcohol for $25-55/person. Since our group, in general, aren't heavy drinkers we chose to order drinks separately the day of.
Cost & Fees
Base cost: $45/person
Additional food supplemental fees: varies from $1 to $4/person per dish
NYC sales tax
20% service charges (18% tips + 2% admin fee)
Cancellation fee within 48 hours of reservation: 50% of total bill
Cancellation fee or no-show on day-of: 100% of total bill
Our total that night, including tax, service fee, and 1 supplemental food fee: $64/person
I think the hardest part about Kamayan night is choosing which foods to order from their selection. It seems that no matter the party size, groups are limited to 2 "appetizers" and 3 "entrees". Everything they described just sounds so delicious. If it wasn't Kamayan Night, we could have easily ordered a few more of the "pulutan" and "ulam" dishes to share.
My friends all agreed that both the Banana Ketchup Ribs and Lumpiang Shanghai were bomb. The meat on the ribs completely fell off the bone and was very juicy and saucy. Where has banana ketchup been all our lives?? Even though it would have been nice to try some of the more unique appetizers, the lumpiang (spring rolls) gave a much-needed crunch amidst all the soft and tender meats.
Of the main meats we chose, favorites were pretty unanimous: Bicol Express, followed by Short Rib Pares, and then Kare Kare Fried Chicken. The slow-roasted pork shoulder (Bicol Express) had the right amount of sauce and the meat was amazingly tender. We loved covering the rice with that magical sauce. While we enjoyed the fall-apart braised short ribs, it would have been even better with more sauce. It wasn't lacking in flavor, but some pieces needed the extra juice and moisture. The fried chicken meat, on the other hand, was a tad too dry especially considering how large the each piece was.
If I were to ever eat at Jeepney again, not just for Kamayan but even for regular service, I would love to try their dampa fry (whole fried fish). It seems to be a pretty popular choice on Yelp and I noticed quite a lot of them on the service counter when we were eating that night.
The longanisa (sweet Filipino sausage), sweet orange-tinted bread (possible coconut flavored), cucumber salad, and Shanghai bok choy seem to be included no matter what sides and mains are chosen. Vinegar is recommended for dipping almost anything on the table into; it serves to cut the sweetness and grease. The sweet chili is typically reserved for the lumpiang.
We were told a Filipino meal isn't complete without ube (purple sweet potato) and halo halo (mixed ice dessert with sweet beans, jello, and evaporated milk). There aren't any options for dessert with the Kamayan feast, but the Halo Halo was much appreciated after all the heavy foods. We were given 2 bowls to share amongst the 6 of us.
The staff even gave us a round of complimentary ube shots! It could have been that he knew someone in our group or because they found out we were celebrating multiple occasions that night.
My friends and I devoured a good 75% of the food on the table. We only had enough leftovers for 2 loosely packed boxes. I would definitely not recommend gorging until you are silly and delirious because we were seriously full that night for ages. It was harder to control how much we ate since the food was in a big 'ole pile. Just remember to pace it out and take smaller pinches of food instead of handfuls. No one will judge you for leaving a ton of food at the end. In fact, I think it is very appropriate in Filipino culture to have leftovers pack for home.
Hong Kong is a place where visiting as a Cantonese speaking ABC (American Born Chinese) is an experience like no other. The biggest appeal of the city comes from the balance of familiarity and novelty. My family has a Taishanese history, yet we are still a part of the larger Cantonese culture. People who only know Cantonese may not be able to make out the Taishanese dialect, but those who understand Taishanese can definitely find the similarities between the two. Food-wise, the cuisine and choices available are practically identical. Dimsum and yumcha are social gathering musts. Sweet tofu pudding and sweet soups are desserts of choice. The distinctions, instead, come from cultural differences due to environmental influences: traditionalist v. fusion, relaxed v. rushed, roomy v. rushed, smoking v. no smoking. etc.
