You’d be surprised how many Hong Kong hipsters don’t know where Taikoo Shing is. Or perhaps you wouldn't be surprised, considering how it used to be known only as a huge housing estate with a nearby ice-skating rink. But the Island East area – stretching from Taikoo Shing’s Cityplaza to Quarry Bay’s Taikoo Place - has come a long way since its humble beginnings.

Taikoo started off as a dockyard in the early 1900s. Now, thanks to heavy investment by Swire Properties (the real estate giants behind luxury malls Pacific Place and Festival Walk) the area represents a juicy option to international businesses. Especially since the recent launch of iconic office building, One Island East.

The stunning glass and steel tower stretches over 300 metres tall, ranking it among the tallest skyscrapers in Hong Kong. At its foot, an impeccably designed garden with grassy lawns and extravagant water features forms the nucleus around which numerous hip new cafes and restaurants have popped up to cater to a new, savvy crowd.



Among those lured by the potential of the area is cult TV chef Jacky Yu who recently opened Xi Yan East overlooking the Westlands Gardens. Yu’s celebrity name, his contemporary fusion food, and famous sweets menu make this a favourite lunchtime destination.

The restaurant is decked out with the chef’s own collection of modern art, and the menu is packed with unique takes on Asian classics, including greenhouse tomatoes in wasabi sesame sauce, cold tofu in pickled sauce, osmanthus smoked duck egg, and crispy tangerine peel spare ribs. Whatever you do, make sure you save space for at least one from the overwhelming selection of desserts. Our particular cravings include the Okinawa black sugar ice-cream with coffee jelly, and the sago coconut and palm sugar.

If you’re prepared to elbow your way through the crowds at the door you can also grab a number for a table at Miso Cool. Once you make it inside, dig in to some Grandma’s dumplings or signature soupy ramen, accompanied by one of their special “healthy” drinks featuring bizarre combos like coffee beans, milk, Horlicks and Cornflakes. Maybe it’s the reputation of its hip founder Gilbert Yeung - Hong Kong’s biggest party boy, and founder of Dragon-i – that draws the crowds to Miso Cool. But we also put it down to the unique buzz you get from eating jazzed up ‘dai pai dong’ food at nearly ‘dai pai dong’ prices, while listening to thumping music, against an atypical trendy lounge backdrop.

Next, you can drift next door for an earnest pummeling at the popular “Foot House”, specialists in traditional Chinese massage and reflexology. The staff are friendly, but the massages here are not for the faint-hearted. They also offer an express manicure for only $99, and a Shanghai style pedicure for $168.

Another classic in the Westlands Gardens is the hugely popular Grand Shanghai Cuisine serving authentic Shanghaiese food at a reasonable price. Peep through the window to see the chefs pulling and slapping fresh, handmade noodles, scorch your lips on some ‘xiao long bao’ dumplings, or slurp down some of Hong Kong’s best spicy ‘dan dan mian’.

If it’s a drink you’re after, the bars and restaurants at nearby TaiKoo Place, offer up a bustling happy hour for the regulars who pour out of the adjoining office towers after work. Thai Orchids, Café Einstein, and Grappa’s have terraces on Tong Chong Street, ideal for al fresco dining, sitting out and people watching in the summer. The place also hosts a variety of live outdoor music, and the occasional urban dance performance.

A short walk away is the sprawling Cityplaza, the largest shopping centre on Hong Kong Island. With over a million square feet of retail therapy on offer, there are three department stores, over 180 shops and restaurants, an ice rink, and an eight-screen cinema. You’ll find the major labels there, as well as great steals from the Japanese Uniqlo and the soon to open H&M.

Just beyond the garden you’ll find the huge harbour front Quarry Bay Park, complete with tennis and basketball courts, football grounds, jogging and cycling tracks. Try taking a 20-minute stroll through Quarry Bay Park to the Lei King Wan seafront in Sai Wan Ho, to soak up some sea breeze with glittering harbour views.

You can watch the fishermen, dog walkers, and ferries coming and going, while enjoying a drink at one of the many bars and restaurants dotting the promenade. The place has a casual, family feel, and offers a variety of sports facilities and playgrounds. It’s also home to the Hong Kong film archive which airs indie films you won’t find elsewhere.

If you’re in Sai Wan Ho area, don’t miss Gitone Fine Arts, a cozy private dining restaurant and art gallery, owned by artist Terence Li, that offers gourmet home cooking. If you book in advance, you can enjoy a dining and art workshop for $500 a head, combining Shanghaiese or Vegetarian delicacies with an hour and a half of ceramics or painting.
And if you’re looking for a different way to spend a night out, hop onto one of the ferries at the Sai Wan Ho pier, and within minutes you’ll cross the water to Lei Yue Mun. This tiny seafood village is packed with restaurants offering freshly caught seafood in an old Hong Kong setting that’s hard to find elsewhere on the island.

Don’t Miss:

Xi Yan East
Shop G505 & 508, Ning On Mansion
Stage V Taikoo Shing, Hong Kong
Tel: 2380 0919

Miso Cool
Shop SLG8-9A, Westlands Gardens
2-10 Westlands Road
Quarry Bay
Hong Kong
Tel: 2565 1001

Foot House
Shop B&C, Lower G/F Splendid Place
39 Taikoo Shing Road, Quarry Bay
Hong Kong
Tel: 2811 9775

Grand Cuisine Shanghai Kitchen
Address: G/F, 510-511 Po On Mansion,
Taikoo Shing,
Island East, Hong Kong
Tel: 2568 9989

Café Einstein
G/F,33,Tong Chong Street
Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
Telephone: 29600994

Gitone Fine Arts
G/F, GB 27-28, Lei King Wan, 45 Tai Hong Street
Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong
Tel: 2527 3448
 

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