Late Hour Underground King

The theme is Karma. A groovy smallish place that offers great dance music. Buddha Lounge is probably the best venue for electronic & hardcore 'dance' music lovers. Cool crowd and mix bag. (the best dance place was Yumla before, and after they've launch their shady door policy, many regulars shifted to the Buddha.)

Buddha Lounge gets very busy during weekend, especially after 5am. The dancing crowd still bumping the floor at 7am. It's one of the main afterhours places in Hong Kong. The DJ spinning hardcore eletronica can set our world on fire. Check out the private back room.

Monday: Chill Out Night

Tuesday: Girls Night Out, Hip Hop and RnB 6pm to 10pm. Happy Hour 11pm to 1am Free House vodka mixer for ladies Rum mixer 2 for 1 all night.

Wednesday: Funky house / Soul 6pm to 10pm. Happy Hour Vodka mixers HK$25 all night.

Thursday: eggae, Ragga, Soca, Zouk, Hip Hop and Afro Beat. HK$30 Chang Beer all night. Live percussion and DJ Kila

Friday: House 6pm to 10pm. Happy Hour 12 shots for HK$300

Saturday: House 6pm to 10pm. Happy Hour 12 shots for HK$300

Buddha Lounge
Address: L/G Amber Lodge, Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2526 2562
Opening Hours: 6pm to 2am daily. Closed on Sundays. Thursday, Friday and Saturday open till late.
Cover Charge: No cover.
Dress Code: Casual.
Happy Hour: 6pm to 10pm daily.
Drafts available: Heineken and Edelweiss.

How to get there: take MTR to Central Station, take exit D. Turn right on Queens Road Central, walk straight, then take the escalator to Hollywood Road. It's right under the bridge on the stairs.

club M1NT

Mixture of Paris and London spirit, M1NT is a glamorous nightclub with "beautiful" people, local models and wannabes. Plush bunket, chandeliers and semi-private dining rooms with live black tip reef sharks swimming in the fish 8-meter-long tanks, and a jelly fish tank. It's the venue of lucury brands including Versace, Lancôme, Chaumet, Calvin Klein, Harvey Nichols, Vertu, and Moët and Chandon to host fashion shows and product launches.

Entry has to be painfull if you don't dress well, or if you're not 'on the list'. Short dressed Asian girl in the group helps getting through the door. Friday night was pretty packed a young & upmarket crowd. Service is on the arrogant side.

M1NT
Address: 108 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2261 1106
Fax: +(852) 2980 3737

How to get there: take MTR to Central Station, take exit D. Turn right on Queens Road Central, walk straight, then take the escalator to Hollywood Road. Walk along Hollywood Road towards Sheung Wan direction for about 5 mins. It's on your left.

Crazy Hour HK$19/beer

Now, you can fin cheap beer in Tsimshatsui East, the luxury 5-star hotels area.

During 'crazy hour' 6-8pm at Sticky Fingers, selected draft beer is only HK$19/pint, with free flowing unlimited order. I always order my cold fresh Stella Artois after 6pm. :D

Sticky Fingers itself ia a rock n roll bar, which usually a Filipino band perform everynight after 10pm of cover music. It is also the venue for the "World Battle of Bands" semifinals in Hong Kong. There's a large open bar with a tiny dance floor in front of the stage. There's also some Filipino working woman picking up customers at the bar everynight.

Crazy Hour: 6-8pm Daily. HK$19/selected beer
Happy Hour: 8-10pm Daily. Buy one get one free
Live Music nightly after 10pm

Sticky Fingers
Address: Shop 61-63 & 67-70 Tsim Sha Tsui Centre, G/F 66 Mody Rd, Tsimshatsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2369 8988
How to get there: Tsimshatsui MTR Exit P, walk along Mody Road towards Shangri-la Hotel for about 3-5 mins. It's right opposit to The Royal Garden Hotel, near SaSa.

Little Cozy French Dance Place

Tucked away down a tiny side street, gecko is a great place for private parties (birthday party) and cozzy after-dinner watering hole. It's the in-the-know locals' favourite. Chill-out in cosy sofas on weekday evenings with piano music, jamming sessions, or live jazz. Weekends get raucous with DJs spinning electronic dance beats.

The owner, Chris, is French. So, there're lots of French people hang out here. The crowds are usually non pretensious. No dress code here. Services are friendly. Drinks are a bit pricey (HK$70 for a house pour) but the DJ know how to work the crowd, espcially after midnight.