The internet loads my brain with hundreds of images of foods to try without knowing precisely where to get it or what it is called. Navigating the streets in search of eateries is effortless as signs are in English and Chinese. Speaking Cantonese is sort of easy-peasy. Understanding and deciphering the local slang though makes my language skills seem even more elementary. Even though a big city's hustle doesn't faze me, there is a sense of order despite the rush in Hong Kong that is initially shocking. It shows in the way people line up queue up for restaurants and in the way certain food names are shortened to the least amount of characters that is still humanly understandable in order to keep lines moving. It is weird to feel like I can know so much and so little simultaneously.
Australia Milk Company, Jordan, Hong Kong.
Perhaps the best example of Hong Kong culture rests in a simple breakfast meal. Not at a restaurant where little steamers of dimsum are ordered, but at a "tea restaurant" or cha chaan teng 茶餐廳 where space is limited, tables are cramped, and people are a plenty. Lines at popular establishments can wrap around the block. Workers can be somewhat rude and seemingly annoyed at all times. But their thick skin is probably what gets the queues of visitors moving at a reasonable rate.
Macaroni and ham soup. Ham and egg sandwich. Pineapple bun. "Stocking" milk tea. Coffee tea mix. Lemon with honey. Those are the representative cha chaan teng menu items. None of it sounds super fancy, it is what it is. Individual items are affordable and set meals are even better deals. Everything can be prepared quickly and eaten hastily. That's what makes tea restaurants tick.
Don't let the name Australia Milk Company fool anyone. It might sound like a foreign chain but it has all the hallmarks of a cha chaan teng and then two- three-folds. The lines for indoor seating is neverending, but for a good reason. Luckily they have a shorter line for To-Go visitors that is attended by someone just as brash as those attending to table service.
As an establishment with milk in its name, their milk puddings are definitely a treat. It is rich and creamy and available both hot and cold. The star of the place though is, without a doubt, the scrambled egg sandwich. Their bread is thick and pillowy soft. The eggs are fluffy and buttery. Gaahh, the combination is just to die for! I know, I know...it is just egg and bread. Every cha chaan teng offers it. I thought that too until I had it from other places. Australia Milk Company really is much better.
*TIP: For Cantonese speakers, don't bother with saying the full names of any of the menu items. For tui daan sam mun tsee 火腿蛋三文治 (ham and egg sandwich) it is not; tui daan tsee 腿蛋治 is much more appreciated. For English speakers, ask for an English menu and point or try saying ham egg sandwich toast.
Let me stop a moment to gush about getting milk in a glass bottle. This completely caught me by surprise. It is not common to buy single portion milk. It is even less common to find it in a glass bottle unless it is organic, raw, unpasteurized, or anything of that nature. Then on top of all that, the bottle should be rinsed and returned instead of to be trashed? Shocking!
HK Brands & Products Expo, Wanchai, Hong Kong.
Growing up, tofu pudding (dou fu faa 豆腐花 or dou faa 豆花) was always a treat at dimsum or if my mom happens to stop by the tofu vendor in Chinatown. It always seemed like an adult's dessert because of its lack of color, decorations, and texture. When I spotted a bunch of people carrying around bowls of the tofu pudding with colorful cubes I was immediately intrigued. I couldn't read the name at the time but just assumed it was taro ball 芋圓 and sweet potato balls 地瓜圓 from its appearances. Those weren't like anything other rice balls I have ever had. Instead of a soft mushy texture and round shape, it was springy chewy and cubed.
The taro and sweet potato balls supposedly originate from Taiwan and are made with sweet potato starch rather than glutinous rice flour. I guess that explains why I haven't ever had anything like it before. Since I saw these at the HK Brands & Products expo, I wonder if they are popular in dessert shops in Hong Kong?
Chung Kee Dessert, Jordan, Hong Kong.
Glutinous rice balls in syrup is another representative dessert of Cantonese cuisine. Homemade versions are typically on the plainer side, i.e. filling-less, and Grandma and mom are usually more generous when scooping the dough balls.
Dessert shops usually incorporate special flavors into theirs since the plain ones are really easy to make. (Some glutinous rice flour + water forms the dough. Some sugar + water makes a syrup.) Putting filling inside the dough while ensuring it is fully encased and evenly wrapped is tedious and meticulous work for unskilled hands. How else would dessert shops make money?
Anyways, my favorites versions are the red bean and mango varieties. It is just personal preferences. Red bean and black sesame are more traditional options. Green tea and mango are more modern influences.
