HK's Paisano's Pizzeria

While walking merrily along Granville Road on our first day, we chanced upon a pizza place with a display of giant pies on the front stoop. The place was also packed with locals so we decided to check the place out and see what the fuss was all about. Our curiosity brought us to a pizza mecca--Paisano's was the shiz!!!

Paisano's Pizzeria is Hong Kong's version of an authentic New York pizza parlor. While ordering out front, you'll see them hand-tossing the dough and loading up the toppings before placing the pizzas inside a stone oven. According to their website, Paisano's is a family owned and operated pizza place established in New York in 1982 and came to Hong Kong in 2009. I can only wish they'll open a branch here in Manila!

At HKD $45 per 12-inch slice, it was moderately priced but you'll get a sliceful of Italian goodness! I haven't found a pizza place here in Manila that's as good as Paisano's, except maybe for Nolita.

We ordered The Godfather (ham, Italian sausage, pepperoni, and onions), Paisano's Pizza (sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, black olives, and onions) , and the Pepperoni. Jake had a whole slice all to himself while the three of us shared two slices--which we barely managed to finish! It was THAT huge.

We were halfway into our slices before we saw the couple beside us happily sharing what looks like a pesto ribbon pasta. Mitch and I are avid pesto lovers and we desperately wanted to order one except for the fact that we were too full to even finish our pizzas. So what did we do? We went back to Tsim Sha Tsui on our fifth day just to eat there again!!!

And yes, the chicken pesto was DIVINE. The sun-dried tomatoes, generous servings of grilled chicken strips, and home-made pesto won me over. It was perfect with the baked bread smothered in dripping mozzarella cheese. I am definitely planning another trip to Hong Kong just to eat here again. 

Definitely one of the reasons why we love Granville Road! Shopping was just the icing on the cake!

P.S. I was so excited to check out the newest branch of Paisano's at Clarke Quay in Singapore but they weren't open yet :-( Anyhoots, if you happen to be in Hong Kong, here are a list of their branches (you MUST eat here):

Wan Chai: 5 O'Brian Road
Tsim Sha Tsui: 12 Granville Road
SoHo: 23 Hollywood Road

When in Hong Kong: Wonton noodles at Mak's

My recent trip to Singapore reminded me of the fact that I almost forgot my self-imposed mission to share all the foodie finds we tried while in Hong Kong. Since we were on a Michelin-starred restaurant hunt, we checked out Mak's Noodle while at The Peak.

I like how they plastered their reviews on their glass windows for everyone to see. If it's approved by Mr. Anthony Bourdain, then you can bet I'm willing to try it!

We found out that the traditional serving size of a wanton noodle soup is supposed to be in a tiny bowl to keep the egg noodles from getting soggy. According to tradition, wonton dumplings should fit in a teaspoon. I've gotten used to the giant servings we have in Manila that I was almost shocked at how tiny our bowl was.

We each ordered pork and shrimp and beef brisket noodle bowls at around HKD $33-48 each. The egg noodles were perfect and the soup had an intensely rich flavor. Despite the tiny size, we were happy with our noodles! The giant ones we have in Manila pale in comparison!

Perfect for the freezing Peak weather! The service was also exceptional. All the waiters were friendly--which was rare for Hong Kong. Jake loved his bowl, although he made a beeline towards the nearest Burger King after our meal 'cause one tiny bowl was not enough for this fella.

I'm already craving my next bowl of Mak's noodles!!!

The one that got away--the Vicomte de Chagny

I finally got to watch The Phantom of the Opera, after years of obsessing about it and pretending I'm Christine. However, that is not the point of this blog post. I have, for the most obvious reasons, fallen in love with Raoul. Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny! I never thought I'd like him, given how I've always been rooting for the Phantom to end up with the girl, but Anthony Downing did such an amazing job that he had me at "CAN IT BE, CAN IT BE CHRISTINE?"

Bravo, Mr. Downing!

