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To be able to appreciate the city’s
party side, you have to experience
the good, the somewhat dodgy
and the unexpected
P A R T Y A L L N I G H T
Tim Ho Wan
Known as the world’s cheapest
Michelin-starred restaurant, Tim Ho
Wan is one of those blink-and-you-
will-miss-it, hole-in-the-wall joints that
make the Hong Kong eating experience
immensely satisfying. As the sign is in
Chinese, the lingering crowd will help
you identify the restaurant. Low prices
(
HKD10-HKD30 or PHP53-PHP159 for
a dish) contribute to the constant line
fronting the eatery, but it’s mostly the
top-notch shrimp
hakaw
,
barbecued
pork buns, beef balls and radish cake
that make diners brave the regular
two-hour wait. Owned by chef Pui
Gor, who used to work at the award-
winning Lung King Heen restaurant
at Four Seasons Hong Kong, Tim Ho
Wan opened up two more places last
year, one in Sham Sui Po and another
in Hong Kong station underneath IFC
mall. Devotees, argue, however, that
taste consistency is still best at the
original Mongkok branch.
Tim Ho Wan,
2-20
Kwong Wa St, Mong Kok
5:30
Island-wide
happy hour
If there’s one thing the whole of
Hong Kong Island agrees on, it’s that
happy hour is sacred. Across the bars
on Central, and its bordering areas,
the hours between 4pm and 9pm
(
sometimes even as early as 3pm)
are reserved for weary office workers
wanting to just throw back a few, as
well as budget travelers who can’t
stomach the thought of shelling out
almost HKD50 (PHP260) for a bottle
of beer.
Mid-Levels
Escalators
Along the uphill Mid-Levels Escalators
(
starting from the escalators on
Hollywood Road to Robinsons Road)
are a lot of small, cozy bars and
lounges that offer buy-one, take-one
promos on cocktails or a 30–50%
discount on beers. Staunton’s Wine
Bar + Café is undoubtedly one of the
liveliest places in Soho post-work hours.
The open-front bar mixes a crowd of
expats, young travelers and hipster
types who spill out onto the streets
and the adjacent stairs during happy
hour. Shelley’s Yard, Cicada and Bacar,
all located within the gap in between
Hollywood Road and Staunton, offer
HKD30 (PHP150) cocktails. The resto-
bars along escalators are also the best
places for people watching in Central.
From top to bottom:
Tim Ho Wan’s
steaming kitchen;
at night, Staunton’s
Wine Bar + Café is
one of the liveliest
places in Soho;
(
inset) Tim Ho Wan’s
siew mai
PHOTOS
GETTY IMAGES (EXCEPT SIEW MAI)
