Location, Location, Location (Hong Kong)

Published by AsianTraveler Magazine 2010
Photos by Nana Arellano Aoyong

It’s a mantra for real estates agents and applies to many establishments, especially for hotels. Of course it’s also about service, amenities, and other features. But with Marco Polo Prince Hotel, which sits right at the heart of the city’s busiest commercial and business hub, location sure contributes greatly to its success.

Tsim Sha Tsui is like an oriental version of Times Square.

Located along Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Marco Polo Prince Hotel and its other sister properties (Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel and Marco Polo Gateway), form part of Hong Kong’s largest shopping complex and are next door to some of HK’s major tourist attractions. Prince is part of Harbour City, a shopping zone of about 700 shops including 50 restaurants. Behind it is Victoria Harbour, offering guests an almost surreal view of the city at night. On the other side, guests can walk towards Salisbury Road for some education at the Cultural Center, the Space Museum, and the Museum of Art. Everything else is a ferry or an MTR ride away. It seemed like when the city was planned, the Marco Polo group got lucky and got first dibs on the center of the Hong Kong universe.

Fair warning

Marathon shopping tip: hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

The Prince’s location, coupled with its multi-star service and amenities, has propelled it to strive and thrive in spite of the economic downturn. In fact, Prince was named Hotel of the Year at the recently concluded Marco Polo Annual Awards by Marco Polo Hotels.  It was a grand slam victory for Prince General Manager Philip Lim and his team, with the hotel bagging a total of three awards (Hotel of the Year, Most Competitive Hotel, and Hotel with Most Improved GOP Performance).

1881 Heritage, an ode to the Victorian Era and big name brands.

 “I would look for a hotel that is in a very good location,” shares Philip, but he was quick to add that “a hotel in a good location that is branded is plenty, but the difference is the service. We always try to create additional value for our customers, taking the extra mile.” 

A budget shopper's heaven.

And this was exactly what I was looking for on the day I revisited Hong Kong. With my feet itching to go a-walking, and my heart longing for some retail therapy and a little wine sousing on the side, I found what I was looking for at the Prince Hotel. And so yes, I blame location for the calluses on my feet, the extra pounds around my waist, my thinning wallet, and the excess baggage. Consider this a warning. If you are dieting, saving, or looking for some downtime, Prince Hotel is not the place to book. However, if you are up for some gastronomic fun and retail adventure, then you would be happy with Prince.

NY in HK

Outside the Prince’s cool confines (it seemed like they always set the air conditioning at freezing point inside the malls and the hotels. I heard this keeps people wide awake, which doesn’t really make sense what with everything that the location has to offer), the energy is almost electric. Fire-red taxicabs whizzed by between buildings that scream of colorful marketing and commerce: Cotton On, DBS, Tax Free, Sony, Marrionaud Paris, Tsubaki, Sale, S. Square Cafe Cozy Lunch Set and several other signs in Chinese which I’m sure either promised porcelain skin or the best pork suckling in town. The signs are big and colorful, some sparkle and pulse. They reminded me too much of Times Square in New York, only the signs were mostly in Chinese.

New and cheap!

At rush hour, the place transforms into Wall Street oriental. Asian men in business suits and women in stylish high heels rush home in packs. A sprinkling of Caucasians and other races walk alongside them. They walk lost in their thoughts. Some talk in their hands-free sets, brushing past us, seemingly not noticing us. A mass of bodies, they move almost mindlessly, flowing efficiently and with purpose, crowding escalators and filling trains. I am almost scared. Feeling much like a country mouse lost in a rat race, I was afraid they would trample me, but the frenetic energy brings a tingle to my flesh.

‘Tis the season to spend

Love in the midst of madness (photo by Nana Arellano Aoyong)

The air had a crisp quality to it that was somehow odd in a place crowded with buildings and roads choked by cars and buses. It was a familiar exciting feeling: the anticipation of Christmas. We walked farther along Canton Road and soon we came upon the houses of Hermes, Channel, and Gucci. They were like big gift boxes with glittery ribbons. When we neared the flagship store of Louis Vuitton, we noticed a long queue by the door. People were actually lining up to get into the store. It’s the season for giving, after all. People were eager to spend.