Gecko Lounge and Wine Bar
Address: LG/F, Ezra Lane Lower Hollywood Road, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2537 4680
Opening Hours: Sun-Thu 6pm-3am; Fri & Sat 6pm-later

How to get there: take MTR to Central Station, take exit D. Turn right on Queens Road Central, walk straight, then take the escalator to Hollywood Road. There're stairs right under the bridge. Walk down the stairs and turn right on the first alley on your right. Gecko is the first bar in the alley.

What the PHO?

Pho-natic (pronounce as fa-nat-ik), one who loves to eat Pho.

What is Pho?
Pho is a traditional Vietnamese thinly sliced meat and rice-noodle soup dish. It normally served as a bowl of white rice noodles in clear beef broth, with thin cuts of beef (steak, fatty flank, lean flank, brisket). Variations featuring tendon, tripe, meatballs, chicken leg, chicken breast, or other chicken organs (heart, liver, tongue, etc.) are also available. It is garnished with fresh herbs such as green onions, white onions, coriander leaves, Thai basil, lemon or lime wedges, and bean sprouts. The herbs are usually provided on a separate plate, which allows customers to adjust the soup's flavor as they like. Fish sauce and hot sauce are popular additions as well.

Promotion @ Cafe Annam (for dinner only):
SUNDAY: Order a PHO and get a bottle of FREE SAIGON BEER!
TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY: Order a 'Street-Style' combination appetizer and get a FREE BOWL OF PHO!

Cafe Annam
Address: 35 Elgin Street, Soho, Central, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2545 9966

Best Wanton (Prawn Dumplings) Noodle

Among the thousands of local dishes that remain deeply rooted in Hongkongers' daily life, some make it to international fame, and others stick to lowkey popularity, eaten in local circles.

Wanton (Prawn Dumplings) Noodles, is one of the nation's flavorful plate. With a maximum capacity of 48 seatings, this small noodle outlet is probably the best wanton noodle in Hong Kong.

The prices are unbelievable cheap even with Michelin recommendation: HK$16 for a bowl of soup noodles! The menu only have 3 choices. You can only choose between 1) Prawn Wanton Noodles; 2) Fishball Noodles; or 3) Beef Noodles. The wantons and fishballs are huge. Wantons are filled with a few big fresh prawns, and enveloped in a thin, translucent dumpling skin. Fishballs are flavor with dried Mandarin peel. And the egg noodles are fresh and springy, cooked perfectly al dente with an alkaline aftertaste. A little bit of venigar can reduce the alkaline taste. The Beef are not particularly good in taste though.

Be prepared to share table with strangers. It is definately NOT a romantic dinner place, as everyone just sat, ordered, ate and left within a span of minutes.

Tsim Chai Kee
Address: 98 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2850 6471
Opening Hours: 09:00-22:00

Directions: Central MTR station, exit B1, turn right. Turn right again on Queen's Road Central. Turn left on Cochrane Street, walk uphill. It's near the mid-level escalators. About 5 mins walk from Central MTR station.

Macau Almond Cookie

This is a famous and traditional cookie from Macau where every tourist bring some home after their visit. Among all almond cookies bakeries, Koi Kei Bakery and Choi Heong Yuen are the two most famous ones. Choi Heong Yuen was set up in 1935 and has been popular for over 70 years.

The cookies are made with flour, sugar, and almonds. For original flavor, a small piece of lard is added in the middle of the cookie. While for health reasons, other flavor such as pork floss, seeds, nuts, etc. are added instead of lard.

You can also buy the almond cookies in Hong Kong if you don't have time to visit Macau.

Choi Heong Yuen
Address: 668 & 718 King's Road, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2561 0781 / 2560 5810
Fax: +(852) 2328 6979
Email: sales@chuiheungyuen.com

Price: HK$42/box

Directions: Quarry Bay MTR Station Exit C, walk straight, turn left on King's Road. 3 mins walk from MTR station.

Salon de Ning

Sophisticatedly ostentatious bar lounge on the Kowloon-side.

The décor: The interior design is inspired by the opulent private residences of 1930s Shanghai celebutante “Madame Ning.” There are four themed rooms: the L’Afrique, tent-like with back-lit lattice windows and a U-shaped Moroccan alcove; the Ski Room, a rustic Swiss Chalet complete with cozy fireplace; the Boudoir, the Madame’s own dressing room, with vintage hats on the ceiling. Stepping into them is like stepping into an old Shanghai movie scene.