Kwan Kee Store, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong.
I wasn't actively looking for these sweets while in HK. I would have been happy if I stumbled across it and not overly sad if I didn't. I think more than wanting to try it per say, I wanted to experience buying it from a street hawker and eating it skewered on two bamboo sticks like in the TVB shows.
While these are sweets, these are usually classified more as snacks than as after-meal desserts. Pudding cake (put chai ko 砵仔糕) and white sugar cake (bak tong gou 白糖糕) are both rice flour and sugar based steamed desserts. Both can come in white or brown sugar versions. The main difference between the two is the white sugar cake has a leavening agent and is fermented while the pudding cake is not.
Put chai ko is kind of like a non-chewy version of ddeok/tteok (Korean rice cakes). It is soft when fresh but still has a firmness to it.
Bak tong gou is springy and slightly chewy. Depending on how it is made it could range from light to kind of dense. Since it is fermented, there is a tinge of sourness.
The ones I tried from Kwan Kee Store were different from what I imagined it to be. Maybe I have just developed a specific taste for both of these since I had them often growing up. The put chai ko was just a tad too firm and the bak tong gou wasn't springy, sour enough to my liking.
Mong Kok, Hong Kong.
Oh, the street food haven that is Mong Kok! Every corner turned will have another eats screaming to be bought and devoured. I am glad that I was able to stay in a hotel that was steps away. Let's just say it was thanks to being able to do some snacks hoarding from the Mong Kok stalls that helped me pull an all-nighter in an attempt to adjust to jetlag.
The variety of street eats available in MK is overwhelming. Savory v. sweet. Fried v. stewed. Local v. international. Cold v. hot. Visiting Mong Kok on a full stomach is most definitely a terrible idea. Even if shopping is the top priority, food smells will surely find its way and the cravings will be hard to ignore. Tons of stalls and shops sell Cantonese classics, but new Instagrammable and trendy spots are just as popular amongst the locals.
Some "Must Try" items are definitely curry fish balls with tripe stew, foods on a stick, and waffles of any kind (egg/bubble waffle and normal one sandwiching jam).
Fa Yuen Street Cooked Food Centre, Mong Kok, Hong Kong.
Although this isn't an authentic outdoors, open-air food stall (daipaidong 大排档), Fa Yuen Street Cooked Food Centre is similar enough in an indoors setting. The Cooked Food Centre is located in a multi-floor complex that also serves as a wet market. The lower floors, I believe, sell veggies, fruits, poultry, and even roasted meats.
Those looking for a sit-down meal can find it on the 4th floor. Some stalls sell congee and breakfast staples, others specialize in stir-fried offerings. The food is straightforward and cheap. Tables are foldable and chairs are stackable. No frills but still tasty, homecooked-esque. Nothing really is quite like this Stateside. The closest thing I can compare the food centre to are the Singaporean hawker centres.
Curry House CoCo Ichibanya, Mong Kok, Hong Kong.
CoCo Curry and I seemed to be ill-fated. I first saw it in person in Seoul. By the time I wanted to give it a try there (maybe within the week of discovering it) the place complete shutdown and was being renovated into something else. I forgot about CoCo Curry in Tokyo where there were so many other foods to try. Maybe I would have remembered it if I saw one during my time there but I somehow never noticed. It took three separate stays in Hong Kong to finally be able to try their famously delicious curry, katsu, and egg combo.
The one at Langham Place didn't offer the customization options that the chain is known for. But that didn't matter to me as a first-timer. I was there for one thing and that was saucy rice with fried meat. Having tried CoCo Curry now, I get what the hype is. It is hard to pinpoint exactly it is about it. Their curry is definitely great and I love how it is just a sauce without any carrots or potatoes. I don't remember it being too spicy but I would like try the spicier levels if I come across another CoCo.
Empire City Roasted Duck, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.
A food adventure isn't complete without a meal that is stumbled upon by chance. My Aunt and I passed by this duck themed restaurant during one of the last few days in HK. It was right near the one shop I really wanted to visit and the both of us love to eat duck, so why the heck not?