I mean, look at that Prince Charming face! The movie-version Raoul was such a wimp in comparison to Anthony Downing. He was so dreamy and romantic. He really did justice to the role. But all shallowness aside, Anthony Downing really managed to deliver an awesome job as Raoul. I never really liked the character, but he made me fall for him. I would normally root for Phantom but when I watched, I kept rooting for Raoul to win Christine. Anthony Downing was the perfect gentleman. He's the kind of guy you'd want by your side, protecting you always. It DOES help that he has such a charming and endearing face. 

In fact, I crushed on him so hard that I even made my account public and stalked him on Twitter, posting random tweets for him. (NO HE DID NOT REPLY). I normally don't have celebrity crushes, but he was my only exception. I'm still hopelessly hoping I'd run into him one day, preferably dressed as the Vicomte de Chagny.

Raoul photos from here

When in HK, eat local: Tim Ho Wan

Before we left, I researched on Hong Kong's best-kept foodie secrets just because I didn't want to eat at random places when we're in Asia's top spot for Michelin-starred restaurants. Our standing motto was: when in doubt, eat where the locals flock to eat! It's now my self-imposed project  to blog about our Hong Kong foodie experience to share our awesome finds.

We first checked out Tim Ho Wan, a famous dumpling and bun place known for being the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the world. We almost got lost in the streets of Mong Kok trying to decipher our map and lined up for an hour to get a very cramped table inside, but it was all worth the wait!

For such a famous restaurant, the place was just your typical hole-in-the-wall spot and only allows 19 diners at a time. We got there at around 8:30 pm when you would expect most locals and tourists to be done with dinner, but we still had to stand outside for an hour just to get a table (which we had to share with two other tourists).

Even though we were dead tired from Disneyland, we managed to keep our tummies in check because we've heard so much about the famous baked barbecue pork buns. We were all smiles while waiting. Most of the time, anyway. 

When our number was finally called, we were given a sheet of paper where we can tick off our orders. We ordered the baked pork barbecue buns, steamed fresh shrimp and pork dumplings, pan fried turnip cake, and vermicelli roll stuffed with beef. Each item was just under $15!

Lo and behold: the famous baked buns! The place was buzzing with people ordering these yummy babies. Everyone kept re-ordering and I eavesdropped on the Europeans to my left and found out that the locals would just illegally double park their cars outside the street until one of the waiters would bring their stash of buns, ala-call-and-pick-up style. Must be nice to live near the place.

Just look at that buttery soft-on-the-inside-but-crispy-on-the-outside goodness. The pork barbecue was savory with the right balance of flavors in the sauce. It really is the best thing I have ever tasted when it comes to buns. We kept wishing we can hoard the stuff to bring home to good old Manille but quickly realized they'll probably be soggy (not to mention, spoiled) by the time we got home. It was meant to be eaten fresh from the oven.

Here are the steamed fresh shrimp dumplings! Since I am overly fond of hakaw, this dish was another winner for me. The shrimps were fresh, just what you would expect from a legitimate Chinese restaurant.

The pork dumplings reminded me of the siomai at Wai Ying in Binondo. Nothing exceptional, but how are you supposed to make a pork siomai taste unforgettable anyway?

I weirdly liked the vermicelli roll stuffed with beef. It was kind of slimy in texture, given the vermicelli, but tasted so good. The beef was tender and the simple sauce kept it all together. It WOULD have been perfect with a cold glass of Coke, though. Just a tip: they don't serve any sodas or juices inside. You would have to buy from the nearby 7-11 or make do with their free brewed tea. Jake, who was apparently NOT a tea drinker, was forced to drink cupfuls and didn't say a word until we were about to leave.

It was too late when I realized that I forgot to take the requisite photo of the pan fried turnip cake. We were too busy eating and contemplating whether to order more pork buns (we ordered 3 sets and still craved for more!) I especially liked the turnip cake, despite the weird consistency. I first tried turnip cake at Wai Ying and the taste has grown on me. Jake was like a curious cat when he asked what it was and took tiny bites before he finally finished the last piece. It was THAT yummy.

Sorry for the haggard faces. We spent the whole day under the sun in Disneyland and the better part of the night walking around Mong Kok. Thank goodness Tim Ho Wan was worth the wait and hype! I'm only regretting that we didn't check out their other branches on our remaining days. We're definitely heading back here on our next visit!