The drinks: Signature drink "Ning Sling", a combination of Absolut Mandarin, lychee liqueur and passion fruit purée garnished with mint and lychee. Champagne-lovers, the bar carries an exclusive label created by Deutz of France.

The crowd: The stylish crowd who bothered to dress up. No T-shirts, shorts or flip-flops.

The music: Live band playing disco, 70s, 80s and 90s from 9pm till late on the weekdays. DJ on the weekend playing more tasteful tunes, such as jazz classics, bossa beats and ambient.

Salon de Ning
Address: B/F, The Peninsula, Salisbury Rd., Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2315 3355

New Urban Taxi Fare (since 30 Nov 2008)

New taxi fare scheme applied to all Urban Taxi (red color) started 30 Nov 2008. In addition to an increase in base fares, there is an incremental increase from HK$1.40 to HK$1.50 up to nine kilometers. After that the increment drops to HK$1, meaning a trip that used to cost HK$100 will now cost HK$95.50 and a ride that cost HK$300 will now be 20 percent cheaper.

First 2 kilometres or any part thereof HK$18

Every subsequent 200 metres or part thereof / Every period of 1 minute waiting time or part thereof

• For meter fare below $70.5 HK$ 1.50
• For meter fare of $70.5 and above HK$ 1

Since most taxi have not changed their fare meter, so, please make sure they charge you a correct fare according to the fare table (paper form convertion table).

For more details, click here.

Michelin guide Hong Kong Macau 2009

"Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau 2009" is the first bilingual Michelin guide. Hong Kong has become one of the first Michelin cities in China. It includes 202 establishments in Hong Kong, with 22 of them receiving one or more Michelin stars.

There were 12 Michelin inspectors (2 of them were Chinese) who examined a pre-selected 1,200 of the 15,000 restaurants. 200 restaurants were chosen to appear in the guide. Among the 200 restaurants, 33 of them belongs to hotels' restaurant.

3 STARS *** (the top Michelin grade for "exceptional cuisine worth a special journey.")

• Lung King Heen 龍景軒 (Four Seasons Hotel)
  

2 STARS ** (excellent cooking worth a detour)

• Amber (Mandarin Oriental Hotel)
  
• Bo Innovation
• Caprice (Four Seasons Hotel)
• L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon
• Shang Palace 香宮 (Kowloon Shangri-la Hotel)
  
• Summer Palace夏宮 (Kowloon Shangri-la Hotel)
  
• T'ang Court唐閣 (Langham Hotel)
  

1 STAR * (a very good restaurant in its category)

• Fook Lam Moon (Wanchai) 福臨門（灣仔）
• Forum 富臨
• Hutong 胡同
• Lei Garden (IFC) 利苑酒家（國際金融中心）
• Lei Garden (Tsim Sha Tsui) 利苑酒家（尖沙咀）
• Ming Court 明閣 (Langham Place)
  
• Petrus (Island Shari-La Hotel)
  
• Pierre (Mandarin Oriental Hotel)
  
• Regal Palace 富豪金殿 (Regal Hongkong Hotel)
  
• Shanghai Garden 紫玉蘭
• The Golden Leaf 金葉庭
• The Square 翠玉軒
• Tim's Kitchen 桃花源小廚
• Yung Kee 鏞記

Special Recommendation (no star but recommended)

• Café Siam
• Cheung Kee 祥記飯店
• Crystal Jade (Tsimshatsui) 翡翠拉麵小籠包（尖沙咀）
• Farm House 農圃飯店
• Golden Bauhinia 金紫荊
• Gunga Din's 金家美食
• Ho Hung Kee 何洪記
• Jashan
• Kin's Kitchen 留家廚房
• Lei Garden (Elements) 利苑酒家（圓方）
• Lei Garden (Mong Kok) 利苑酒家（旺角）
• Le Soleil (The Royal Garden Hong Kong)
• Lian 蓮
• Luk Yu Tea House 陸羽茶室
• Naozen なお膳
• 1/5 Nuevo
• Tandoor
• Tasty (Happy Valley) 正斗粥麵專家（跑馬地）
• Tasty (Hung Hom) 正斗粥麵專家（九龍）
• Tasty (IFC) 正斗粥麵專家（國際金融中心）
• West Villa 西苑酒家
• Yee Tung Heen 怡東軒 (Excelsior Hotel)
• Yè Shanghai (Admiralty) 夜上海（金鐘）
• Yunyan 雲陽閣

Many local gastronomes & gourmets doubt the Michelin judges ratings were fair. For example Yung Kee 鏞記 serves the best roasted goose in the world (Hong Kong has the best roasted goose in the world, while Yung Kee 鏞記 offers the best roasted goose in town.), should deserve at least 2 stars instead of 1 star.

