Harbour City Shopping Mall Archives - Escapes From The Little Red Dot

Hong Kong 2017 Day 4 – Shopping Day Esprit outlet @ China Hong Kong City, iSquare

Posted on November 27, 2017June 2, 2020 by ziyi

Shopping day started late, everyone overslept and worst was K who only woke up at 930am. But it was ok since that was the only item on our itinerary. I had gone downstairs to the bakery to get some egg tarts and bread and we had these for breakfast before getting ready to visit the malls.

The place where we stayed was just so close to everything else, we strolled towards Harbour City where we visited the last time, nothing much changed except that there wasn’t a sale going on now. After depositing one of the bags at the available rental lockers, and short window shopping later, we then moved on to China Hong Kong city, where there was a outlet Esprit outlet store where mommy spent most of the time there. K and me got ourselves comfortable on the seats outside as we watched videos that I had taken and played Pogo, till my battery was not having much power left.

Then it was time for lunch and we went back to retrieve the bag that costed another HKD10 but there was a change machine so it was good. We googled and Yum Cha came out to be one of a recommended restaurant for dim sum. It was near too, and thus we walked 15mins to that location. Along the way, we stopped by iSquare to take a photo with its Xmas deco that had a Lego theme to it and K doing his heart shape pose with the heart shape deco there.

Upon reaching Granville road, we couldn’t really find the entrance as it was on the 3rd floor and found it to be part of a hotel called attitude on Granville. The restaurant was beautifully decorated, out of our expectations thinking that it was supposed to be another type of old style Hong Kong dim sum place.

Mommy placed order for 6 items and the buns were really cute to say the least. The Cha Siew bun were in the shape of a pig and the custard bun had eyes. Generally the food was tasting great, just not the traditional taste that we were familiar with dim sum. Probably these were more fusion taste. The bill was quite high too, HKD430..

BBQ chicken and lotus chips and carrot cake

We left for the iSquare to visit the supermarket and mommy also splurged on some cutely designed expensive chocolates to try, by Lucullus.

By the time we returned back to the room it was already past 4. K took a dump and down a packet of milk before 2 storybooks and was knocked out 5mins on the bed. The parents also rested the time K was sleeping.

Before we knew it, it was already 630pm and while I had initially proposed to visit a certain Sino Center (retro stuff could be found there according to some forums) to see if we could buy cheap DVDs of Disney cartoons, we felt too lazy to go that far and settled for visiting HMV back at iSquare again. Took a short walk back to iSquare (in fact it was much shorter on land than taking the underground route), and went up one floor, after taking some photos at the Xmas display now lighted up.

HMV was a huge store with lots of selection, guessed it was one of the few surviving ones left as online digital world killing retail all over. There was a couple of selections of Disney films and we got Frozen for HKD140 something. It wasn’t cheap but at least we could watch it in the apartment. Later, on the return, we bought some snack food of fish balls and egg pastries for dinner, as we didn’t feel too hungry for a proper meal.

Back at the apartment, we tried to used the DVD player and couldn’t turn it on. Got the hotel staff and assist and he managed to turn it on after changing the batteries on the remote. Thankfully this worked if not it would have been a waste for the DVD purchase.

The night was spend in front of the TV, getting K associated with the characters since he liked the song. The usual routine of clean up and story books and bedtime follow after, seemed like a short night but still late getting into bed.

Hong Kong 2016 Day 4 – Wet weather program – shopping

Posted on January 29, 2016June 2, 2020 by ziyi

Woke up earlier for almost the same routine. However we were able to get ready earlier since we didn’t have to pack to leave. Ate the Portuguese egg tarts for breakfast while preparing.

The tickling sound of water can be heard and the obvious disappointment followed as after peeking behind the curtains were raindrops on the windows and opened umbrellas can be seen on the streets below. Bad weather.

Nonetheless we were aiming to visit Ocean Park today and we left the room at about 930am hoping that it t was not that bad a weather. All hopes were dashed soon we reached the entrance.

Wet weather program was to continue our shopping at the same mall (CHKC) we went yesterday. However, not all the shops were opened. Walked around G2000 outlet and also to the Mickey Mouse House outlet and purchase some items. Went back to the same nursing room to feed baby K and change his diapers and suddenly there was a blackout. We weren’t worried as I turned on the light on my hp but a staff was there to “rescue” us with his torchlight and helped shone the way for us to get to the mall, which was not affected. Most of the escalators stopped working though.

That was quite an issue as we brought a stroller along and were told to take a detour for the lift. Had to ask the staff to locate the lifts. Made our way to the Geox outlet but wasn’t ready to pay so we left.

While we took a left upon exiting following the arrow to the MTR. Not knowingly, we chose to proceed to the Jordan MTR which was some 15mins walk away instead of choosing the Austin station which was closer, to take a train to Tsim Sha Tsui MTR. Baby K meanwhile snoozed while mommy carried him.

The subway at the Jordan station was not stroller friendly and I had to bring it down the steps. Within the station though, we found lifts that brought us to the train platform and we quickly boarded the train which had just arrived.

One stop and we took our exit. With no real target, we hit the iSquare mall to walk around a bit. Bought a pair of shoes for baby K and myself, scoring the sale items. Went to Baby R Us and bought a toy for baby K and brought back a balloon too (babies have a thing for balloon). There wasn’t much more and as baby K started to become cranky due to hunger, we quickly left (since the restaurants there felt expensive) and went back to Tsui Wah back at one of the TST MTR entrance.