Tim Ho Wan
Flat 8, Ground Floor, Phase 2, Tsui Yuen Mansion, 2-20 Kwong Wa St
Mong Kok, Hong Kong
(when in doubt, look for the place with the loooong line outside!)

The Peak

I've been trying to convince Jake to take me on a date at the Peak Lookout, since it's such a romantic restaurant perched on top of Hong Kong. Unfortunately, it was such a hassle to go all the way to Central and then take the tram to the Peak again on our anniversary night. We settled for this photo instead. Maybe next year?

However, we did get to share some freezing moments on top of the Peak viewing deck overlooking the city. But first, I just have to share our trip around Central and our tram ride from Causeway. Since trams are a novelty in Hong Kong, we decided to ride one for our trip to Central instead of taking the MTR to soak up some "culture". We rode on the top deck and had fun sightseeing at every stop. It was such an experience to hear the ding ding bells and to only pay two dollars for the whole ride.

Once we reached our stop at Pedder Street, we headed to Queen's Road for some serious shopping. The girls and I split up with Jake, who didn't want to waste two hours of his life inside four floors of H&M, and proceeded to indulge ourselves in some retail therapy.

I'm slightly envious of Jake, though. He got to roam the Central shopping district and went to The Landmark, IFC Mall, and got to see the topless male model inside Abercrombie and Fitch. I missed my chance for a photo op with an Abercrombie male model! Oh well. We did get to see the Christian Louboutin shop and only managed to steal some wishful glances from the window.

After the shopfest, we thought we'd walk all the way from Queen's Road going to the Peak Tram station. Big mistake. It was an uphill battle and we spent about twenty minutes in what would have been a 3-minute bus/tram ride to Murray Road. The shops and sights we passed along the way were worth it, though. We passed inside a residential area and a private road on our uphill walk.

We also passed by Lan Kwai Fong and Wyndham Street and got to see the funky side of Central along the way. I loved the streets filled with bars and restaurants winding uphill and downhill, depending on where you were headed.

We relied on these signs to encourage us that we were getting closer to our destination.

Finally! After an emergency stop at a Lan Kwai Fong bar to get $35 Cokes (we had no choice!) for our thirsty group, we emerged at the landing of the Peak Tram station. From here, you can buy tickets to ride the ancient peak tram and reach the peak summit and look-out. I think there's a cheaper way to go there via bus and by walking but we opted for this ride.

It was Jake and Mitch's first time to head up to the Peak!

Upon reaching the top, you can head straight to the Peak Tower before heading up to the Sky Terrace. There are a lot of shops and restaurants in the tower, and you have to pay extra to gain access to the Sky Terrace. There's also a Madame Tussaud's wax museum and Jake posed with Bruce Lee who was out on the front to greet the guests.

It was freezing on the Peak Tower! But we were rewarded with an awesome view of the cityscape.

I've always wondered who lives on the buildings behind us. They look so warm, inviting, and posh from the tower. I can just imagine their view from the windows--and to live on the Peak! I'd give anything to stay there for a night.

We also went down to the garden road with the outdoor restaurants. There's a pathway to the side where you can also enjoy the view without paying the Peak Tower entrance fee. There's a Chinese garden and gazebos scattered along the trail. It's actually a nice hang-out place, if you don't mind the freezing temperature.

I'm still holding out hope for a Peak Lookout date. It's now officially two years in the making!

Charlie Brown Cafe!

If you like all things Snoopy, then you will definitely love Charlie Brown Cafe at Cameron Street in Tsim Sha Tsui. It's their flagship cafe in Hong Kong and has a huge selection of cakes and coffee, not to mention all things Snoopy and company! I swear, it made me so happy just to sit there and look at the statues and interiors.

As a kid, I obsessed over my dad's Snoopy book collection of the most popular comic strips. We really went out of our way to visit this place since we knew we'd get a kick out of drinking coffee in such a happy place.

There are life-sized statues everywhere and even smaller ones dotting the whole cafe. Everything, from the light fixtures to the stair banisters are customized with the Snoopy characters. They even sell Charlie Brown Cafe mugs and memorabilias!

