Dragon’s Back 龍脊
Shau Kei Wan MTR, then bus 9
Now, I have lost count how many times have I been to this foodie empire, but this is definitely my first trekking or hiking experience in Hong Kong – Dragon’s back 龍脊. And it was (pardon me for using the overly used word) awesome; great weather accompanied with a not exactly breathtaking but definitely a tranquil and picturesque trail, with the ocean and little islands calmly sitting right in front of you, I managed to take it all in in that relaxing 1h trail. A little bit of introduction here: Dragon’s Back 龍脊 has gotten its literal name as it resembles one snaking back from the drone’s eye view.
To get there, you need to hop on the MTR to Shau Kei Wan station, then get on bus 9 at the bus interchange right next to it. And there will be a particular stop that most people would alight at, from which you could start the exciting trail. Not sure about the stop? fret not as the locals on the bus are very willing to help you out! The HK minivan could also be used to get there which we took on the way down. About HKD $10, these vans were a more direct mode of transport we reckon and it wouldn’t be easy to miss their holding area as it is just next to the MTR exit and the drivers will be there hollering the destinations that they will be going to. Just shout out Dragon’s Back and someone will be there to usher you in to their minivan.
When you alight at the bus stop, there will be signs for you to start your hike, with the initial two phases being the hardest and steepest as the roads are filled with uneven gravels. Above: The view you could get already when you are only at half height. 
Continue up the trail and once you get to the peak, the trek would be really easy from then on as you essentially just have to meander along the whole stretch of the dragon’s back which is filled with an infinite number of photo spots! Trekking at 16 degrees with strong gusts of wind hitting your face feels really comfortable indeed.
Yoga stunts deemed mandatory by the facetious brother, together with some cliffhanger shots that unfortunately didn’t seem dangerous at all. Well, we just get the craziest ideas to do when that stretch is long and scenic.
And there we are, a final shot before the descent out from the other exit. And I almost wanted to take a shot with a Cantonese aunty as we were wearing the same series of puma shoes, good taste we have aunty!
Verdict: An excellent trek.
Trekking experience needed: Novice but you need to be fit still
Lets face it, this is one of the things that makes Hong Kong special – their really retro looking coffee house, that would have whisked you back to the 1970s. Not looking pretentious at all, apparently so when you are still surrounded by so many locals who haven’t forsaken Lan Fong Yuen 蘭芳園 even with the presence of throngs of tourists, I reckon that such ‘cafes’ will never be squeezed out of the market even with the boom in hipster cafes over here.
French Toast – Done in the HK manner; just a seemingly simple spread between two generously egg white-coated slices of bread that have been given a light fry with no presentation whatsoever, this was perfect. Noteworthily, the yellow spread tasted similar to our kaya; coconut should have been one of the key ingredients over here.
Pork Chop Bun – Well, this could have been the best if I haven’t had been to Macau. Still nicely fried and marinated, its simple combination with the mayo gave it a fuller body. A greater preference for the rendition over in Macau was due to its much decadent presentation when a slab of juicy pork chop, with the bone still attached, is slotted within the fluffy buns; making it much more irresistible, not adding on that there are also more flavours offered over in Macau.
Still, I would say, paying a visit to one of the oldest coffee shops in Hong Kong, would then make your trip complete.
I was warned by the HK buddy already that Kam’s Roast Goose 甘牌燒鵝 better be good if not my head will roll. Alleviated by the cooler winter weather then, I couldn’t imagine how arduous the 1hr wait would be if we had come by during the summer and I bet I would opt for a takeaway then.
Most are perhaps already familiar with Kam’s Roast Goose 甘牌燒鵝 pretty interesting history, whose boss has affiliations with those from the opulent looking 1 Michelin Star Yung Kee at Central MTR that is set to close by this year due to a family inheritance dispute – definitely reminiscent of the two mega blockbuster TVB serial dramas 家好月圆 and 溏心风暴! Then again, at least such a recipe has been preserved or even improved at this no frills eatery, earning its 1 Michelin star within a year of opening only.
Just like every other table, what else besides getting half a roast goose! Beautifully roasted to yield a juicy tender slab that is perfumed throughout with and glazed by the melted fats, the peanut infused sauce underneath it gave it an extra nutty body which resulted in an even fuller flavour! HKD $270. So delicious indeed! Quipped the HK buddy in Cantonese: 呢個比鏞記好食啲! This is actually better than Yung Kee’s!
Some of the dishes were starting to run out already by 7.30pm and feeling a little disappointed at not being able to get the char siew, we settled for half a soya chicken. Perfectly poached and marinated, this tender plate was another spot on dish for us. HKD $100.
Marinated tofu. HKD $14. This is indeed quite a proteinaceous dinner!
Making use of the dap toi concept over here (yes we were sharing the table with two Taiwanese ladies who ate faster than us), I just had to take a picture with all our food combined!
Bang for the buck, felt so satisfied after the meal with J!
Priced like 
Minced beef and egg rice – The choice was quite clear cut when you know you have a hike (pictures of the beautiful scenery to be posted at the bottom) to surmount later in the day. A beautifully fried proteinaceous egg served with an evidently runny yolk on top of a generous patty of beefy protein bed, that is the grub needed. A light alkaline tenderiser detected in that patty which seems to be a common cooking technique in most HK dim sum places for such meat bowls; it might not suit me best but the yolk when mixed together with it, allowed me to polish off the whole bowl. Huge bowl for just HKD $28.
Steamed cheung fen with fried spring rolls in it. Now, this is a new dim sum I haven’t had at anywhere else. Usually blown away by a particular dish where crunchy prawns are filled into the crispy fu pi and finally wrapped by the cheung fen, this is another rendition which uses chicken meat instead of prawns. Delectable still with a substantial amount of chicken in it, flavoured up by the tangy soy sauce and the myriad of textures present. HKD $22.
Creamy Custard buns – As good as it looks. HKD $15.
Golden Spongy Cakes – Fluffy with loads of air sacs trapped within the block of Ma Lai Gou, this was adequately sweet, perfectly textured and makes a splendid dessert. HKD $14.
We have seen how instagrammable that eggette (egg waffle) is with the luscious soft serve for the Nth time already; and we can attest as good as its looks, the taste is splendid! They may look simple and a liitle overpriced at HKD $60 at Oddies Foodies, but you realise it is a worthy one as it boasts almost 10 congruent elements seamlessly.
Being the investigative and skeptical me, the first thing that came to my mind was this better be good after going through all the mess eating it and dropping all the crumbs all over, if not it will be a double disappointment.
And, confidence was rendered the moment I bit into these stretchy egg waffles that has a thin layer of dark chocolate spread in it, essentially perfuming it throughout with the chocolate fragrance. Infinitely better than those rip off in Singapore, the texture has the coveted stretchiness. The vanilla chocolate soft serve was slightly different with salt added to the thick chocolate, giving it a light savoury twist which we loved. That’s not all, as you also get to choose one scoop of your favourite gelato from the counter to be added into this already delicious cup, of which we got the refreshing guava to cut through the sweeter waffle. Great match but the only gripe is that it is difficult to have the hidden gelato right at the bottom together with the waffle! Then again, this is what that makes the presentation intriguing.
And that was how the bro and I genuinely felt downing this dessert after a heavy lunch. So smiley and so delicious!
Simply foodolicious! おいしい! 好吃! 맛있는! délicieux! delicioso! 好食! 