Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China + Add a trip

Hong Kong offers some great bars and clubs. This is a quick guide to the general scene, rather than a comprehensive review of any one venue.

The top-tier clubs in terms of prestige are Drop, Volar, and Dragon-I. All three are very hard to get into for the general crowd. They play mostly house or techno, some nights with special themes or DJ sets. Personally, I prefer Drop, the entrance to which is basically a run-down alleyway off a SoHo street—the only difference is, this run-down alleyway is blocked by a grim bouncer. Once you're in, you'll find a small but techno-banging club, packed to the max. Dragon-I is quite stylish in an Asian crossover kind of way, and also sports a restaurant. It's a bit larger and plays more house. Volar is perhaps the hardest to get into; it's located in a Lan Kwai Fong basement, and is darker, more techno-heavy, and draws a more local crowd.

In LKF you may also like:

– Hei Hei. Steep cover charge, hip-hop and R&B music, mostly local clientele.

– Club 9. Dramatic but annoying layout, hip-hop and R&B music.

– Kee Club. Small and members “only.”

– Armani Bar. That's right, it's a bar in the Armani building.

For a real treat when it comes to bars, visit Feather Boa on Staunton Street. It’s hard to find, since it has no proper entrance—however, it is a gem, exquisitely Baroque-styled and with a fragrance of chocolate-strawberry daiquiris.

Bars of the slicker kind include:

– Red. Outdoor patio in the IFC plaza, Central.

– Felix. Sky bar at the Peninsula hotel, Kowloon.

– Aqua. Japanese/Italian bar and restaurant, 1 Peking Road, Kowloon.

The night-time view from these, especially the latter, is not to be missed. The hard-to-find Knutsford Terrace in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, features some nice bars as well.

If you don't live in Central, note that the MTR generally stops around midnight to 12.30am. A taxi ride at a negotiated price from Central to, say, Clearwater Bay, is 120–150 HKD depending on the day of the week and your skills.

Checkout Felix at the Peninsula Hotel. A little pretentious but the views are stunning, the menu offers brasserie style fare with a seafood slant and the toilets are not to be missed; the ladies' must have the best view of any loo anywhere on the planet, and the gents isn't bad too!

Hong Kong has a world of dining to offer. This is a quick guide to what you should try out in general, rather than a comprehensive review of any one restaurant. Furthermore, it honors the mantra of moving “beyond the path of a traditional guidebook.” So I'm skipping ahead of the basics on the subject, i.e. Cantonese cuisine, Dim Sum, etc.

Now to it. As you might expect, you’ll find plenty of Chinese food everywhere in Hong Kong. It's expensive here in comparison to Beijing or Shanghai, not to mention the Chinese countryside, but rather budget-friendly by international standards. In Central or Kowloon, do try the local Cantonese food, such as Dim Sum. But don't miss out on Hong Kong's fledgling display of other Asian cuisine: Shanghainese, Pekinese, Sichuan, Hot Pot, Korean BBQ, and Japanese—just pick your favorite. On a side note, international fast-food chains may take on a different form in Hong Kong. For example, Pizza Hut is not the take-out pizza joint U.S. citizens may be used to, but rather a comfy, nicely lit, sit-down restaurant.

If you’re looking for a plethora of charming restaurants from all over the world, you’ll find them in SoHo close to Central. I especially recommend you try the Nepalese one on Staunton Street.

Another nice area is Knutsford Terrace in Tsim Sha Tsui, an obscure alley packed with super-cozy restaurants, such as the Turkish Merhaba. You might need an informed local to provide proper directions to this area, but finding it is worth some effort.

Quite a ways further up the Kowloon hillls, you'll find the small fishing village of Sai Kung, famous for its fresh, local seafood. This is worth a try if you have more time on your hands.

Unique to Hong Kong, though, are the so-called “Private Kitchens.” These are something of a phenomenon: unlicensed, hard-to-find restaurants—often in rebuilt apartments—sporting up to 10-dish meals, including local seasonal specialties, and requiring reservations 1–2 weeks ahead. The mystique, food, and personal service make private kitchens marquee experiences of Hong Kong. There’s one called Yellow Door Kitchen on Cochrane Street in Central, and at least one in Wan Chai.