Things We Love

Mooncakes

The cake shop at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong has been providing people with delightful desserts since the 1970s. During the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival the store is on a constant buzz with customers continually arriving at the door when a team of dedicated pastry experts bake an elegant delicacy called ‘Mooncake’. The festival is for lunar worship and moon watching; the cake is typically round or rectangular pastry with a rich filling made from lotus or red bean seed paste and often with one or two salted duck egg yolks. My first experience of the Mooncake was when my boss at Hong Kong Tatler gave all the staff their very own Mooncake; it seems to be a tradition here in Hong Kong. Although you never could eat a whole one by yourself – a small wedge with Chinese tea was just enough.

If you are looking for Mooncake moulds make your way to Shanghai Street, Kowloon. Our two favourite shops for cooking moulds are Kwong Fai Steam-Case & Kitchen Ware, G/F 275 Shanghai Street, Tel: +852 2780 9980 and Man Kee Chopping Board, 340 -342 Shanghai Street, Tel: + 852 2332 2784.

Fire Dragon Dance

This week we are focusing on all things Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival. If you are in Hong Kong or about to visit don’t miss the famous Fire Dragon Dance. This is a visual spectacle you won’t want to miss. About 300 performers with over 72,000 incense sticks do some serious styling to a 67-metre straw dragon which is then paraded through the colourful streets of Tai Hang. The Fire Dragon Dance is only on for three days from September 18-20 beginning at 7:30 pm in Tai Hang. Check out our Tai Hang post which features places to eat or drink before the dance.

Vintage Frames

Everyone can see Hong Kong has recently become more accepting of secondhand and vintage. In the past it was not out of the question to fly over to Amsterdam, Sydney or Paris to go completely vintage crazy and shop for amazing finds. But I love how Hong Kong is changing – more and more stores are opening up with secondhand gems. And the ones I really love are the vintage eyeglasses frames. The thing about them is that they make you look unique and offer an easy way to individualise your own style. Have a look at our finds: 2007 Zhan, Shop 1 G/F Po Hing Court, 10- 18 Po Hing Fong, Sheung Wan, +852 2559 3001. www.raychanhair.com and Select 18, Shop A, G/F Grand View Gardne, 18 Bridges Street, Central, Soho, +852 2858 8803. If you don’t have the patience or don’t go for vintage in the way that I do (I just love the thrill of the chase) just remember the label can make the decision easier for you (Yves Saint Laurent for example definitely holds its value. Ray-Bans as well are more than agreeable). Transforming an old name brand pair of sunglasses into remarkable reading frames is also a clever way to go out full face with a completely new look.

Ginger Jars

In China – about the mid-19th century – ginger jars were a way to store goods and export ginger, salt, oils and spices out of the country. The oriental symbols and designs are beautiful; double happiness is often inked on the blue and white jars and some colours have different meanings (one is fit for an emperor, others are given for weddings and special occasions). The ginger jar also looks pretty fine in a bathroom or on a delicate armoire in a bedroom.

Belinda’s mum, who once worked in outback Queensland, speaks of the days when the travelling hawkers journeyed with their wares, and in their carts filled with linen, pots and pans were ginger jars. A gift was often made of them to Belinda’s mother from her mother all the way from the Blue Mountains, stocked with Chinese stem ginger – and she still has the collection in her home, too.

Chocolate Lychees with Stem Ginger recipe below from Belinda’s mum…

It’s not easy to source an antique ginger jar with no breaks or cracks. Try fossicking for old and new ginger jars in Hong Kong at Tung Shan Porcelain Co, Shop 2, G/F, Ying Pont Building, 69- 71 Peel Street, Central, +852 2857 3665 and Yuet Tung China Works units 1-3, 3/F, Kowloon Bay Industrial Centre, 15 Wang Hoi Road, Kowloon, +852 2796 1125.

The Crafties

The latest social and constructive venture we love is The Crafties on Des Voeux Road, Sheung Wan where you can learn everything from sewing, knitting and crocheting to quilting, using a loom, beading a necklace or making your own leather goods. Their drop-in crotchet classes take place on the first Thursday of every month. The focus is on creating a sense of community which craft is perfect for. So if you have a project in mind, possess the skills to teach a class or just need a space to work in (you can hire a table or corner) get in touch with Sky Chow on +852 3461 1368. For more information go to their website www.thecrafties.hk

We love hand-made products and you can find a good selection at The Crafties. Check out baby blankets knitted by Kimberley Knits. For jewellery, lovely leather goods and for bibs and baby shoes see To whit To whooo. For some vintage inspiration Vic & Lily are sourcing some reasonably priced special pieces from all around the globe. Creative director Maggie Chan from Liliput Tales works and sells her quirky mossariums here as well.

The beautiful birdcage

The range of birdcages in Hong Kong is astounding: there are ones taller than myself, round, temple-shaped and bamboo ones hand-crafted to perfection. Empty ones make unusual decoration as a standalone feature piece. As I think about all these varied hues and the stainless steel ones made with different Chinese detailing (anything from long life to double happiness), I want to buy all of them but take the view that keeping a home filled with birdcages would probably leave me with little floor or ceiling space. Don’t forget to grab a few of the hand-painted porcelain water dishes – not sure what you can do with them yet but they do look so pretty. If you head to the Bird Market at Yuen Po Street, Mongkok, Kowloon you can see man and bird walking side by side. The elderly Chinese men make their feathered friends all preened again while chatting or playing mahjong with their friends.

If you’re looking for a ceramic birdcage head to Wah Tung China Arts, 16/F, Cheung Fat Building, 7-9 Hill Road, Western District, Hong Kong, +852 2873 2272 for hand-painted ceramic ones. Hang them or perch them on a shelf and place an arrangement of tea-light candles in them at night. For ginger lily scented tea-light candles head to Muji.

