Hong Kong: North Point

The trip was planned back in January. We agreed on the dates, October 16 to 19, the hotel was booked, and the plane tickets were paid for a few days later. Why Ramada Hong Kong Grand View was chosen, I don’t remember. It wasn’t my assignment. Mine was to pick out the restaurants where we would eat. That’s often my role when this group of friends, all women and all lawyers, travel for pleasure.

When I viewed the hotel on Google maps later, I discovered that Ramada Hong Kong Grand View is on Chun Yeung Street in North Point. Chun Yeung, from one end to the other, is a huge marketplace. Everything is there. Meat. Seafood. Vegetables. Groceries. Tea. Medicine. Restaurants. A neighborhood of locals and the vibe was amazing. A world apart from Central with its posh hotels, trendy restaurants and swanky malls.

I had never been in that area of Hong Kong before. Like most tourists, I’ve only been to places and restaurants listed as “must visit” and “must try”. Too bad. But not too late. North Point was an exhilarating experience. There are two restaurants in the area where I intend to go back to next time I visit Hong Kong.

The restaurant right next door to Ramada Hong Kong Grand View

I can’t recall the name, unfortunately. It wasn’t on my list of “where to eat” but it was late, it was open and, me being me, I liked it because we only saw locals eating there. We weren’t supposed to get to Hong Kong that late. We had an 8:00 a.m. flight and we fully expected to be sipping cocktails in Hong Kong by lunch time. But PAL screwed up. We didn’t take off until 3:00 p.m. It was scandalous, really, and we were on the verge of threatening lawsuit. But that’s another story and the lesson learned is to not book any PAL flights in the future.

So, it was dark when we checked in to Ramada. The food served during the flight was terrible, as usual, and we just wanted a good old Chinese dinner before sleeping early to refresh ourselves and feel rested for all the plans we had lined up for the following days. And there was this place next door. Very humble. No airconditioning. The kind of place today’s generation of tourists will likely skip because it’s not “Instagrammable”.

We ordered fried rice, pork hock and, the star of the meal, a soup with fish and radish served in a light clear broth. Nothing lavish. No fancy plating. No ornate dinnerware. The best way I can describe the food is nourishing and comforting. Like every dish came out of a home kitchen.

We went back a second time days later. We ordered takeout for our last dinner in Hong Kong, brought the food up to the hotel where we ate, gossiped and bantered with our last bottle of wine.

Hopers Base

A short stroll from Ramada is Hopers Base. This one I picked out days earlier for its menu (I love Cantonese food) and its proximity to the hotel.

Located on Fort Street in North Point, it should have been a five-minute walk from the hotel but we got lost along the way. Google maps didn’t say we would have to take a lift to an elevated pedestrian crossing to get there. But, anyway…

I knew roast goose was on the menu (it’s an obsession with me), and I fully expected it to be good. It did not disappoint. But that’s not really the high point of the meal. We I didn’t expect was ordering common Cantonese dishes and finding that they were way better than what I’ve had in the past.

Take the black fungi with vinegar, for instance. I’ve had this appetizer so many times in so many restaurants in different countries but this one takes the prize. Tender wood ears with a light crisp and just enough vinegar for the perfect tang.

And then, the fish skin. I don’t know what fish they use for this dish but the skin was so light and thin. You bite into one and the thing just breaks into fine shards as the buttery salted egg yolk coating melts on your lips.

And, finally, the biggest surprise of all. Char siu. I’ve been eating char siu all my life but never have I had it with such generous amount of fat. The effect is just amazing. I’ll describe it the way I had it. I picked a slice by piercing it on the edge with a fork (I’m not very good with chopsticks). As I lifted the meat to my plate, it started to break apart as gravity separated the meat from the fat. So, so tender. So, so juicy. So perfectly seasoned and charred. I’ll have to elevate my home cooked char siu soon.

Did we ever leave North Point during the trip? Sure, we did. It was in Central where we discovered the most amazing chicken feet we’ve ever had. But that’s another story for another day.