Phil Brown

Phil Brown - Travel Stories

The right fit

Hong Kong is tailor made for all tastes, from culture vultures to shoppers and ardent foodies
Qweekend, The Courier-Mail, August 10 - 11, 2024

My wife was adamant. "I don't want to spend all my time at the tailor." Famous last words because I had arranged accommodation at Holiday Inn Golden Mile Hong Kong, 200m from Sam's Tailor in the Burlington Arcade on busy Nathan Road, a neon wonderland after dark.

I was inspired by an article I read following David Bowie's death about how he'd had his suits made at Sam's for years. Later I found out Barry Humphries was also a regular.

In the end we happily spent a lot of time getting fitted and kitted. A fitting at Sam's is very entertaining thanks to Roshan Melwani, a third-generation tailor who is big on TikTok and is now also Instafamous.

Holiday Inn Golden Mile is a prime location for a Hong Kong holiday being on the corner of Nathan and Mody roads at the pointy end of Kowloon. This area is called Tsim Sha Tsui (Cantonese for sharp sandspit) or, in local shorthand, TST.

TST is the perfect jumping off point for just about everywhere in Hong Kong thanks to the MTR underground rail network. For crossing the harbour though the Star Ferry remains the most romantic mode of transport. There's a lot to see in Hong Kong and TST has plenty of highlights.

There's luxe shopping, museums and restaurants, from cafes to high-end eateries with amazing views (Aqua, Hutong and Felix at The Peninsula Hong Kong). There are cultural hubs like the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Space Museum & Theatre and the TST waterfront featuring the Avenue of Stars, a promenade saluting Hong Kong's movie stars, and yes, the famous statue of Bruce Lee is there.

At 8pm nightly join the crowds to watch the Symphony of Lights, the world's largest permanent light and sound show.

Crowning Kowloon peninsula is The Peninsula Hong Kong, which opened in 1928. Staying there is a treat but you soak up the atmosphere just passing through the gilt rococo splendour of the hotel's lobby. Try the famous high tea.

My family has lived in Hong Kong on and off since 1937. I grew up there in the 1960s and The Peninsula was the centre of social life. We lived in Kowloon and I spent much of my time as a boy ranging around TST. It has always been a bustling, vibrant locale.

For retail therapy, Harbour City shopping centre on Canton Road is Hong Kong's biggest. The new kid on the block in TST is K11 MUSEA, a cross between a swish mall and an art gallery. The MoMA Design store there is well worth a visit.

There are some great foodie streets in TST. Lock Road is good for Chinese cafes and street food or try a local breakfast at Mon Kee Cafe in Ashley Road. Minden Avenue is a foodie haven too and Flame Japanese Cuisine is excellent. It's Branto in Lock Road for Indian vegetarian food but we also discovered Woodlands, for similar fare, a favourite since 1981. You know from the queue it's good.

There are funky new cafes, patisseries and tea houses in the streets running off Nathan Road in TST and cute little shops to explore. Despite being regular visitors, we discover something new each time.

We have stayed in various hotels around TST, which is also home to Hong Kong's famous budget digs, Chungking Mansions.

The Holiday Inn Golden Mile Hong Kong has prime position on Nathan Road and is home to the popular Hari's Bar at Golden Mile, Osteria Ristorante Italiano and Long Yuen Cantonese Restaurant.

It's also a stone's throw from Kowloon Park, a green haven in the middle of the hustle and bustle. Come to think of it TST has everything and just next door is the new West Kowloon Cultural District featuring the M+ art gallery with its stunning harbourfront location and Art Park. It has the world's foremost collection of contemporary Chinese art.

West Kowloon is also home to The Hong Kong Palace Museum and the stunning Xiqu Centre for performing arts. The Teahouse Theatre Experience is a must - Cantonese opera with tea and dim sum. That's an acquired taste - the opera, not the tea and dim sum. 

 

Phil Brown