Cafeholic, Tung Chung

Since last year…around Easter, I made the choice to stop drinking copious amounts of coffee.  I was one of those people who were drinking a cup to wake me up, another cup when I got to the office, and a third cup as an afternoon pick me up.  And those cups were all Venti all the way…

It was tough to get through until the summer, but then it just got easier.  

I do occasionally sip a lovely cup of coffee now and again, but not as extreme as before…which is why, when a friend suggested lunch at Cafeholic, I didn't feel my palms getting sweaty or my mind afflicting me with STAY AWAY mantras.  Though I thought of an afternoon of coffee sipping…Cafeholic actually turned out to be more of a cafe than a coffee house.

Cafe versus Coffee House???

For some reason…growing up partially in Seattle, when I think of a cafe, I think of coffee…but, in the new light of being coffee-free most days, a cafe really is just a place with light meals and a drink menu consisting of coffee/tea/juice/soft drinks/etc…(thanks online dictionary!).

And Cafeholic was more of a place for people who wanted to eat a light meal with an option of coffee…in a pretty chill cafe environment...

Cafeholic Info:

Location

Shop 23, G/F Fu Tung Plaza

Fu Tung Estate

6 Fu Tung Street

Tung Chung

It's located at the mall right across from the Tung Chung MTR.  Not the CityGate Outlets, but the Fu Tung Mall.

Contact

2109 - 9860

I called to see if reservations were necessary and the attendant said that it was not.  It was quite true for my party of two.  I got there around 11:45 am and there were seats available.

Hours

Daily from 7:30 am - 10 pm

Prior to eating here, I didn't really look up the reviews…so I wasn't sure what type of food was going to be served.  I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up the menu and saw that there was breakfast available…there's something about places with all-day breakfasts…I just love them!

There was a lunch menu, which had pretty descent prices for a western-style cafe, but we opted for a la carte.

I had one of the new items on the menu…an eggs benedict with truffle sauce and mushrooms.  It was delicious!  I absolutely love the flavor of truffle sauce…the eggs were delicious, the hollandaise sauce was delicious, the side salad and grilled tomato were great…

Overall, I had a pretty rocking dish that I easily devoured and left me with a great first impression of Cafeholic.

My friend got the eggs benedict with smoked salmon, which she too devoured in minutes.  We're both from the Pacific Northwest…so if the salmon was bad, I would have heard some complaints, but she enjoyed the salmon just as much as I enjoyed my truffle covered eggs benedict.

When in the area again, I'd definitely have Cafeholic as an option.  I wouldn't mind trying out more of their dishes…especially any more all-day breakfast options!

In Tung Chung

It's that time of the year, which I think I have been saying for the past week or so…where I am getting quite sentimental…

1.  The weather is beaming so nice and cool in the evenings…

2.  Christmas decorations are being sold in the department stores…

3.  People seem to be getting into the mood for the coming winter…

4.  I'm starting to make some pumpkin spice hot cocoas…

5.  And I'm starting to see the lights of Hong Kong as something more festive!!!

I probably noticed this before…

...or maybe I haven't…

but in front of the Tung Chung CityGate Outlets, there has always been a fountain that shoots out water.  During the summers, kids run through the water shoots like they were dodging squirts on a video game.  Most times, kids come out soaking wet.  It's actually a great show in itself to watch kids run in and out of the fountain.

Tonight, though, was the first time that I realized there were lights that went along with the waterworks.  It was apart of the mini show that we caught after we had dinner.

How lovely to be in the right place at the right time.  It totally made me think about how I was lucky enough to catch that Diamond Fountain show in The Galaxy (Macau) a few months ago too.

What a lovely show for a lovely Fall evening!

A Doughnut Buffet

A friend told me about a doughnut buffet that was over at the Novotel Citygate in Tung Chung.  We'd been there before for lunch buffets, but Essence (one of the restaurants in the Novotel Citygate) had advertised an afternoon tea buffet featuring a doughnut bar.

Seeing that I actually had been craving donuts awhile back, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to see what kinds of donuts the Novotel had to offer!

Essence Afternoon Tea Info:

51 Man Tung Road

Tung Chung

From the Tung Chung MTR, take exit C into the Citygate Malls.  From the Mall, you can gain direct access into the Novotel reception lobby and Essence restaurant.