Artland Gallery, G/F 55A Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong. +852 8584994, speacialize in vintage bamboo birdcages that are true objects of art.

Fungus Workshop

I first met Baldwin Pui and Philip Lau when I did a leather making class in their workshop late last year. This lovely and very clever duo have been making leather goods for stores such as Harvey Nichols and private clients for quite some time now. They are a highly regarded leather making team. Fungus Workshop is a partnership between Hoiming (a leather goods designer brand) and Cowrice (a lifestyle creative unit). Not only do they run classes but they also sell their designs at Fungus Workshop, a quirky and inspiring studio space on G/F 4 Po Hing Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Island, +852 2779 9003.

Baldwin and Philip started teaching leather classes in 2009 and haven’t looked back. They want people to focus on making their own handmade leather pieces, they teach students to stitch everything by hand. The main aim of Fungus Workshop is to share their passion, technique and respect for the leather craft and they encourage people to enjoy the satisfaction that comes from making something from scratch.

Classes are packed so bookings are essential and what you choose to make is completely up to you. I worked on a leather clutch; others in my class were making everything from dog collars, wallets and handbags to children’s shoes. Materials are provided but they don’t mind if you bring along your own handles or leather. I found my leather in Sham Shui Po at Luen Cheong Company, G/F 173 Tai Nan Street, Kowloon, +852 2393 5926. We’ve also been to Sun Hing Lung Leather Company, G/F 170 Ki Lung Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, +852 2391 3448. It’s definitely worth a look – they fill their bins at the front with affordable off-cuts.

Dumplings

Nothing beats freshly made dumplings for a lazy Sunday lunch. The best kind is an immediate taste sensation on the tongue and once found you go back again and again. Many places in Hong Kong produce dumplings with expertise. We’ve put together a selection that we love, but like anything popular, these places often draw a queue. Arriving early can alleviate the time spent waiting for a table.

Tim Ho Wan – Renowned one star Michelin restaurant. Always long queues. Need I say more? Shop 8, Taui Yuen Mansion Phase 2, 2 -20 Kwong Wa Street, Mong Kok. +852 2332 2896.

The second Tim Ho Wan is conveniently located in Sham Shui Po so you can buy cuttings of silk and textiles before tasting the fresh delicious dumplings here. G/F 9-11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po, +852 2788 1226.

Din Tai Fung is part of a chain of restaurants in Hong Kong but their dumplings are exactly right. It’s fascinating to watch the chefs in the kitchen painstakingly make the dumplings from scratch. G/F 68 Yee Woo Street Causeway Bay +852 3160 8998 and Silvercord Building, 20 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui +852 2730 6928.

Mak’s Noodles has many locations around Hong Kong but we are just mentioning the two we ate at. Service is fast and the dumplings are very good. Head to Shop 1, G/F The Peak Galleria, 118 Peak Road, The Peak, +852 2854 3871 and 77 Wellington Street, Central, +852 2854 3810.

With all due respect to plates we decided to give a vintage porcelain tile a new life. The tile is circa 1920s found by me, in the back of a shop just off Cat Street, Central, covered in layers of dust and grime – I believe it’s an old Chinese cigarette advertisement. These tiles are hard to come by, but some of the shops along Hollywood Road can turn out a few hidden gems. The photograph features Belinda’s hand-made dumplings and dipping sauce. See recipe below.

Pretty Ribbons

Everyone agrees its a joy to have a box or drawer filled with pretty ribbons. Whenever I wander into a specialty ribbon store I am driven to grab a handful of sweet brocades and classic grosgrains. But how do you use them in your home? They can be hung side by side as parallel decorations or use them as trims for bed linens and curtains. They transform a simple brown parcel into a work of art. I’ve even hung smaller paintings with stronger ones.

Nam Cheong Street and Yu Chau Street in Sham Shui Po, Kowloon are a top tip for decorative ribbons. Hashimotoya, G/F Shop A, 110 Nam Cheong Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, + 852 3173 5678, is a great shop to pick up satin, cotton and velvet ones. Flying Dragon, G/F Shop D, 213 – 217 Yu Chau Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon + 852 2708 2528, is good for grosgrain and taffeta. I sometimes get Wing Fung Industrial to print special messages on ribbons – things like Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday and Bon Voyage. Wing Fung Industrial, Shops A & B, G/F 201-207 Yu Chau Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon +852 2278 8255.

We love bamboo

Bamboo is a symbol of longevity for the Chinese. Many skyscrapers in Hong Kong are enclosed in bamboo scaffolding – you can see it when they’re being built or torn down and this is a unique sight to Hong Kong. For a wonderful selection of natural bamboo pieces head to these streets:

Our fave: Tuck Chong Sum Kee Bamboo Steamer Company; G/F 12 Western Street, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong. +852 2559 7765. Manager Raymond Lam still hand-makes the bamboo steamers. The store’s bins and shelves at the front have plenty of chopsticks, trays, fans, tongs and biscuit moulds at very reasonable prices. Go to Siu Woo Trading Company, 1/F 94 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.+852 2544 2049 which has always had big and small bamboo trays arranged around its shopfronts – make sure you check out the bamboo hats as well. Shanghai Street on Kowloon side has plenty of bamboo shops as well – you won’t miss the high stacked displays of bamboo steamers. Inside these specialist bamboo stores you can shop for strong seating with that resort-at-home feel that instantly looks better when you move it out of the shop.

For our steamed ginger pudding recipe (dessert featured in our pictures of bamboo steamers) see below.

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Things We Love

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