"Nah, it will be 10 or 20 years till I visit Hong Kong again."
Famous last words said by yours truly, when I left in 2018, after spending four months there as a student. Turns out, it only took me five years to head right back in, and it probably would've been a lot shorter if not for the pandemic that shaved off a good two years from all our lives.
Going back to visit a city after living in it for a bit hits differently. You no longer simply arrive as a visitor. You now return. 'Return' insinuates that you were once there with some semblance of belonging, and you took up space. You go back to a place that undeniably shaped a part of you, where you had your own unique set of day-to-day routines different to what you have at home, wherever that is.
In so doing, you create a moment in time that makes it easy for you to compare the you now, to your past self, the one that roamed the same streets of the city. You become acutely aware of how you've changed, and grown, even if these developments may not have been achieved in the city itself. Being present in the same physical space just helps you signpost yourself in the two different timelines of your being, and boy does that make you think.
And it doesn't even have to be that deep. This trip came in a moment in time where I'd been working for almost three years and felt like I've hit a wall. Yet, when I think about my time in Hong Kong–it's the same place where I was diligently applying for at least a hundred summer internships as a student, and where I applied to the internship of the company I eventually landed, which then became my first job. Past me would've been proud, and present me needs to remember that more often.
But honestly, returning to a city that you're acquainted with is fun because you don't have to overload your days with a million touristy checklists. You get to take things chill, dive straight into activities you know you'd love, and fully be present. That's exactly how my Hong Kong roommate, V, and I (yes, we went back together) spent five days in the city where we shared a room for four months straight.
Day 1 | 21 March
We arrived in Hong Kong in the afternoon and went straight for a coffee and a snack. Slightly embarrassingly, not a cha chaan teng, but we have plenty of time to get to those spots.
As a non-regular coffee drinker, Blue Bottle Coffee's iced latte was smooth and that banana cake was just the right amount of moist. Ambience was lovely too.
I'd missed the random uphill roads in the city centre, though that's not probably how I felt in the moment as I was fighting gravity just to get a cuppa.
Bakehouse had also been trending on social media at that point and we'd just had to try it out ourselves. This ended up being the first of several visits on our trip and while not photographed, their egg tarts are the second best I've ever had (next only to a random dimsum shop in Sydney, which I believe uses lard in their dough).
A lovely raspberry filled bombolini.
Quintessential HK sights.
In line with satisfying non-traditional cravings, I had a little solo dinner moment at Ichiran Ramen which somehow hasn't made its way to Singapore yet. V went to meet a friend but we reunited at Quinary, a cocktail bar tucked in Hollywood Road Central, one of my favourite spots in town.
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The taro-based drink tasted as pretty as it looked.
Day 2 | 22 March
Despite having gone for only one or two hikes during my student exchange days (nature really isn't my thing), my first post-pandemic trip out of Singapore to climb a mountain in Tassie made me a lot more receptive to the idea of going for an easy hike during this trip.
We chose the Dragon's Back, one of the most popular and I'd daresay high-ROI trails when it comes to scenic views and the effort required.
Public buses in Hong Kong with bells are a lot less anxiety-inducing than those mini vans where you'd have to shout your bus stop to the driver to indicate that you were alighting.
On the right track.
Peep my favourite Shrek keyring plush.
We spotted one of these bobble-head figurines along the trail that we thought was quite cute.
And then we spotted a pair...
... Another pair.
Thought that was all? Here's another. Fairly amusing, and we weren't sure if it was a well-known figurine.
One of the things I loved most about hiking in Hong Kong was running into locals, especially the middle-aged/ elderly folks walking at pretty incredible speeds.
Food tastes better at a higher altitude.
Post-hike, we made our way to where we'd spent the most time whilst living in Hong Kong–our host university, the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. It was so surreal hopping back on the mini van from the Hang Hau MTR station.
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We'd like to think we blended in with the students well.
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Comfort food at our favourite canteen on campus.
Bellies filled, we decided to just walk around to all the lovely spots around campus we'd didn't even realize we missed (at least I didn't, till I was there).
Waking up right beside the sea was a ridiculous luxury I took for granted whilst there.
When it wasn't too cold out, we would sit at the al fresco dining area with our favourite freshly baked egg tarts and a cup of HK iced milk tea (for me).
We left the campus feeling quite sentimental, peppered with a fair bit of nostalgia. That period in my life was one that featured so much freedom, yet with so little responsibility, a balance that I'll probably never get to experience again.
Dinner boasted a great view of the Victoria Habour, along the Avenue of Stars.
Burgers, beer & fries from INK Seafood Bar.
Day 3 | 23 March
Donuts are my favourite dessert (fun fact that I only discovered recently), and V got me these ones from The Baker & The Bottleman in the morning before I headed into the office. A really lovely gesture.
When visiting cities, even on leisure trips, I make it a point to check out the company office as there's always a little local flair to the design and cafe options that I appreciate. This time around, I utilized my 'work from everywhere' benefit, and made sure to connect with the Greater China stakeholders that I'd been working with for a couple of years now.
