HOW TO VISIT HONG KONG LIKE A LOCAL

Growing up, I lived in Hong Kong three times. I still go there whenever I can to see my old haunts and see the changes this fast-paced city has undergone.HOW TO VISIT HONG KONG LIKE A LOCAL

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).

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.

When it came to food, however, I went straight for the classics.

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.

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.

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.

HOW TO VISIT HONG KONG LIKE A LOCAL

HOW TO VISIT HONG KONG LIKE A LOCAL