A Glutton's Guide to Hong Kong during Covid19

Clockwise from top left: Nikushou, Duddell's, Roganic, The Chairman

Although I'm not in Hong Kong at the moment, I've been making a list of how and where I'd want to eat if I were. On a global scale, some might say that Hong Kong is fortunate that it hasn't had a complete coronavirus lockdown (though things can change in the blink of an eye, so please keep washing your hands, wearing masks, avoiding crowds, not going out if you're feeling ill or have pre-existing conditions etc.). For gluttons like me, it's good to know that many restaurants and bars are still open, albeit hanging by a thread.

I thought I'd write a quick list (not comprehensive) of some of spots I like and that I could easily verify info on, and what they're doing during these strange times, so you can still try and support them somehow (and eat & drink very well in the process).

Best Things I Ate in 2019

Grilled sea cucumber, Yue Hai Hui, Shenzhen

Hello, welcome. Why are you here? We've long since established that I no longer blog. I just pass through once a year now to record a year of eating. For slightly more frequent updates (no promises), head to @e_ting on Insta.

Anyway, 2019 is coming to an end, so let's get on with it.

Best Things I Ate in 2018

Thanks for checking this post out. As you'll have probably realised, I don't blog anymore. I do waffle on a lot on Instagram though - you'll usually find me there.

Anyway, I thought I'd attempt my annual round up... I've travelled as much as I've been in Hong Kong this year so I'm going to have separate HK and international lists. Also, because I've missed having a good honest rant, I'm going to have a Worst Meals list. Social media is so sugary and positive these days, I thought I'd be that person and add a dash of bitter truth (I like Negronis and Old Fashioneds, what can I say).

15 best things I ate in Hong Kong in 2018

(in no particular order)

20 best dishes of 2017 - Hong Kong

One of the best things I ate in Hong Kong in 2017

It's that time of year again when I scroll through my Google photos and am reminded of the ridiculous amounts of food I eat, and how fortunate I am to call it my job. I did a lot of travel this year, including pretty epic trips to Chicago and San Sebastián, and there are still a few new restaurants I've been wanting to go to but haven't. This isn't a list of new places, although I have tried to stop myself from falling back on the classics (Seventh Son's suckling pig and The Chairman's steamed crab still haven't been beat though). Here's my list of 2017's best bites in Hong Kong in alphabetical order:

Perfecting minimalist travel - How I Pack Light

Stop agonising over packing and you'll be this happy. That's a fact.

In both daily life and travel, I pretty much try and keep a capsule wardrobe - I create uniforms for myself so I don't have to agonise over what to wear every day, and it's usually super simple stuff. For travel, everything just fits on a carry-on - then there's no waiting around for luggage, it doesn't get lost on tight connections, and if you're getting out of the airport on a train or metro etc., it's just less of a hassle lugging it around (I have painful childhood memories of lugging bags up/down/around the subway/train in Tokyo).

I didn't think it was anything special - after all, if you like to (or have to) travel, you want to be on your way quickly and efficiently as possible, right? - but I realised I might have nerded out a bit more than usual when even frequent travellers started saying I was an efficient packer.

So, to spread the ultralight gospel further, I thought I'd share some of the travel essentials that help me pack light. (I could go on forever, I love nerding out on this stuff).

Piazza Duomo in Alba is special, especially during White Truffle Season

Montblanc topped with white truffle at Piazza Duomo, Alba

You may have read the previous post about the White Truffle Festival in Alba - if not, follow that link and read it first to see how the visit to the restaurant fit into that day. This meal at Piazza Duomo was a crucial part, and probably one of the best food-related trips I've ever done.

Alba White Truffle Festival - An Essential Road Trip

A stall at the Fiera del Tartufo, the white truffle festival in Alba

If you live to eat like I do, the white truffle festival in Alba is a trip you must add to your bucket list.

The Great American Eclipse - how we found the perfect spot to see the total solar eclipse 2017

Most of the travel I do is in search of food. However - and I may have mentioned this before - my husband is the very opposite of a foodie, so when we travel together, I throw all my expectations of food out the window. It helps that usually we're going somewhere super interesting, and this time it was to see the total eclipse.

The Great American Eclipse, as it was called, was indeed pretty great for the US, because it basically crossed the entire country, west to east, and it's rare for totality to be seen on land (as 70% of the earth is water, a lot of times total eclipses happen over the sea and it's hard to catch them), let alone a country that is so relatively accessible by roads.