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The food in the Hong Kong office was pretty good, by far one of the better ones I've tried in Asia, after Singapore and Japan. Of course, my one day of work wasn't as productive as I would've liked, though it was helpful to clear some work in the middle of a trip so that I wouldn't come back to a ridiculous amount of unread emails post a week of leave.
Similar to Day 1, I reunited with V in the evening, this time for dinner. Our itinerary was quite reminiscent of the way we lived life in Hong Kong back in 2018 - giving one another space, but also enjoying each others' company. We headed to ZENG, a rooftop restaurant, which had a gorgeous skyline view.
A couple of cocktails to start the night.
Post food, we initially had plans to check out COA, Hong Kong's top ranked bar, at least at that point. However, they didn't take reservations and the queue was unbelievably long by the time we got there; it didn't seem quite worth it to spend the rest of the night in a line.
We roamed roamed around the Central area before finding an alternative, The Old Man. And boy, what a great detour that was. Till today, it ranks high as one of my favourite boozy spots of all time. There was something magical about how hidden the entrance was, how claustrophobic and chaotic yet incredibly cozy the space was, and service was simply chef's kiss. It wasn't overbearing and pretentious; in fact the wait staff were very direct with menu and seat availability whilst not coming across as rude - a fine balance.
On the way back to the hotel in the dead of the night, street food stalls were still bustling with life. Scene right out of a Canto film.
Day 4 | 24 March
We had a bit of a later start on our fourth day and headed directly for lunch at Maxim Palace - not before hopping on one of the trams for the classic Hong Kong experience.
Lining up 'Hong Kong' perfectly in the background; what a shot.
Dim sum just somehow tastes better when served by Cantonese speaking middle-aged ladies, pushing metal trolleys of steamed deliciousness without a set menu. What's in the trolley for that day is exactly what your options are. And that day, we ate good. Did I mention most of those sitting around us were retired folks sipping on Chinese tea whilst flipping their newspaper with their ink-stained fingertips? What a vibe.
Completely satiated, we split up yet again. I headed to the ABC Cooking Studio branch at PMQ, which I believe is now closed unfortunately. As a member I get to do classes free of charge in cities outside of Singapore. However, similar to my Bangkok experience, I was the only student (weekday afternoon, go figure) and didn't get the opportunity to interact with locals, other than the instructor.
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When the instructor and I met at first, we had an 'uh-oh' moment, realizing that I didn't speak Cantonese and she didn't speak English. Thankfully, we both could converse in Mandarin and the class went smoothly.
The end product - strawberry mont blanc. Did I purchase a porcelain plate from a random street stall to have a photoshoot in one of the back alleys?
Yes, yes I did. Said street stall is in this photo.
With six mont blancs in tow and no plans to transport them back to Singapore, I needed help. Help in the form of my roomie V, and we met at Halfway Coffee at Sheung Wan for a little tea/ coffee break.
Love the modern yet oriental presentation of the affogato.
My baked goods blended into the cafe's offerings, for sure.
The most photogenic and good girl made herself comfy right in front of us. Upon posting a photo of her on my Instagram, it turns out that she's Kira, and was my colleague's sister's doggo. Yet another piece of evidence that the world is way, way too small.
Speaking of small worlds, one of the things I'm the most grateful for is the pretty global education experience and work environment I've been able to have, which has given me a little network of friends across countries. And making time to meet is always so special.
I caught up with J & A for drinks and dinner that night, and we headed to Ladies Street Sik Fan Co at Mongkok, a tze-char style restaurant that artfully has an old school Hong Kong vibe. I last met them at separate international case competitions and it was so fun to see them in a non-competitive capacity (HKUST business students give us a run for our money), and realize that even though we're all living in different cities, that we're going through the same adulting woes.
Such a great final night.
Day 5 | 25 March
Our last day was spent mainly at the West Kowloon Cultural District. Honestly could've spent a lot more time there if we had the luxury to, especially as it's a relatively new attraction and was under construction back in 2018. Definitely still glad we made the journey there to check it out.
The gentle sound of waves crashing against the shore just makes for the best relaxing white noise - fight me if you think otherwise.
Cremia outside of Japan? Heck yes. I'm still not sure why no one has brought this franchise into Singapore yet.
Oh Hong Kong, you make me real happy.
We stopped by Urban Coffee Roaster for a quick brunch moment before making our way to the airport.
Well, not before a celebrity sighting. I mean, did you really go to Hong Kong if you didn't bump into a random Cantopop or TVB artiste? This time, we caught a glimpse of Eason Chan, making an appearance at the shop opposite our brunch spot.
While I'm not sure when's the next time I'll visit Hong Kong again, I probably shouldn't make sweeping statements about not returning to a city and assuming I've already explored everything there is to it, especially if I've lived there for an extended duration of time.
If there's anything this trip has shown me, it's that returning to a place that you called 'home' for a while is a vastly different experience from visiting a place as a tourist. And it's a very lovely feeling, especially when it serves as a marker for your past self.