Hong Kong : Muscle Man wanton mee + Sha Tin Racecourse + Oystermine Restaurant

Hong Kong trip - May 2014

Muscle Man 大隻佬麵家

Why the name? Take a look at the chef aka the owner when you are there, he is a very muscular guy with tattoo on his body. Reminds me of the Andy Lau show.

It was very crowded during lunch time. Tourists have to learn from the locals to squeeze in, take queue number, stand near the door and listen intently for your number to be called. Otherwise, you might miss your number. We waited for approximately 20 minutes. 

The area was not very big but they used their space very cleverly. They placed as many seats in the cafe as possible to house as many customers at one time. It is also their culture to share table with strangers. I guess this is how they meet new people in life lol.

炸鱼皮 HK$14

This was very good. The proper way to eat this is to dip this with the soup. Damn salty damn good. lol

Wonton 云吞 HK$28

Dumplings 水饺 HK$28

Wonton noodles 云吞面 HK$28

Actually I did not know wanton mee is a cantonese cuisine until now. =X

I like to drink soup at a high temperature. The soup here was steamy hot and I like it! I like the noodles and the wonton but I like it better if less oily.

It was quite stressful to eat in Hong Kong as they would stare at you and the people queuing outside would stare at you as well. I like to eat my food at my own pace with time to take pictures lah..

Muscle Man 大隻佬麵家

Address: G/F, 97 Hak Po Street, Mong Kok
Nearest MTR station: Mong Kok East station

Opening hours: Mon-Sat: 11:30am-10:30pm Sun Closed

Tel: +852 2363 2838

Sha Tin Racecourse 沙田馬場

Sha Tin Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing in Hong Kong.

I always see my father watch horse racing at home and would like to see it in real life. Also to do my father a favour by betting it at the real place.

Gloomy day again..

We went there on a weekday afternoon.. apparently these people no need to work as well =)

When I was queuing up at the ticketing counter, I did not know how to buy bet for the game. I picked up a bet paper and just coloured my favourite 3 numbers. My friend still continued to analyse the game and the odds.. lol need so serious de meh..

 Game started!! CHIONG AH!! or in cantonese "shiong ah 上啊!!"

At this point of time, my number was actually the first! I was like "wow am I really that lucky or not!!??" and I gave a despised eye contact to my friend.

Then dont know why my horse started to slow down or other horses started to catch up..

Turned out my friend's horse won. Chey.. the winning amount also not that much.. He used his winning to buy another bet and so lost it as well. game over.. lol *sore loser*

Oh yes, one more thing, please bring your passport and check for race schedule.

So I guess 

analysing odds 

really works...

Sha Tin Racecourse 沙田馬場
Nearest MTR station: Sha Tin
Admission Fee: HK$10
Website: http://entertainment.hkjc.com

Oystermine

Finally, I thought I get to meet my super idol in person and not during fanmeet. I have met Pornsak at his Porn's Thai restaurant in Singapore, not meet Jay Chou at his 2 restaurants in Taiwan and so this time I should meet Bosco Wong at his restaurant in Hong Kong right?

My friend was so nice to accompany me there after dinner.

*blush smile*

It was shocking empty in his restaurant on a Sunday late night. His restaurant is quite high class that sells mostly champages, wines and oysters.

*look around vigorously but no sight of him* 

We were full from the dinner before so we only ordered soup and one bottle of champagne while waiting for him. I still stood very firmly that he would come. lol

I do not remember what champagne that we ordered because we both have no idea as well hahaha..I only remember it was pricy.. 

Interior of the restaurant

Ok lor.. we already finished 3/4 of the bottle and he still did not show up yet.. we gave up after 1+ hour and went back to our apartment.. 

damn him

Ok.. probably Pornsak has lesser workload than the other two celebrities... the probability of meeting Jay Chou may be 0% but Bosco Wong... sigh.. got to be at least 30% lor.. ok I need to go his restaurant another 2 or 3 times.. 