Can you tell I liked being able to assemble my food? The roasted duck slices were meant to be wrapped in crepes and veggies. The stir fried minced duck meat was meant to be scooped into the hollow bao buns. We ordered a lot of food for just a party of 2, yet I remember we devoured almost all of it.
I definitely expected more roasted duck for the price (the above photo is 1/2 a duck for ~HKD$250 more or less). But considering the number of other dishes we ended up ordering to try, I was glad the portion sizes of everything were on the smaller side. It would have been a hassle to pack leftovers since our hotel room didn't have a microwave.
There are a few Must Do's on every tourists' Hong Kong itineraries: eating and shopping in Mongkok, viewing the HK skyline at Tsim Sha Tsui, and riding the cable car to Victoria Peak. Most visitors to the travel hub often stay in the main people hubs of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. There is never a shortage of places to visit and things to eat where the land is small but people are plenty.
Then there are those who venture out to a less populated, but still highly visited, Lantau Island 大嶼山. It's biggest attractions are without a doubt Disneyland and "Big Buddha" at Ngong Ping. Since it would have been less fun to visit Disney when I would be the only one excited, seeing the Tian Tian Buddha atop Lantau Island was an obvious choice at the time.
The MRT ride from Mongkok to the Tung Chung Cable Car Terminal takes around 1 hour; the cable car ride up to Ngong Ping is about 25 minutes. Even though I can handle riding a standard cable car, the cabins with the glass bottoms are really intimidating. The fear of falling through, no matter how unlikely, bested me of the experience. Plus. my Aunt could bearly stand the normal metal bottom cabin ride. Forget about the crystal clear one!
*As of this post, the cable car service is actually temporarily halted for repairs. Their website says it should be back in June 2017. The other way to get up to Ngong Ping Village would be via public bus, hiking, or maybe even by taxi. When service returns, it is best to plan ahead for the cable car and order online. The lines for day-of purchases can be over an hour wait.
If heights aren't a problem, I would definitely recommend taking the cable car during the day. The views of Hong Kong from up above and in the middle of the open water is something else entirely. Typical cable car routes ascend over mountains alone. I think that was the first time I was in one that floated above the waters as well as mountains. It was interesting being able to see little figures climb their way up Lantau Peak from up above whenever the cabin traveled closer to land.
Ngong Ping Village is not the highest point on Lantau Island. It is the dispersion site for all tourists who reach the themed village. A teahouse, 360 multimedia attractions, and chain restaurants are the first to greet visitors. A little further up the path will lead to the historical and cultural points of the area: Tian Tian "Big" Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery. A separate steeper path, even further upwards, will lead to the somewhat secluded Wisdom Path where giant wooden pillars create an infinity symbol. Despite being someone who isn't religious and can't read the Chinese characters inscribed on the columns, it was still humbling to be in the presence of. Compared to the main attractions a little ways away, the area where the Wisdom Path is was quieter and more contemplative.
Visiting the sites at the top of Lantau Island felt like a never ending trek up. Half-hour cable car, up. 268 steps to the Buddha, up. 15-minute walk to the Wisdom Path, up. The reward? Definitely the views of everything below. I didn't manage to climb up the tippy-top of the hill where the Wisdom Path columns were, but I think the panoramic scenery would have been even better.
Mountain water tofu pudding 山水豆腐花 is a staple, I found, at the top of mountain trails in Southern China. Well of the two that I went to; Lantau Peak and Baiyun Mountain. The stalls that sell these aren't glitzy. Plastic tables and stools are the norm. Handwritten and hand-painted signs add to its charm. Water from the mountains is supposed to be better, in some way. The tofu fa sits in deep wooden buckets waiting for the next customer before it is scooped and served.
I forgot if the lady gave me the bowls with the sweetener already added or if I was able to add it myself. The simple syrup and sugar used in Guangzhou and Hong Kong felt different from any time I have ever had in New York City. The syrup tasted a tinge spicy, perhaps due to ginger. The sugar had a distinct orangey-brown hue; the tastes weren't any different but it visually was more intriguing. The tofu was very soft and smooth. It was the best treat on a hot humid day. Don't go for the cookie cutter shops near the cable car terminal. Look for the little food stands near the Big Buddha instead!