What did the local gourmets say about "Michelin guide Hong Kong Macau 2009"?

李純恩: I will not follow this guide to eat. Western people do not understand the pith of Chinese cooking and food culture. They only appreciate restaurants in luxury hotels. Hongkongers no need to boarder.

劉健威: Michelin judges' standards are typical tourists' standards, which are very different from the locals. With a limited time tasting pre-selected restaurants from luxury locations. You are very safe at 5-star hotels, you don't normally find bad food there, however, also hard to get surprise. They should spend more time investigating and understanding Chinese food culture.

Chow Chung: Chinese have their own standard of good food. As you don't trust Chinese people's rating s and comments on Western food. This guide used a Western perspective to rate the restaurants, I doubt any local will follow their culinary map.

Innovative Wine Tasting Bar

Wine tastings became fun with gimmicky Enomatic Wine Serving System. Enomatic is a state-of-the-art computer controlled wine serving system that monitors the operation of each bottle and allows the poured wine to be set to any quantity. The unit features individual bottle positions that can adapt to different sized bottles, electronic push-button operation, and back-lit display. The anti-oxidation feature is automatically activated whenever a new bottle is added in the system. The computer also tells the restaurant how long a bottle has been in the Enomatic.

I visited the Tasting Wine Bar in Hong Kong on Friday night. You can taste a wide selection of wines with a variety of prices, that wouldn’t usually be offered by the glass. The bar offers 40 varieties of wines (32 Reds, 7 Whites, 1 Rose), from Old to New World wines. Many of them are unable to sample in normal restaurants / bars without purchasing the whole bottle. Instead of spending more than $500 for a bottle of wine, I can taste half portion of the same wine for $89. They even have wine from Lebanon. They also offer tapas & cheeses (free one serving during happy hours), which are excellent companion to wines. I poured my own glass of wine without touching a bottle!

How does the Digital Wine Cellar works?

1. First, you walk over to a big glass-fronted box with wine bottles in it.
2. Insert a prepaid debit card
3. Hold your wineglass under a spout
4. Press a button
5. and -- Huhuu -- dispenser pour your Shiraz.

You have 3 choices to choose from the system:-
(1) By the glass (150ml)
(2) Half glass (75ml), or
(3) Tasting portion (25ml)

Each bottle is marked with the price per different serving size. The prices changes on a digital display. Cost wise, for tastings portion (i.e. 25ml), price ranging from HK$14 to HK$170 at the top end (Vintage 1997) .

The downsides of this bar was that the lights were too bright, and the low ceilings made the room very noisy and when crowded with people. Service could be improved though.

Where can I find this wine machine in Hong Kong?

Sky Lounge at Sheraton Hotel
Address : 20 Nathan Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Tel : +(852) 2369 1111
Opening Hour : Mon-Thur 16:00-01:00; Fri 16:00-02:00; Sat 14:00-2:00; Sun 14:00-01:00

Tastings Wine Bar
Address : 27-29 L/G Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Tel : +(852) 2523 6282
Opening Hour : Mon-Sat 17:00-02:00 (Sun Closed)

Chinese Junk Boat Cocktail Tour

How about sailing in Hong Kong's beautiful harbour, in an traditional Chinese junk boat, with a stylish cocktail on your hand?

There's a private run junk boat called Aqua Luna (or “Cheung Po Tsai” in Cantonese), run by Aqua Restaurant Group, which owns some of Hong Kong’s most cutting edge luxury restaurants in HK, including Aqua, Ayuthaiya, WasabiSabi, etc.

Aqua Luna is probably the last traditional Chinese Junk boat to be designed and handmade in Hong Kong. This 28-metre junk was built in by a 80 year old master craftsman, supervised by an equally experienced 73 year old ship-building veteran, over a period of 18 months, using traditional Chinese boat building methods which have now all but died out in Hong Kong.

