Alongside the multi-dish feasts mentioned in last week’s blog post, we also had some lighter bites, baked goods, and other treats. Here’s everything else we ate in Hong Kong!

Omusubi

While trying to find a quick and easy lunch, we grabbed a few rice balls to take away from Omusubi. There were just a few vegan options, which were clearly labelled.

First up was a Kinpira Renkon Omusubi. The first one had a mix of vegetables (lotus root, konjac, carrots) in a chilli and sesame sauce. The texture of the vegetables gave a nice crunch and the flavours were fine.

We also tried the Nozawana Greens and Soya Bean Mixed Rice. There were a couple of different textures in there from the greens and the beans, and it was fine.

We weren’t dazzled by the flavours of either of these, so I wouldn’t be rushing to buy them again, but they were handy for a convenient on the go lunch.

TREEHOUSE – H Code

We generally tried to avoid western food on our trip, but sometimes we just had to go for convenience, which is why we ended up at Treehouse, where we got a couple of sourdough wraps.

Dr HH got a large musella wrap. This promised spicy tofu with mushrooms, green beans, and a miso dressing. It was fine. The seasoning on the tofu was quite tasty, but not really spicy. The textures of the whole thing were pretty good. The sauce was okay, but not incredible. The bread was good, nicely crisped on the outside and a good thickness.

I got a half sized snowdrop wrap. It was tasty, but it had lots of broccoli rather than the advertised cauliflower. There were tempeh and mushrooms which were tasty and added good textures. There was some excellent tender melty aubergines too.

These wraps were perfectly fine but they didn’t really wow us with the flavours. Unless you’re desperate for some fast food or craving a wrap, I wouldn’t make a special detour for this place.

Maya Bakery & Bar

We were thrilled to find a mostly-vegan bakery with rave reviews – bakeries had been serving us very well on this trip so far! It turned out there was just one non-vegan item, and possibly dairy milk for drinks as well, so it is very vegan-friendly indeed.

We got two things each for breakfast along with a milky drink and it made for a good hearty start to the day. Dr HH got a chocolate chip crookie and an egg custard tart. I got the chocolate croissant and the peanut butter crookie. Everything but the croissant were warmed up in the oven for us before being served.

Dr HH really liked the egg custard tart, which is something we think neither of us had ever tried before, either vegan or otherwise. He enjoyed the texture of the thick set custard, and it had a good sweet flavour. The pastry kept a bit of crispness which is good considering the filling.

He also tried the chocolate chip crookie, which was great. The pastry of the croissant was good and crispy on the outside and nice and light and fluffy inside. There was some generous filling inside and on top that made for a tasty treat.

The peanut butter crookie, which I tried, was similar. There was a layer of peanut butter and chocolate on top and good filling on the inside too.

I also got the chocolate croissant, which felt a bit more like a bread than a pastry and wasn’t as good as the others. Maybe it suffered from not being heated up (everything else was served warm). There was a good generous chocolate layer on the top but no filling.

Happily, this spot continued our trend of finding excellent vegan baked goods on this trip!

So Coco

We were excited to see an all vegan ice cream spot, but a little disappointed in the range of flavours – besides two of them (passion fruit and Thai tea), they overlapped with the flavours we are usually able to get in other places, including Prague (pistachio, coconut, chocolate, matcha, salted caramel).

We each got a double cup, I had chocolate and salted caramel. The chocolate was nice but not rich, unfortunately. The salted caramel was sensational, probably the best salted caramel ice cream I’ve ever had, with great flavour and balance.

Dr HH had Thai tea and coconut. The Thai tea tasted like tea, but we weren’t sure where the Thai element came from. The coconut was fine, but a bit unexciting (our fault for choosing it).

Generally, the texture was nice and creamy, but we each had a couple of hard, icy spots in our scoops. With the underwhelming chocolate as well, this place fell a little flat for us. They did have an extensive menu of shakes and drinks too, so it may well be worth experimenting with it a bit more.

NUTTEA – Causeway Bay

We saw a lot of NUTTEA branches around the city, and were excited to give it a try. We were a bit overwhelmed by the menu and not sure what to order though. We both went for the earl grey tea with chocolate cream. When ordering, we were asked what ice and sugar levels we wanted, which are questions we are not used to when ordering drinks! In case you are similarly perplexed, “standard” is the option we went for and it all tasted fine.

Our first sip with a straw was just tea, which was quite dull. Once we gave it all a good stir, it was almost like a tea milkshake. The cream was so thick and decadent, it was really delicious. It was pleasant, but I’ll not be desperately seeking it out again in the future.

Activities in Hong Kong

When we were not hiking around Hong Kong in blistering heat, we were taking in some of the big tourist hits, starting with the Star Ferry. This is basically a commuter ferry that runs all day, but it’s fun for tourists as well as a cheap way to enjoy the skyline and being out on the water.

We got the tram up to the Peak, which offers this impressive view of the city. It’s a bit of a scrum trying to get onto the tram, and a total tourist trap up top, but if you can battle through to the viewing platform it’s worth it.

We had a leisurely stroll through Hong Kong Park (where LockCha Tea House is located) and particularly enjoyed the terrapins basking in the sun and splashing around the ponds.

I’m a huge fan of Nan Lian Gardens, where Chi Lin restaurant is located. It has some really beautiful buildings, well-tended gardens, and the lovely contrast of traditional and modern.

We thoroughly enjoyed the 10,000 Buddhas Monastery (which neither has 10,000 Buddhas nor is a monastery), which has actually more than 10,000 statues of Buddhas in various poses. When you climb the hill, there’s also a nice view of the city. Beware though, we encountered a wild boar on the way up!

One of the big attractions in Hong Kong is the Big Buddha statue, accessible via cable car. It is indeed a massive statue. The cable car journey is terrifying for anyone with a fear of heights, but apparently very enjoyable for everyone else!