Oystermine

Address: G/F., 57 Nam Kwok Road, Kowloon City

Not near to MTR station

Nearest MTR station: Lok Fu station (1.5km away)

Tel: +852 2382 8234

Opening hours: daily 5pm to 2am

Hong Kong : Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree + Xin Xiang Yuan + Jia Jia Desserts

Hong Kong trip - May 2014

Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees 林村許願樹

Weather has not been very good for the whole trip when I was in Hong Kong this time. Fortunately, I was always under shelter whenever it rained. We woke up slightly earlier as Lam Tsuen is a little far from the town. 

(source: http://www.mydestination.com)

I was expecting to see a big massive venerable tree hanging with yellow joss papers containing wishes written on them like the picture above. 

There was a drama scene where both male and female main lead were standing under this wishing tree wishing they were there with each other (coincidentally standing in opposite direction and did not see each other). The next moment when they were leaving, their eyes suddenly met, cried instantly and the next thing we know, they were already hugging and kissing. Though it was cliche, we audience always love it (after we scolded how lame was the plot). 

Due to many years of overloaded with wishing gifts being flung onto its branches, the main limb finally snapped nearly 10 years ago. Now it is ringed by fences and supported by long poles. It looks as if it is crippled. Government has already banned throwing-wishing-gifts activity onto the tree.

It is now replaced by hanging these offerings onto this wishing board.

My zodiac 

This is the replacement banyan tree. It is a stand alone tree in the middle of concrete flooring. Yes, this is a fake tree. Perhaps only fake tree can withstand the wear and tear and also easier to get replaced.

Previously, people wrote their wishes on joss paper tied to an orange and threw them up to hang on the original tree. It was believed that if the paper successfully hung onto one of the tree branches, these wishes would come true. Today, we get to write our wishes on a tiny red paper tied with a fake light weighed mandarin orange and to throw up to the fake tree. 

Due to the oranges being too light, i took many tries to get my orange up successfully in the tree. Its ok, my wishes will still come true!

Tin Hau temple next to the wishing tree.

Food stall just outside the wishing tree.

Hehe.. #beancurdstallhassamenameasme. 

Their salted beancurd

This is the normal sweet version.

Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree 林村許願樹

Direction: 

1) Bus 64K or 64P at MTR Tai Po Market Station, get off at Fong Ma Po Station. 

2) Minibus 25K and get off at Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees. 

Xin Xiang Yuan 新香園

My friend brought me to his favourite beef sandwiches stall for teabreak at Sham Shui Po. It has started since 1968 O.O!

Lemon tea

馳名蛋牛治 - Famous beef sandwich

This beef sandwich really fantastic! It is as if contains motherly love in it! I could eat this everyday~

This is my favourite kind of congee whereby the rice is slow cooked until very very watery (like baby food). =D

What it is more amazing is that they operating 24 hours for 7 days in a week.

Xin Xiang Yuan 新香園

38 Kweilin Street Sham Shui Po

Nearest MTR station: Sham Shiu Po station

Tel: +852 2386 2748

Opening hours: 24/7

Jia Jia Desserts 佳佳甜品

We initially wanted to go to Australia Dairy Company where it is most famous for its milk pudding but we were too late for it. I was a little disgruntled =(

We then headed to Jia Jia Desserts to satisfy our sugar needs.

Jia Jia desserts is a very old school kind of desserts stall and has opened for more than 30 years.

Rock candy stewed papaya 冰糖燉木瓜 HK$18

This is actually meh.. just a little too sweet for me.

Almond pudding 杏仁露 HK$18

Ok I dislike almond but the overwhelming smell of almond still haunted me when I was seated a few seats away from the person who was having this dessert. I guess this is a good sign? Lol.

Egg custard pudding 冰花燉雞蛋 HK$18

I did not know what am I getting into when I tried this egg custard pudding. I do not fancy strong egg taste nor milk taste as they make me nauseated. I fell love at first bite for this egg custard pudding!! It has mild egg taste with refreshing fragrance to it without fighting over the taste of egg and milk.

I had one egg custard pudding before near my workplace but the milk taste was too overwhelming, no wonder it closed down not long after.. lol.

As normal as it looks, the abnormal the taste it it.

Jia Jia Desserts 佳佳甜品

Address: 27A Ning Po Street Jordan, Hong Kong 

 Nearest MTR station: Jordan station

Tel: +852 2384 3862 

Opening hours: Daily 1.30pm – 3am