Price per person: HK$150 (day)/ HK$180 (evening) - 45 mins including cocktail /drink

Reservations:
Phone: +(852) 21168821
Website: www.aqua.com.hk
Email: info@aqua.com.hk

Cow Farm with Fresh Organic Milk

The only liscensed organic dairy farm in Hong Kong. The cows were feed with 100% organic grasses. This dairy farm have been in operations for 40 years. The farm is small, however, you can see the whole milk production process here, from gplantation, cows breeding, milk production, and packaging. Beacuse there's limited production of the milk, they are not available for sale in supermarkets. You can also sample the milk in the farm though. You can be sured that you won't drink milk with Melamine here.

Hong Ning Dairy (牛牛樂園)
Address: DD 81, Man Uk Bin, Sha Tau Kok, Fanling, New Territories, Hong Kong.
Phone: +(852) 2674 0282
Fax: +(852) 2674 1571
Entrance Fee: HK$18/person (including free milk sample)
Feeding: you can buy some grass for HK$5 to feed the cows
Opening Hour: 10:00-16:00 Daily
Remarks: avoid Sunday if you can, as it's over crowded with local group tourists.

Lavender Garden

Set against the mountain of Hok Tau (Fanling), occupying an area of 160,000 sq. ft., Lavender Garden is a place where you can relax and enjoy the countryside, escape from the busy city life with all modern conveniences at hand. The best season to see Lavender is in Autumn and Winter, when the weather is dry and cold.

Activities:

1. Barbecue - BBQ areas are fully equipped with tables, chairs and canopy for shade. Food and drinks can be conveniently purchased at the park. And you don't have to worry about setting up the fire, they'll do everything for you, full service.
2. Animals feeding - There are different varieties of turtle, including a 15kg Alligator Snapping Turtle. They also have goats & koi carp fishes that you can feed
3. Make your Own Candle - You can create your very own candles. Choose a glass and fill it with colourful stones, fill it with melted wax.
4. Shopping - There's a mini market selling locally produced snacks and dried foods, organic fresh vegetables, and Chinese tea. They also carry a wide range of flowers and herbs that are perfect for your home.

Lavender Garden
Address: DD76 Lot 655 Hok Tau Road, Fanling, New Territories, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2674 7822
Fax: +(852) 2674 6361
Email: info@lavendergarden.com.hk
Entrance Fee: HK$5/person (under 3 years old free of charge)
Opening Hour: Mon-Fri 10:00-19:00 / Sat, Sun, Holidays 10:00-22:00

Directions: Take MTR train to Fanling station. From there, take the 52B (Hok Tau) minibus, which runs at 20 minute intervals. (The last bus depart at 20:20) Alight the minibus before it turns right at the entry to Hok Tau Village. Walk straight along Hok Tau Road for a couple of minutes and you will see LAVENDER GARDEN on your left.

Remarks: Outside food & drinks are nor allowed in the garden

Fresh Oyster @ Lau Fau Shan

Famed for its oyster farms and seafood restaurants, Lau Fau Shan (流浮山) is recognised as an important part of Hong Kong's heritage. It is where some of the earliest settlers lived.

This small fishing village is located on Deep Bay (Western New Territories), near Tin Shui Wai and facing Shekou in Shenzhen. About 100 tons of oysters were harvested every year, some for consumption in Hong Kong restaurants and some for export to neighboring countries. Little remains of this today due to pollutin. However the village with its excellent seafood restaurants, now become a tourist attraction for local foodies, especially during weekends and holidays. You can have a truly delicious seafood meal here without much fear of being ripped off. The coastline sunset scene is breathtaking. You can also see a 1500-year-old temple founded by the legendary monk Pui To, who is said to have landed on this coast in a wooden tub.

After you alight from the minibus, take a walk through Ching Tai Street (the only street in Lau Fau Shan) to the shore. You'll pass through a a stretch of seafood restaurants and fishmongers' stalls selling dried seafood. Here, you can buy excellent oyster sauce made by fresh oysters, as well as dried scallops, dried oysters, dried prawn, dried shrimp eggs, salty fish, etc. With the same quality, prices are usually cheaper than shops in the city.


How to get there: Take MTR to Tai Po Market station. Walk to the minibus terminal on Tai Fung Street. Take #33 maxicab, the ride takes around 20 mins.
Warnings: traffic congestion during weekends and public holidays.