We continued on towards Nathan Road but were quickly sidetracked by small boutiques that sold dresses and shoes that were more within our budget. I found a light wool dress in heather, and with it I imagined a pair of black tights and a white Christmas. The tag said 69 Hong Kong dollars. I quickly did the math in my head – Php 417. It was going to be a very happy holiday indeed. In another store, I chanced upon a creamy golden light coat with a puffy collar and sleeves.  The tag, which read, HKD100 made me hesitate, but then Nana, my shopping buddy, said I looked like someone who just stepped out of the JFK airport. That erased all doubts. 

Come to Manila, and you won't have to fall in line to spend big.

Shopping was such a joy in these little streets between Nathan Road and Canton Road. The only real downer is that fitting clothes are prohibited in most stores. “No fit! Cannot! Cannot!”

Our hands full, we decided to unload, which was not a problem because Prince was conveniently just around the corner. After unloading, we found another store with the following treasures: a vintage-looking locket watch - HKD39 (our host, Janice, said I could have gotten it for HKD20, but I couldn’t let her burst my bubble), a Chinese silk fabric covered notebook - HKD29 (“You could have gotten that for 10!”), little bolanggus (toy drums) with birth animals printed on them - HKD15, and a memorable shopping experience - priceless. There were also bracelets, porcelain China dolls, silk bags, and other inexpensive baubles that would be perfect under the Christmas tree.

sparkly stocking stuffers

I had to pace myself because we had the Night Market in our itinerary, and I knew that prices would be even more festive and that haggling would be fun. Unfortunately, things had changed quite a bit since my last visit at the Ladies Market in Mongkok, an MTR ride away from Tsim Sha Tsui. The merchandise lacked the luster that I thought they used to possess. In fact, I was reminded of the goods that they sold back in Divisoria or the bazaars in Manila. There was really nothing new, and I quickly got bored. The bartering, though, was still extremely entertaining. 

They look as cheap as they cost, and that's why I wasn't happy.

Janice taught us to negotiate for at least a 70% discount. If they refused, we could do the walk-away technique, and she guaranteed they would relent. True enough, after turning our back on them, feigning disinterest, they would grab for our arm. If we tried to extricate ourselves from their desperate grasps, they would plead. “Missy, how much you want? How much you want?” From then on, the bargaining power was ours.

Get ready to haggle.

Back at Canton Road, just a short walk from Prince, is Heritage 1881. Here the atmosphere is less manic. The stores are a little bit snobbish and uppity. Saleswomen don’t run after you. They offer a smile at a safe distance as you carefully walk around their displays. The brands – Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Mont Blanc – were not the things that delighted us. It was the building that housed all these expensive names. A building of unique Victorian architecture, Heritage 1881 used to be the headquarters of the Hong Kong Marine Police in the late 1800s. Today, it stands as an elegant structure, a reminder of Hong Kong’s rich colonial history.  

Symphony of taste and design

Behind the Marco Polo chain is the Victoria Harbour where you can turn your back away from Canton Road’s beautiful chaos. Prince, for instance, sits by the Ocean Terminal. It is directly connected to the Ocean Center which features balconies and viewing decks for weary shoppers or for those who simply want some sun and a whiff of the salty sea. Here we sat beside a snoozing local to watch the silvery waves reflect the glass and steel of the skyscrapers.

Taking a break at the Summer Palace.

At night the view completely transforms into a different world. The water turns a deep black; its edges give off a golden glow from the street lights. At Cucina, one of Marco Polo’s most celebrated restaurants, we sat by the glass walls, watching the city’s lights twinkle like stars submerged in the water. A traditional Chinese ship passed by while we sipped on our smooth white chardonnay. Its red sampan sail rig stood out, glowing in the dark. It flowed past, quiet and majestic, reminding us of Hong Kong’s proud living tradition amidst all the modernity.

It is evident even in their cuisine. The Michelin-rated menu of Cucina is a clever mix of Asian and international dishes, both traditional and contemporary and concocted by highly celebrated chefs: Graeme Ritchie, Au Yueng Chung Kei, and Ryan Zimmer. Even the table is set to display the elegant marriage of the modern and the old. The traditional crispy suckling pig skin sitting on a soft white pastry is served in an ultra-contemporary table setting that is both minimalist yet decadent. The Amadei dessert – rich dark chocolate fondant with a sprinkling of popcorn and tofu and caramel gelato on the side – sits on a slab of black marble. On another plate is a curious capsule that breaks into gooey strawberry and rose filling that spills over yoghurt cheesecake. The capsule is formed using liquid nitrogen, making the dessert a complicated dish that is just as delightfully complex in the mouth. To cap it all was a generous helping of strawberry balsamic ice cream (made from scratch of course) served in a bowl of ice, the cold crystals sparkling with the reflection of the city lights. Around us are black wooden lattice panels, marble, glass, and rich fabrics. With everything combined, it was almost an otherworldly experience. Or maybe it was just the chardonnay.

