Eating in Hong Kong

Well, actually tonight it was eating in Kowloon…TST to be exact. I went to an Indian Buffet this week. I will admit I think it is the first Indian meal I had ever had.

I went with my Foo Ying group (it means “welcome” in Cantonese). Lisa was nice enough to coordinate the meal. There were twelve of us, but 3 get one free…so instead of the meal being 98 HKD each (+ 10% service) it came to $82 HKD all in.

The meal was nice and the company was great! We opened the place and literally closed down their lunch service.

Well, Corey caught wind that I ventured out of my very small comfort zone, so tonight; off we went in search of Indian food here in TST. Corey had heard that good Indian food was to be had at the Chung King Mansions (2^nd floor to be exact). WELL..it is just not that easy.

I think I told you earlier that as you walk down Nathan Road in Kowloon, there is a litany of hawkers... It is literally impossible to walk down the road without hearing “Copy handbags. Copy watches. Tailor Madame?” Corey and I are fair game b/c we are thought to be tourists.

After 7pm one more element is added to the street. Restaurant Hawkers. They hand out menus, discount coupons and try to entice you to THEIR place. Well, we were looking for one specific place (we thought). We found Chung King Mansions. Corey took handouts from three or four people, but the last one caught his eye (was it the 10% discount? I think so)

I got just a little nervous when we had to be….ummmm….escorted down a loooonnnngg corridor to an elevator. We were handed off to the next guy who put us in the elevator. We were going to the 4^th floor…but wait…this lift only goes to the odd floors…we got off at 5 and walked down (I cannot make this up people, I’m serious!)

We walk into a room with 7 tables. There are two other patrons there. The room is painted pepto bismal pink but paint job aside, it looked clean, and so we took the risk. In the back were two older women doing the cooking. They were both dressed traditionally, and moved very confidently around that small kitchen. There was one waiter on full duty. From what we understand, the India/Pakistan cricket match was on TV and EVERYONE was more into that than working tonight!

Corey took over the ordering while I was trying to find my nerve and NOT flee the scene. We had vegetable curry, chicken vindaloo, a fried veggie/potato thing, a puffy fried thing, and rice (see how much I know about Indian food?)

In two words the food was HOT (a total thing for me) and it was…YUMMY! Yes, it was great! I mean, if you had ever told me I would be eating in a seven table restaurant (and the tables look like kitchen tables from the 1960’s) where I had to be escorted there, walk to it b/c the elevators only run every other floor, I would call you CRAZY!

What we saw on the way out was just as interesting as the restaurant itself. There were 3 restaurants on this floor and TWO hotel entrances (this all within a 20 sq foot area). Our restaurant was the busiest. As we took the elevator down to the ground floor, there were lines of people with luggage waiting to go up to the hotels.

Chalk it up to another HK experience. The one thing I have learned about HK this early is that if you do not look UP, you will miss 90% of what it has to offer.

OH…most importantly? The price. WITH our 10% discount $160 HKD (20 US dollars).

A better deal could not be had!

Will we go back? YES!