I lived in Hong Kong three times growing up, and still visit every chance I get, both to revisit old favorites and to explore the ways this fast-paced city has changed.
Photo by Jennifer Flowers
On my most recent trip, I checked into The Peninsula Hong Kong, an 89-year-old grand dame hotel that nods to the past (high tea in the lobby) while embracing the future (LED control panels in the guest rooms).
Photo by Jennifer Flowers
I also spent a couple of nights at the much newer, Andre Fu-designed Upper House, located across the Victoria Harbour on Hong Kong island.
Photo by Jennifer Flowers
When it came to food, however, I went straight for the classics.
Photo by Jennifer Flowers
I lunched on noodles with shredded pork and a spicy brown sauce—my favorite Hong Kong dish—at a plastic-topped table in Mak’s Noodles. For dessert, I went around the corner to the Tai Cheong Bakery for shortbread-crusted egg tarts, the same ones my mom used to buy me during our mother-daughter outings.
For dinner one night, I followed a tip from a friend to Kin’s Kitchen, which makes traditional dishes (char siu pork; steamed egg custard) with ingredients from local farms.
Photo by Jennifer Flowers
Between all that eating, I bought a fiery red sweater with a mandarin-style collar at Dorfit, my go-to spot for cashmere at reasonable prices.
Photo by Jennifer Flowers
Then I hiked the Dragon’s Back trail along Tai Tam Bay, a trek that’s always a welcome respite from the city’s frenetic pace.