At the roof top of the Island Shagri-La, HK.

If Cucina is everything elegant, the Spice Market at the Prince is a trip back to the markets of old, alive with the scents and tastes of Southeast Asian cuisine. Lunch and dinner time, the crowd is as hectic as the markets of Hong Kong. People crowd the buffet tables for the steamed fish, stir-fried noodles, Peking duck, dim sum, tandoori, and a host of other Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Singaporean favorites. Every day they also have specials and on our first visit, they served the most special of all specials: the Typhoon Shelter Wagyu. The most tender and succulent Kobe-style beef is served on a small plate of stir-fried vegetables. The melt-in-your mouth experience almost made us forget about the other items on the buffet table. The waiters happily obliged. Plate after plate of wagyu was delivered to us, so we didn’t feel the need to stand up. We were perfectly happy where we were. We had, after all, the perfect location.

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Once Upon a Time in the Summer Palace (a Michelin rated restaurant in Hong Kong)

Published by AsianTraveler Magazine, 2009

Images by Nana Arellano-Aoyong

He hardly spoke English. Fortunately for us, his dishes spoke a thousand words. While he made gestures and required a translator to express his thoughts, he needed no explanation for his deep fried chicken wings or his chilled sago cream with fresh mango juice and pomelo. His specialities broke the language barrier. The flavours were both universal and unusual.

A chat with HK's "god of the kitchen"

The Summer Palace’s Chef Lee Keung after all is the “God of the Kitchen”, a title given to him by the Hong Kong culinary world. And a god finds little use for words. His creations say it all.

Following the flitting firefly

Far from intimidating, he greeted us with kind humour in his eyes. Not the kind of god I imagined at all. With a sense of excited urgency, he motioned for us to sit down. Suddenly, the gates of the palace were opened for us.

Waiting to be seated outside the gates of the palace.

We settled into our gilded scarlet chairs and marvelled at the opulence of Island Shangri-La’s Summer Palace. A two-star Michelin rated restaurant, Summer Palace rightfully sits atop Island Shangri-La along Supreme Court Road in Central, Hong Kong.

Around us, the restaurant gleamed in elegance, calling to mind the Imperial Chinese of old. The décor however was in no way outdated. By the entrance, a large carved screen, depicting a mythical scene of a golden phoenix soaring in the heavens, welcomes guests into a world of whimsy and gastronomic adventure.

Inside the Michelin rated restaurant.

Everywhere were tales of wonder. Golden embroidered butterflies seemed to dance on the silk wall panels. Their reflections peek through the fancy ironwork covering the mirrors. By our table, a curious rabbit, looking up at a bird perched on a tree, is delicately painted on a silk canvass. Similar stories are found in almost every corner. The screens, the plush blue carpet, and the door panels – a floor to ceiling gold network of carved branches with blossoms - are designed to mirror the four petal flower motif of the Summer Palace in Beijing. We were transported.

Nana, our photographer, ran around, snapping away like a child running after a flitting firefly giving everything it alighted on a soft glow. Overhead, a Viennese teardrop chandelier sparkled. Its oriental accents of brass and jade rings seemed to shimmer every time the flash went off.   It was as if we stepped into an old Chinese fairy tale, and we were enthralled. The dishes however told the best stories.

The tale of the dumpling

Chinese pride and history unfolded on the table, one dish after the other. A master of Cantonese cuisine, Chef Keung is all about tradition, of old recipes he figured out himself through numerous tries like the classic chilled crystal ham. The traditional Zhenjiang delicacy made of cubed pressed ham and stock was a cool and unusual starter that whetted our appetite for something warmer. Out came a bamboo basket of soup dumplings.

We were treated like royalty in this house of food worship.

Once served, the bun quivered in my bowl, suggesting a surprise waiting inside. I pierced through the little fat pouch’s translucent skin, and a stream of amber colored liquid trickled out. The soup is made by wrapping solid meat gelatine inside the skin alongside the meat filling. When the dumpling is steamed, the gelatine melts into a soup that subtly tasted of the diced meat, shark’s fin, and vegetables, leaving me wanting for more.