Hours

Weekends 2:45 pm - 5 pm

Price

$138/ person

The DOUGHNUT SPECIAL BUFFET lasts until October 4, 2015

I highly suggest to make a reservation, as weekends are always so crowded.

Tel.

3602 - 8808

In essence, the buffet at Essence was just a normal afternoon tea buffet.  Before heading into Essence, I had been imagining tables and tables of doughnuts, teas, coffees, and desserts.  But, alas, there wasn't a full room filled with donuts…I mean, there were a bunch of donuts, but they were only being offered at the dessert bar.  There were other foods offered as apart of the afternoon tea buffet, as well.

 ***Taking a stroll around the buffet trays***

As with any buffet, we just had to start off with the salad bar, mix in some dim sum, and add some sandwiches on top.

We ended our two our eat-fest with the donuts.

Lasting Impressions:

1.  The buffet was all right.  There was a grilled cheese sandwich that was pretty good.

2.  The drink selection was all right.  There were orange juice, apple juice, and coffee options.

3.  The service was pretty awesome.  They were really nice and were always busy clearing dishes off of everyone's tables.

4.  Our seats were pretty awesome.  If you are lucky, you can score a seat in one of the plushy booths, but the other tables are also nice (as some of them can fit an entire family of 6+)

5.  The donuts were all right.  The nicest donut for me was the apple filled, matcha covered donut with silver balls sprinkled on the top.

Though I didn't get the donut buffet of my dreams, it was a pretty nice array of buffet foods to tide me over until my late dinner.

Hau Wong Temple, Tung Chung

This blog is piggy-backing off of my Tung Chung Fort post…because our trip to the fort wasn't as spectacular as I had thought it was going to be.  We actually spent the rest of the afternoon chasing the TOURIST signs* around Tung Chung.  

*Chasing TOURIST signs refers to reading the street signs and seeing what cool spots they lead to.

My eyes were opened up to some pretty awesome villages that are around the Tung Chung area.  I actually thought that the majority of Tung Chung were high rise apartment buildings and public housing.  So, finding these little villages, which are in walking distance of the Tung Chung Fort was pretty amazing.

There seemed to be a lot of signs pointing to different locations.  The Lo Hon Monastery was the spot that evaded us…but, we did venture over to the Ngau Au Village, around San Tau and to the Hau Wong Temple.

The Hau Wong Temple is a Lantau tourist attraction (which doesn't get as much traffic as the Big Buddha or the Po Lin Monastery).  It was built in honor of Hau Wong, who was one of the Song Dynasty's most loyal generals of Emperor Qianlong.

How to get to the Hau Wong Temple:
1.  From Tung Chung MTR Exit B, catch bus 38 from the bus barn

2.  Get off at the Yat Tung Estate stop

3.  Walk along Yu Tong Road

NOTE:  Online says that it takes about 10 minutes.  These directions are from online…as we just stumbled upon this temple by accident!!!!  I would also suggest looking out for the HAU WONG TEMPLE sign!

Fun Fact:  Within this little Temple resides a bell that is engraved with the date of the 30th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign, which is around the year 1765.  Because of this engraving, the temple is also thought to have been built in 1765.

The temple is quite small and a handful of patrons were visiting it whilst we were there.  Like many of Hong Kong's temples, it's still a functioning temple, so being respectful is probably the way to go!  Also, I would ask the caretakers if it is all right to take photos (just in case).  Some buddhist temples that I have been to, in the New Territories, have signs posted that they do not allow photography.

***A view of the outside of the Hau Wong Temple***

This temple is so well maintained, which makes me think that it is regularly visited by the locals in the area.  It also sits alongside a park area, where kids can play soccer or tag.  I can imagine grandparents come out here to pray whilst their grandkiddies kick soccer balls around.  Quite a multi-functional space!

Anyhow, it is quite well maintained, which is so lovely to see, as this temple was just something we found while trying to find interesting things to see in Tung Chung.

***A view of the inside of the Hau Wong Temple***

Referring to the photograph above, I was reading on someone's blog awhile ago that the paintings on the doors were guardians or protectors of the temple.  This reminded me of our visit to Kyoto's temples, well…the buddhist temple in particular.  Those temples had two guardians in the form of sculptures at the gateway to the temples.  One had a closed mouth and one had an open mouth.  Those guardians would protect the temple from evil spirits and keep the temples free of any thieves.

