Travel- it's hands-down one of my most favorite things in the world to do (爱). It's quite amazing to open up your world every chance you get and to have been blessed very early in life with the travel bug and a wanderlust filled heart.
Leaving the "comforts of home" and experiencing other cultures- whether alone or with friends and other loved ones- is truly an eye-opening adventure that often forges independence and a love and appreciation for home that you may have previously taken for granted.
Hong Kong is a hustle and bustle island-very reminiscent of my first love-NYC. I found roaming the city (Central/Sheung Wan) just before it awakens is cathartic. I bounced up and down the streets certain that I'd find my way back, but keeping Google Maps at hand. I was primarily in search of Citibank and breakfast.
Passing cooked and raw food markets, cafes, and news stands as their doors slowly awaken to patrons making their way to earn an honest living felt like a great way to start my actual birthday. I rarely even walk the streets of home this way.
I hit the ATM and strolled on with a renewed sense of adventure singing in my heart- abutting shuffling elders heading to local gardens with their newspapers, young students with earbuds and iPhones distracting their trot, and business men and women in suits and high heels focused on tasks at hand; moms AND dads with babies strapped to bellies and toddlers in tow can hardly wait for lolly-gagging me to cross the road. They have a bus or metro train to catch-no doubt heading to drop their offspring with childcare providers.
I hit the ATM and strolled on with a renewed sense of adventure singing in my heart- abutting shuffling elders heading to local gardens with their newspapers, young students with earbuds and iPhones distracting their trot, and business men and women in suits and high heels focused on tasks at hand; moms AND dads with babies strapped to bellies and toddlers in tow can hardly wait for lolly-gagging me to cross the road. They have a bus or metro train to catch-no doubt heading to drop their offspring with childcare providers.
Again, I am reminded of NYC-the city that awakes all at once, where you either hustle or get ran over. Where you make it to your destination on time or fall by the wayside.
Hong Kong has the highest number of high rises in the world. The sheer density of population on the island is bewildering. I now know how small towners feel in NYC, LA, Atlanta, Chicago.
And then there's refuge...the gardens...
Chinese Herb Garden
 |
| Shennong, the Father of Chinese Medicine |
"Chinese history goes that Shennong was the first medical expert in China and has been widely respected as the founder of Chinese medicine.
Legend has it that Shennong, during his reign, was concerned about the health of his people who easily got sick. Seeing that taking grains as food could lead to good health, he came up with the idea that the fruits and root tubers of plants might have healing effects.
He surveyed topography of various places and collected different species of herbs in the wilderness. He tasted various plants and even water from rivers and springs. Then he told his people the healthy way of eating.
In order to know clearly the properties of herbal medicines, he tried the herbs himself and got poisoned frequently.
{A publication in the Han (206 BC-220 AD) dynasty, recorded that Shennong had fallen ill more than 70 times after tasting different species of herbs.}"
It is said that while tasting hundreds of herbs for curing the sick and detoxification, Shennong finally lost his life after taking a deadly poisonous herb called huoyanzi (Radix aconiti sungpanensis).
"The earliest extant work on pharmacology in China was entitled "Shennong Bencao Jing" (Shennong's Herbal Classic) as a token of respect to Shennong. Although the book was compiled circa the Qin and Han dynasties, it was attributed to Shennong as its author and used by practitioner's during the Period of Warring States. It is regarded as one of the four greatest classical works on Chinese medicine.
Every year I get more comfortable with being who I am and this year is no different and, in fact, more powerful. It's incredible to spend time alone in absolute contentment. I was tickled when I found my birth flower, the Chrysanthemum, in the garden and read the description of it's properties and uses/nature and tastes.
My first breakfast was at a popular diner chain called, Tsui Wah Tea Restaurant-know for its quick service and fresh variety of food and baked goods.
What's a Jersey girl without a diner meal anyway?
 |
| Continental Breakfast: fried fish, egg scrambled, beans, and a roll with fresh-squeezed, ice cold orange juice |
Before heading back to my room to relax for a bit, I decided to stop by the Queen Street Cooked Food Market just seconds from the Ibis hotel door. Here are a couple of dishes I sampled.
Breakfast ramen, breakfast burger--- add an egg and breakfast meat to any dish and I'm in breakfast heaven.
See my review of the amazing breakfast ramen (bacon and egg mazeman at the now defunct Union Republic, here)
 |
| Ramen from Queen Street Market with Chinese Sausage and fried egg |
I've never been a huge fan of Chinese sausage simply because of the sweet versus savory nature of most of them and "meat candy" isn't always a flavor profile I embrace, however, when in Hong Kong...
The broth was decent and the one thing that Chinese sausage impresses upon a dish is a perfect lard/fatty component adding some savory notes and a nice, slick texture whether added to rice or noodle dishes. This dish definitely benefited from this characteristic.
The noodles were more firm than I would have liked, but I didn't specify my expectations, thus that was on me alone.
The market is busy-very busy depending on the time of day you enter. The peak hours are for lunch around noon to 1:30 pm and 5-6:30 pm as you would expect from any food location in a metropolitan area.
It's fun to watch the shop/stand owner's hustle and prepare their goods.
Korean-style rice cakes, also called tteok, are made with glutinous rice flour and can be prepared pan-fried (as the ones above), boiled, pounded, or steamed. I can be a bit fussy over textures and usually am not a fan of rice cakes, but the aroma lead me to drop my inhibitions and I'm glad I did. These had a nice wok char which added a different level of texture than those I've had before.
 |
| There were dozens upon dozens of fresh raw food market stands with beautiful fruits and vegetables on every street and corner. |
Hollywood Road Gardens
Hollywood Road is a mix of art galleries, restaurants/bars, coffee/tea shops, temples, gardens and more.
It was the one strip upon which I found myself strolling along daily. You can find anything your heart desires- food, jewelry, spas, art, cocktails, people watching, cafes, etc.
As you go further south on the road (on the cusp of Central and Soho), the restaurants appear to become more westernized, such as the rum bar called Rummin'Tings next door to a Pizzeria named Ebeneezar's and a popular burger joint, Burger Circus.
I enjoyed a small bite at AyuThaiya, a quaint, modern Thai restaurant across from Rummin'Tings where I enjoyed a few bites of charred, market fresh squid marinated in a Thai spicy sauce.
I mostly drank Scotch after one tiki-style cocktail called Siam Sabai made with tequila, fresh pineapple, lime and dashes of housemade bitters with Thai herbs.
On the way back to SOHO from AyuThaiya I enjoyed a moment to digest at the Hollywood Road Garden.
Hong Kong is a very green place (reminiscent of all of Boston's green spaces in the middle of the city) which is always welcome in a bustling metropolis.
 |
| Hollywood Road Entrance |
Because my sleep cycle was thrown off by being 13 hours ahead of home, I often woke up at 3 am craving snacks, so I decided to visit the bodega around the corner to stock up.
And then, there was UberEats, which I hadn't even had the opportunity to use in Boston...
I had a ramen set quickly delivered directly to my hotel-ramen with pork, egg, and traditional toppings, gyoza, and borscht.
 |
| UberEats delivery from New Forest Restaurant |
Let's end this post with a succulent suckling pig from Kimberly Restaurant, simply because it's a beautifully, succulent dish...
STAY TUNED FOR...
DrFoodie Goes Solo in Hong Kong: Part Two- Michelin Star Rated Ramen Soups and More