Food for the gods.

Soup dumplings, or xialongbao as they’re called in China, are traditional baozi Chinese fare which was invented by the military strategist Zhuge Liang back in third century AD. Chef Keung regards the centuries-old tradition with great respect. He uses only the freshest ingredients and stays true to traditional Cantonese methods of preparation which includes braising, stewing, and double boiling. To some, these methods are too tiresome and painstaking, but the chef is a man of great patience and hard work. He, after all, started in the lowest of ranks as a chopper, doing nothing but dicing vegetables for four years before he was finally allowed to touch the stove. All these started at the young age of 15. There were no stories of old-age recipes handed down from generations past. His story was all about waiting patiently, learning the revered ways on his own, and rightfully earning his title.

Delicate, delectable, delightful

Rushing in and out of the kitchen, Chef Keung brought out the dishes himself. With the modesty of a server, he carefully set another delicacy on the table: sliced barbequed suckling pig served with soft white pastry. The skin slices were so delightfully crispy that I almost forgot I was snacking on pork. It was like chewing on sweet and salty golden wafers that crackled in the mouth.  There was not a trace of oil in the thin slices. While pork always brings to mind the words “oily”, “greasy”, or “fatty”, Chef Keung’s suckling pig could only suggest the words “delicate”, “delightful” and of course, “delectable.”

Dining in opulence

After the light treat, we were served something more heavy and rich: scrambled egg white in fresh milk with diced scallops and crab coral. The creamy texture was quite surprising after the palate had been teased with the crispy pig skin. The mildly sweetness of the scallops blended perfectly with the creaminess of the dish while the crab coral offered texture and a more pronounced saltiness.

scrambled egg white in fresh milk with diced scallops and crab coral

Each dish presented was just as surprising if not delightful. Stir fried minced vegetables with pine nuts were served on fresh cabbage leaves. Each crispy bite was punctuated with the crunch of the pine nuts. I imagined the cabbage rolls would be a perfect refreshing snack on a summer day, and I eagerly made another roll to challenge my host’s ribbing that I ate like a tiny bird.

cabbage roll: a refreshing start

On the contrary, in spite of my diminutive frame, I had been known to “eat like a truck driver”, wolfing down everything that got in the way, but this was not the place for such decorum. Everything around me called to be relished and savoured; besides, the piece de resistance was still on its way.

The story of the succulent wing

It seems quite odd to think that one of the thinnest parts of the chicken should be stuffed; a god can do whatever he wills apparently. And kitchen deities usually do come up with something short of spectacular.

behold, a god's masterpiece: deep fried chicken wings

The chef revealed that the deep fried chicken wings with crab meat and shark’s fin required a long and complicated preparation. He explained that he had to remove the bone and the meat from each wing, careful not to tear the fragile skin. Then he would stuff in the crab meat and shark’s fin before deep frying the wing. The result is a crispy succulent drummette, that I had one too many. He probably wipes off each wing down before serving because again, there was not a hint of grease on each, and all I could savour was the skin’s crispiness and the meat’s sweet and tender juiciness.

Palate play

 A cook of over 50 years, this 64-year-old is all traditional, but he does not shy away from innovations. During a visit to Singapore, he tried a mango dessert that inspired him to create his own. The result was the highly acclaimed chilled sago cream with fresh mango juice and pomelo. Although I am not a big fan of saccharine treats, I dipped into the gold-trimmed crystal bowl with eagerness and was delighted with the first spoonful. The citrusy pomelo reduced the creamy sweetness. Every spoonful was a play for the tongue as it sought out the tangy surprise of the pomelo.

After we dined with deity.

Such dreamy creations have not only earned Summer Palace the much coveted Michelin rating, but several other citations. The Summer Palace was named one of “Hong Kong’s 50 Finest Restaurants” in 2008 by Hong Kong Tatler and one of the ten “Great Hotel Restaurants” in the world by HOTELS Magazine (US) in 2004. But it appeared that the recognition didn’t matter to Chef Keung that much. All he seemed to care about was that I polished off my plate. As much as I didn’t want to insult the god of the kitchen, I had to beg off on account of a bulging tummy. I had to break the dream. All good stories must end after all.

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