Free WiFi HotSpots in Hong Kong

Enjoy free surfing at government Wi-Fi locations. This is for the general public, people can surf the web freely for business, study, leisure or accessing government services whenever they visit the designated Government premises. Foreign visitors can enjoy Internet access at the designated tourist spots.

You may go to GovWiFi Locator for more details about the GovWiFi locations.

Causeway Bay
- World Trade Centre (shopping and restaurant area)
- KFC - G/F, 40 Yee Wo Street, Causeway Bay

Central
- International Finance Centre
- Kosmo Coffee, corner of D'Aguilar and Wellington Streets, Lan Kwai Fong
- Island Shangri-La Hotel (lobby and function rooms), Pacific Place
- Honolulu Coffee Shop, No. 33 Stanley Street
- Central Fortress shop underground (near the entertaiment exit)
- stand outside the Central estalator (near Central Market)

Sheung Wan / Western District
- Shun Tak Centre
- on the street near to Wing On Department Store

Wan Chai
- Zambra Coffee, 239 Jaffe Road
- G/F & 1/F, Wan Chai Computer Centre
- outside M722 bus stop in Lockart Road

Kowloon Tong
- Festival Walk Shopping Center

Tsim Sha Tsui
- Crema Coffee, G36 Peninsula Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui East
- The Kowloon Hotel Hong Kong (all guest rooms, retaurants and bar)
- Kowloon Shangri-La (lobby), Tsim Sha Tsui East
- China Ferry Terminal & Shopping Centre

Discovery Bay
- Discovery Bay Resident Club
- Discovery Bay Office Centre (business centre)
- Club Siena (reading room)
- Discovery Bay Piers (waiting area)
- Discovery Bay Piazza (all outdoor sitting area)

Fitting Model Scam

To all female friends and visitors,

Beaware of scam when walking alone in crowded area in Hong Kong, particularly in Tsim Sha Tsui. A friend of mine was stopped by a woman on Grenville Road, Tsimshatsui one afternoon and asked what size She was and whether She's interested to be a fitting model.

Another friend of mine had similar experience at the same spot. She was walking along Nathan Road when going to the Baptist Chinese Medicine Clinic which is on Humphreys Avenue and passed by Cameron Road. She came across a middle aged woman, who approached her and asked what size her jacket was. The woman started saying "Excuse me" and tried to grasp her arm.

Bar Hopping

Lan Kwai Fong - the most popular place for drinking and dining with a vibrant mixture of different cultures.

LKF (Lan Kwai Fong in short) is not merely a place for pubs and discos. It boasts such a range of cuisine: from Italian to Mediterranean; from Japanese to Thai and of course Chinese. The cobbled streets around LKF burst into life after dark. Prices can comparatively high in this area.

How to get there: Central MTR exit D1, turn right. Turn right on Queens Road Central. Turn left and cross the traffic light on D'Aguilar Street. Walk up hill for 2-5 mins.
Dress Code: Casual Chic.

Live Jazz @ Peel Fresco Music Lounge

The home of excellent live jazz music in the heart of Soho. This new small bar became a hot gathering places for local musicians. Besides hosting the Hong Kong Jazz festival, there's regular jamming session, which really spice up the live music scene in Hong Kong. Indie band now have a place to go! Drinks are at happy hour price throughout the night for club members. You can also get a little snack for bite at the bar if you feel hungry.

Upcoming Events (Dec 1 - Dec 7):
Monday: Chillin' and illin'
Tuesday: Open Mic
Wednesday: Mocarsky Organ Trio
Thursday: Jaso Mascarenhas Latin Jazz
Friday: Holiday Concert Start, Levi, Pao, Lo, Lee, Harris
Saturday: Ho & Taurus Fusion
Sunday: Chill Out Night @ Fresco

Peel Fresco Music Lounge
Address: 49 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2540 2046
Email: info@peelfresco.com
Opening Hours: 17:00 till late
Directions: take MTR to Central Station, take exit D. Turn right on Queens Road Central, walk straight, then take the escalator to Hollywood Road. From Hollywood Road, keep walking towards Sheung Wan's direction. After passing a Chinese herbal tea shop, you'll see Peel Street. Turn left onto Peel street, the bar is on your right handside. Opposit to "Joyce is not here".