I like the idea that a sculpture or a painting could give the secure feeling that a lock on my front door can give me.  Interesting!

My friend said that the base of these incense coils had wishes adhered to them.  Some wishes were for a good marriage, some for good health, and some for future wealth and prosperity.

Besides visiting the Hau Wong Temple, we also spent the afternoon wandering around the villages.

***Views of Tung Chung's Road Less Traveled***

We came across this beautiful banyan tree that was rooting all over the place.  It reminded me so much of Hawaii!  We used to swing on the banyan tree roots in Ala Moana park…but, going back recently, my brother told me that people are restricted from doing that anymore.  I get it.  Respect the land, right!

Along our walk, we passed a huge span of construction or industrial space.  I'm not really sure what the land was being used for, but there was a beautiful little stream running through all of that.  A lovely little find!

We also found a jackfruit just hanging out on a fence!  Reminded me of Malaysia!  My husband and I went to a fruit farm there and one of the stops on the tour was to take photos with a jackfruit.  It wasn't any ole jackfruit…this one had a leaf for a nose, was wearing a straw hat, and was chilling on a branch with sunglasses on.  That was totally an inventive photo op for tourists who like taking photos!  

So, even though we set out expecting to spend half a day exploring the Tung Chung Fort and realizing that it would take an hour or so to view, we still found quite a bit of interesting things around Tung Chung.  It's always nice to take a wander around somewhere and find some interesting things.

Hopefully, this blog inspires some of you to just get out, take a walk, and stumble into some amazing things!

Tung Chung Fort

Awhile back, one of my friends and I had planned to find the Tung Chung Fort.  That didn't pan out quite right, but we did discover Ma Wan Chung.  And that was a nice little find.  But, since that day, I've happened across a sign that pointed in the direction of the Tung Chung Fort, which is what this blog post is all about today!

How to get to the Tung Chung Fort:
1.  From the Tung Chung MTR Exit B, walk to the bus barn

2.  Hop onto 3M, 11, or 34

3.  Hop off at the Ha Ling Pei Village stop

NOTE:  The bus ride is probably 5 minutes.  Quite short.  You'll see the Tung Chung Fort sign when you get off the bus.  And when you follow it, you should see the stone gateway above.  The fort is directly straight ahead (1 minute walk).

The fort was build back in 1832.  It was declared as a monument in 1979 and is one of Hong Kong's protected historical buildings.  These days, it is quite the abandoned monument, with the occasional television program using the location for a shoot (some television network was taping at the fort when we went to visit).

The day we visited, I walked into the fort and thought how lovely it was that it was being used by the local residents to dry fish!  Then I realized that it was for a television program.  The wooden drying pans and the dried fish were placed there by the television network, but they seriously looked real!

There is a mini museum attached to the fort at the left side of the courtyard.  It's like a lot of Lantau's mini museums (like Tai O's or Mui Wo's community museums).  It's pretty much a little introduction to the history of Lantau and the fort.

The coolest thing about the fort is that you can walk the walls.  Though it isn't so high, we could definitely gain a good view of the immediate surrounding area.  There were also little look out posts that, if I were a kid, would have enjoyed playing FORT in.

The fort also had six cannons that pointed towards the housing estates right across the street.  Again, if I were a kid, I think that this would definitely be a dream playground because it had real cannons (which were filled with cement…though) to play with and a lot of space to run around with.

The cannons were awesome, though.  It was like touching history.  These cannons were built during the Qing Dynasty (when the fort was built back in 1832) and were probably used…against the invading British.

I thought it was so funny how the cannons now face the housing estates across the street!

Beyond the courtyard and the main row of buildings (where you can find the museum space), is another row of buildings.   One space seemed to be occupied by a woman who was teaching Cantonese Opera.  She said she taught classes to the local ladies, but there seemed to be no one there for her 1 pm class.  She also attempted to sell us her CDs, videos and teach us some Cantonese Opera techniques.

Behind the fort is a public restroom, which I am totally not sure if it is working!

***The views from the Tung Chung Fort wall***

Online, the Tung Chung tourist info sites say that this is one of the local hot spots for tourists, but I think it is quite a bit more mellow than I thought it was going to be.

It seems more like a place where you would take a walk to in the afternoon with the kids and just hang out in.  It might be a nice spot to visit when visiting all of the other great things in Lantau, but, for me, it was a nice little 10 minute look around spot.