Our stroller had to be left at the doorway for being to big but we were given a table close to it. Ordered some pork with instant noodles and wife got some tasty fish bee hoon. Baby K was hard to manage as he wasn’t really interested in the lunch we cooked him, probably bored from eating the same thing for so long. Fed him some bread that we bought from a bakery.

Then we started to walk southwards along Nathan road and went into SOGO hoping to find a supermarket but it was tiny. We then headed west towards Harbour city. We walked through it, looking at the various on sale options and at the end, returned back to our hotel room for a break, while feeding baby K and giving him a bath and collected the items from the hotel concierge left by my mom that she helped bring for us.

My mom then came along with our aunt from Hong Kong to come see baby K and there we spent some time in the room. Mommy cooked dinner and then tried to get baby K to sleep after my mom and aunt left, but we couldn’t dissipate his energy enough. In the end, we packed and went shopping back at Harbour City and baby K fell asleep as soon as we were back in the open.

Went to the various stores of our favorite brands and many were on sale. I didn’t think I could afford them but my wife manage to get something. Went to Uniqlo but it seemed more expensive than Singapore. After a while, my mom called and informed of the reservation made by our Hong Kong cousin at Crystal Jade restaurant. Met up and we went for dinner, baby K finding hard to get comfortable with his unfamiliar overseas aunt.

Dinner was alright as we fed baby K oatmeal with milk while we dined having a couple of dishes ordered for the 5 of us, inclusive of the popular dumplings. Baby K was always a handful at the dinner table, my mom having to deal with his forte of troublemaking while we had our dinner.

After the dinner, we left for our shopping while they made their way back. Continued to the C!tysuper supermarket which was pretty huge and offered some fresh fish where we could buy for baby K meal preparations. After that, we also purchased some desert of matcha icecream and a puff containing matcha cream and red bean, from Sweets House Cha Cha, pretty tasty but expensive.

Continued to Zara and then going back to the room thereafter, ending a full day of shopping.

Back in the room, we were just exhausted. But the work didn’t start to end till baby K fell asleep at 1130pm and finishing and cleaning at 12. Tiring again, but expected as part and parcel of traveling with a toddler.

Hong Kong 2014 Day 3 – Eat and Shop and Home Sweet Home

Posted on July 14, 2014June 3, 2020 by ziyi

World Cup finals with Germany facing off Argentina on the TV in our room. Didn’t spend all the energy on the game and nodded off every so often until the goal in extra time sealed the fate of the South Americans, leaving the Europeans champions of the world. With that, I also welcomed the sunrise peeking out in the distant clouds. Not fantastic but was too tired anyways.

The next thing I knew, I jolted out of dreamland having remembered somehow that the alarm had already sounded previously. 850am already and we had to wake up to get to some dim sum. It was our last day in Hong Kong and we had to have Dim Sum, and we already had a target.

Got off to the concierge on the 116th floor and was informed of our airport transfer at 130pm. Had informed that it was possible to be dropped off in Prince Edward station complimentary for a single time and part of the hotel package. When we arrived on the ground floor, we were informed that the car not available as the guest who booked the later time slot was arrived sitting in the car. What a bummer.

Took the MTR and we went northwards instead of going the usual Hong Kong – Central – Prince Edward route. It was just an additional 1 station but less walking.

Upon arrival, there was a slight drizzle and we had to brave through it for 2 small streets until we arrived at One Dim Sum, a one Michelin star restaurant. The opening hours is 11am and we arrived at 1030am, sat outside on the plastic stools provided, first to arrive. It was not too long before the queue began to grow and soon the line of stools were taken up.

Once we got a table when the doors opened, we quickly ordered some the common dim sum that we loved in Singapore, such as glutinous rice, Har Kau and Siu Mai. The turnip cake and the fried spring rolls were our favorites. This was one restaurant that we thought was really worth the wait. The traditional taste of dim sum could be rediscovered here.

Yam cake, Spring roll, Siew Mai and Glutinous rice.

Left really full at 1145am and we left for Tsim Sha Tsui, our last shopping attack, this time at Harbour City. It looked really far on the map but thankfully the travellators made the walk easier. Did our shopping and left at 1245pm back to hotel, again with a drizzle going on.

Took a quick bath and enjoyed one last view from the highest room in the world before checking out. The limo was already waiting for us and it was an effortless trip to airport. Even at the airport, there were hotel porters there to bring out luggage to the check in counter, service was excellent all the way!

More window shopping before a long boarding line into this big aircraft. The tiredness was setting in due to the lack of sleep and the return flight was a combination of sleep and entertainment.

This birthday escape was filled with many food makan sessions taken from various web recommendations. Some suited to our liking, some not but overall, achieved our objective of pigging out, shopping and enjoyed a luxurious stay in the tallest hotel in the world with a excellent view to kill for.

We had tried the biscuits from Jenny’s bakery, the one we spent 2 hours lining up for it. The smell of the cookies was strong, the taste was really heavy flavoured and the texture was crispy. Overall the cookies were very nice. But the hype from the internet, and the long queues and all really drove my expectations sky high. In my opinion, it was definitely not worth my 2 hours, especially travel time. If anyone really wanted to try this, they could buy at a higher price from the shops neighbors. I wouldn’t line up for it again and I wondered why would anyone buy 30+ boxes back home. Different people different poison I guess.