Nothern China Whole Lamb Feast

A new Shandong Restaurant which specialised in lamb dishes. Claimed to hire 2 top chefs from Shangdong, though the food they offer doesn't look like Shandongnese cuisine at all, but food was good for Hongkongers taste.

Angus Beef Hot Pot Buffet
Mon-Fri HK$88/pax / Sat, Saun & Holiday HK$98/pax
late dinner after 8:30pm: HK$20 cheaper per person


Whole Lamb Feast
HK$1,180/12 persons
HK$630/6 persons

A festival type 13-Course full dinner, lamb / meat lovers cannot miss.

• Jasmine Smoke Vegetarian Goose
• Sesame Celery
• Garlic Cucumber & Tomatoes Salad
• Amber Lamb
• Fried Fish & Lamb with Spring Onion, Shangdong style
• Lamb Soup
• Grilled King Prawn
• Stewed Lamb Hot Pot
• Mushroom with mixed Vegetables
• Steamed Lamb Dumplings (2 styles)
• Dessert: Double Boiled White Fungus & Pear with Rock Sugar
  

Star of Shandong Restaurant
Address: Shop No 23, L9 Megabox, Enterprise Square Five, 38 Wang Chiu Road, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2359 0188

Salsa, Live Band, Chocolate Fountain, Wine Bar

Swindlers offers a different take from other Wanchai bars. Decorated in lush velvet, Victorian-style golden chandelier-lamps with an elongated mirror hanging above, the opulent décor is befitting for 1940’s swindlers! This live music winebar carries a range of whites, reds, champagnes and beers.

Live music resident bands singing covers of classic rock numbers, latest hits, alternative, R&B and soul. 2 bands per night from 9:30pm. They're very good!

Sizzle on the dance floor to learn Salsa. Every Thursday between 9 and 10pm, free Quick Step dance class. From 10pm onwards Salsa party.

Happy Hour: Daily 5pm – 9:30pm, drinks at special prices.

Ladies Night: Wednesday from 9:30pm. Free standard drinks for ladies.

Ladies Happy Hour: Monday – Friday 5pm – 9:30pm. Unlimited Prosecco and snack buffet $98

Jam Night: Jam with our bands. Every Sunday, 9:30pm -2am

Live Bands: Sunday - Tuesday 9.30pm - 3am, Wednesday - Saturday 9.30pm - 4am

Complimentary Antipasto & Chocolate Fountain: 5pm - 9.30pm Monday to Friday

Swindlers
Address: Shop B, 33 Lockhart Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Phone: +(852) 2520 5101
Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday 5pm till late

How to get there: Wanchai MTR Exit C, turn left walk along Lockhart Road for 5-10 mins. Cross the road after 2nd traffic light.

Local SIM card for your mobile

Hong Kong is using GSM/PCS system. So, if your mobile support either of this system and haven't on lock, you can buy a prepaid card and use it with your phone. It only cost you around HK$0.3/min. Much cheaper than roaming.

If you wanna to buy it at HK International Airport, just go to 7-Eleven to buy it. Same price.

Alternative Live Rock

Small cozy bar offering free live music nightly, this unpretentious bar is a good hang out for live music fans. Local indie bands play on weekends, quality and style depends... try out your luck. Happy hour is generous: all day Monday, Tuesday to Thursday all day except 10pm to midnight, and Friday to Sunday all day except 9pm to 1am. It's not difficult to find long hair cool musician here, and you'll be surprised to find out that some of them are CEO of big companies in their day jobs!

The Wanch
Address: 54 Jaffe Rd, Wanchai, Hong Kong [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2861 1621
How to get there: Wanchai MTR exit C, turn left on Lockhart Road. Turn right on Fenwick Street (the 2nd traffic light). Turn left on Jaffe Road. About 5-10 mins walk from MTR.

Dancing - Electronics, Drum&Base, Breakz, Jungle...

Hide away in a backstreet between Lan Kwai Fong and Soho, Yumla is one of my favorite hangout place, possibly the coolest dance spot in town. The crowd and the music are the things that keep me going back. No pretention dress-up stuff, just good tunes and great people.

Drinks are on the pricey side, around HK$80/glass.

The door started charging covers lately, with a 'flexible' price, which is pretty much depends on how crowded is the dance floor, and how regular the customers are, and how well you know the bouncer. No entrance for flip flops or sandals, otherwise very casual.

Dance floor is very small, it's more like a bar setting than a club, but well, that's HK! You can hardly find big dance floor anyway.