Best of all were the cakes! I wish I lived in Hong Kong so I can get this Lucy cake for my upcoming birthday!

Or these! I want to get a Woodstock cake for my toy poodle, Gingey's birthday. She looks like Woodstock with her blond hair standing up all over her tiny head.

The lattes were also too cute to drink! You can choose your favorite character which they will draw on top by sprinkling cocoa :-) We had a hard time drinking our coffee 'cause we didn't want to ruin Charlie Brown and Snoopy!

We also got the Charlie Sampler for desserts. Again, there's a cute presentation of Charlie Brown on the coffee mousse. We also got to try the creme brulee and bread pudding, everything was yummy--not too sweet and heavy so it was a perfect sampling of their best desserts.

I just found out there's also a Charlie Brown Cafe in Singapore at my most favorite place on Orchard Road--313@Somerset! We spent many happy hours at the Cotton On branch there last year. It's also the place where Jake and I would meet up during our Holy Week vacation there. I can't wait to bring my mom and sister there next month when we visit!

Tsim Sha Tsui love affair

We loved Tsim Sha Tsui so much that we went there twice--during our first and fifth days to properly explore the area. Mong Kok was a bit overrated so we didn't spend that much time shopping there except when Jake explored Sneaker Street and we had a blast at H&M over at Langham Place. (Okay, Jake and I came back so he can get his limited edition kicks). But most of the time, we went over to TST to shop and dine when we were in the Kowloon side.

I had no idea what BEA stood for but I'm assuming it's a bank. I posed with every sign I saw. It's pretty cool to have a bank named after you. Haha.

Our favorite parts of TST were Nathan Road, Granville Road, Chatham, and Mody Road. These roads housed the unique shops and eateries. Tsim Sha Tsui is more urban compared to Causeway. Here, it's purely all about the fashion and style experience. We fell in love with Granville Road where most college students shop and where fashion students at the nearby art institute sell their designs. It was pretty amazing to walk up and down the roads and walk in and out of the shops.

There's a shop called Chocoolate! Cute!

I lost Jake for a bit while I was engrossed looking for clothes. I found him here, on the second floor of a shop called Loading. It's his kind of place--all cool graphic tees, caps, and accessories.

We also went to Knutsford Terraces where we had a break at Ben & Jerry's! Jake and I unintentionally shared two scoops of Chocolate Therapy and Cookie Dough, only to find out there's a pint called half baked which combines the exact flavors! I'm really hoping this combination is available at S&R!

Up the stairs going to Knutsford Terraces. It's a whole strip of restaurants and bars with a chic, urban vibe. I can just picture ourselves sitting there, people-watching while sipping on beers and cocktails. Ah, I love this place.

On our fifth day, we ended up at iSquare which was right at the MTR exit. These three had a blast looking for CDs at hmv. I, on the other hand, bought One Direction souvenirs for my cousin. (Ick, I know)

Here's us walking towards Chatham Road from Nathan! It's never boring 'cause there are a lot of shops to look at. However, you have to go here after lunch since all the shops open late.

 

I looked up and spied a building with a roof made of crystal drops! It was dazzling under the sun! Fancy shmancy.

 

We popped inside a 7/11 for drinks and found that they still have Coke Slurpee! I really do wish the 7/11 in Manila still offers this, it's my favorite drink! I hate their strawberry and blue flavors. I only want Coke!

Some interesting shops and bars we passed along the way to Stussy. TST is a haven for cool brands!

Hair of the Dog bar!

Haha.

We spent an hour or so inside Cotton On, which is still cheaper in HK compared to the newly opened branch here in Manila. I was able to get a peplum top for my sister at $49 (Php 270)! The TST branch at Granville was also four floors huge so there was a wide selection of styles. The nearest H&M was a couple of blocks away so we were happy to stay here.

wearing H&M collared top, F21 skirt, cherry keds

TST is the place to be if you want up and coming/hipster-ish brands. You can also get your trusted brands there if you want the mainstream fix. Argh. I can't wait to blog about our Tsim Sha Tsui foodie finds!