I'll let you in on a secret from the blogging world: Phil from the Hong Kong (and Macau) Stuff blog is a helluva nice guy.
I hope I didn't just ruin his street cred!
Anyway, rather than ride the MTR and switch lines and then hop on a train to get to the New Territories, I decided to ride the Number 307 bus from near Victoria Park.
It's worth noting that my only jacket is in the cleaners so it was a bit brisk out there at 10 AM but not too bad.
I got there right on time only to see the first bus of the day pass me by; I was standing in the wrong spot near the park and couldn't run fast enough to get around the corner to where the bus had stopped.
No worries. Plenty of time to get to Tai Po as the bus comes from the Central Ferry Pier every 20 minutes or so.
And it only takes about 30 minutes to get out to Tai Po -- not much traffic after 10 AM.
Waiting for the bus...
Bus ride out to Tai Po with some cooking show on the TV...
Entering Tai Po...
I alight near the Tai Po Civic Centre. I missed my stop. Sorry Phil! Dig that Bob Marley pic on the ad on the side of the bus...
Highrises in Tai Po...
Let the eating begin!
The one to the right is the shrimp in oyster sauce that I like so much, while the one in the foreground is a similar idea but one that uses roast pork...
I have no idea what this was called but it was delicious. Sort of a sticky rice, with peanuts, and pork inside...
Too much food...
Roast pork bun. Delicious!
Didn't try this one. Sort of barbecue pork on the bone...
Shrimp shumai...
Xiaolongbao...I think...
This was a sort of dessert-variation on bird's nest. Probably overkill with all that other food but it hit the spot...
I had to have the last dumpling of the morning. Even cooled off, it was still delicious and certainly better than anything I've had in the D.C. area, that's for sure...
Tai Po is lovely -- I'm not going to use the word quaint -- and it reminded me in a way of a small town outside of London. Tai Po is small enough to feel comfortable in, and big enough to have everything you'd need if you lived out here away from the neon-lit rush of Hong Kong Island...
Phil hipped me to the fact that Anthony Bourdain came to this place for roast goose. The place looked good and it's certainly on my list of places to try. I might have to come on an empty stomach, try the goose, and get the roast pork as well...