Yumla
Address: Lower basement, 79 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2174 2382
Opening Hours: Mon-Thur 5pm-2am, Fri-Sat 6pm-4am, closed Sunday. (dance crowd start coming in after midnight).

How to get there: Central MTR exit D1, turn right. Turn right on Queens Road Central. Turn left and cross the traffic light on D'Aguilar Street. Walk up hill and turn right on Wo On Lane (Ben & Jerry). At the end of Wo On Lane, there's a small park with a stairs on the left. Walk up the stairs, Yumla is on the left hand side ontop of the stairs.

Rooftop Harbour View

IFC (International Finance Centre) is the high end hang out place for the rich and famous. The best part about RED is the rooftop podium with 260 degree view overlooking Victoria Harbour. The podium filled with outdoor gas heater, so you won’t feel the cold in a windy chilly night. This cosmopolitan bar is quiet and good for chill out. If you want something to bite with the drinks, the RED sampler (HK$228) with 9 surprises from the chef will be your best bet. Standard drinks at HK$50-60.

RED Bar + Restaurant
Address: 4/F Podium, Two IFC, 8 Finance Street, Central
Phone: +(852) 8129 8882

Living Art Cafe: Art Jam

Art Jamming Party every Sat. from 9pm to 2am. HKD500 per person, including a 85x120cm canvas, unlimited arcylic paints, and free flow of fruit juice. You can also bring your own alcohol to stimulate your thoughts. An alternative hang out on Sat night, pretty fun!

Meli Melo
Address: Ground Floor, 123 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong.
Phone: +(852) 2541 8816

Insomnia 90s Pop Live Music

Insomnia is one of the busiest venues in Lan Kwai Fong. They have a good resident band. Music here is 90s dance pop, crowds mainly executives, airline crews, and tourists age 20-30s and above. If you are going for a conversation, better stick to the bar area which opens out onto the street and gives you a great view of the endless human traffic. You don’t have to leave until 5am, and you’ll only have to wait a while for it to open up again at 8am for a breakfast beer.

Insomnia
Address: 38-44 D'Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong.
Phone: +(852) 25250957
How to get there: Central MTR exit D1, turn right. Turn right on Queens Road Central. Turn left and cross the traffic light on D'Aguilar Street. Walk up hill for 2-5 mins. Insomnia is on the left, white colour wall.

Free Internet Access

Free broadband internet terminals are available at the following MTR stations.
You can access the world-wide-web, check and send web-based e-mails and surf the Internet for free.


1. Central Station Platform 3
2. Prince Edward Station Concourse
3. Wan Chai Station Platform 1
4. Tsuen Wan Station Concourse
5. Kowloon Tong Station Concourse
6. Kowloon Bay Station Concourse
7. Causeway Bay Station Concourse Exit B, C

Man gets stuck having sex with park bench

A man in Hong Kong had to be cut free from a steel park bench after he placed his male sex organ in a 1-inch-diameter hole and got stuck.

Le Xing, 41, on a typhoon #3 night, told police he was doing push up exercise on the Lam Tin Park bench and his pant fell down. He became stuck and called police. He was wearing shorts and T-shirt when found, with his pants lowed to knee level.

When the rescue team gave him an injection to clam down and tried to get his penis out. After one hour, they still couldn't get it out and the man was in pain. They decided to cut the board and sent him and the board together to hospital.

The iron incline bench was approximately 6 feet long, 2 foot width. The board was bought 5 year ago with about HK$14,000 (US$1,900). The man was charged with the damage.

MOREL OF THE STORY: DO NOT DAMAGE GOVERNMENT PROPERTY IN THE PARK, OR ELSE YOU'LL BE CHARGED! ;)

Cattle Depot Artist Village

Used to be a cattle depot, now transformed as a artists community, this village house many local artists, art organization, as well as a mini museum. Despite the fact that tenants of Cattle Depot Artist Village have been trying hard to promote the village in the past few years, the village still has not gained much sustainable reward. It is upsetting, especially when the HK Government were talking about wanting to push the knowledge-based creativity industry, while they didn't do anything to support nor to get the attention of the Hongkongers.

Address: 63 Ma Tau Kok Road, To Kwa Wan, Kowloon [MAP]
Directions: 5-10 mins by taxi from Mongkok / Tsim Sha Tsui
Website: www.artistvillage-hk.net