Hong Kong 2025 Day 6: Star Ferry to Central & More Eats (香港.漫游+美食)

Day 5: Tsim Sha Shui & Avenue of Stars (香港.尖沙咀+星光大道)

10th August 2025, Sunday | ☀️

This was the last full day in Hong Kong — before returning to Singapore the next day — and we had not so much as planned on what to do. It was more an easy day to "fill the gaps" on what we had missed or would really wish to eat, buy or see before flying home.

9am, we left The Cityview and came to Kadorar et Levain Bakery (加多娜天然酵母手作面包店) near the hotel. The bakery was always crowded when we walked passed it several times when returning to the hotel so we gave it a try this time. It was not so packed in the morning since their signature items would be rolled out at 11:30am (Pistachio Sticky Rice Pancake) and 4:30pm (French Pudding Bun & Matcha Red Bean Mochi Bun). 

We bought a Seaweed Sea-Salt Mini Croissant (星野海苔盐可頌) and Sweet Potato Bun (紫薯包) to try. The Seaweed Sea-Salt Croissant has a mellow seaweed flavour on a savoury bun, nice to chew on and not too salty. The Sweet Potato Bun has rich purple sweet potato paste with soft white mochi as filling, mild sweet and with nice flavours and textures. No wonder the bakery was so popular. We would want to try at least one of their signature items before the end of the trip.

We took the MTR from Yau Ma Tei to Tsim Sha Shui again. We had wanted to try Kau Kee Beef Brisket (九记牛腩), in Central, but it was marked on Google Maps as "closed" on Sunday. So, we searched for other options that served beef brisket noodle and found Prince Noodles (王子牛腩牛杂粉面专家) along Lock Road — diagonally opposite Cheung Hing Kee (香港祥兴记上海生煎包) where we had Shanghai pan-fried buns the day before.

Although we had been using Michelin Guide to hunt for nice food around areas where we stayed or visited, there would definitely be good restaurants that were not on the yearly guide — 1, Michelin inspectors could not possibly have tried ALL restaurants in Hong Kong every year; 2, tastes were subjective, not everyone had the same tastebuds; 3, we had my own likes and preferences.

After exiting from Tsim Sha Shui Station via Exit A1, we came to Prince Noodles which was not crowded in the quiet lane — except for the queue outside Cheung Hing Kee. We had a table to ourselves and ordered a Supreme Beef Brisket Noodle with rice noodle (崩沙腩河粉, HK$68), an Assorted Beef Noodle with rice noodle (牛三宝河粉, HK$68) and also a dish of vegetable with oyster sauce (油菜) for just HK$15 — our first veggie dish on this trip as it was so much cheaper.

The noodle dishes were delicious in clear flavourful beef broth and the beef briskets were very soft and tender since they were from the best part of the beef brisket known as "outside skirt" (崩沙腩). The Supreme Beef Brisket Noodle had more of the beefy cuts whereas the Assorted Beef Noodle had lesser piece count but added with well-stewed, crunchy tripes and soft tendons, yet not mushy. There were wonderful dishes to have for beef-lovers and kway teow soup was one of my favourite choices for breakfast.

After a full breakfast, we made used of the underground passageways of Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station again to shield us from the hot sun. We re-entered via Exit A1 and exited from Exit L6, taking photos of the murals on the wall of the passageway that highlighted some sights in the area.

The Clock Tower and Star Ferry Pier, besides Hong Kong Cultural Centre (香港文化中心), were where we were heading to. As for the 130-year-old historical 1881 Heritage, which housed luxury stores, designer brands, fine-dining restaurants, etc, was another modern shopping mall in an old shell.

Following the signs, we came to the Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower (前九广铁路钟楼), standing between Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Star Ferry Pier — the railway station was relocated in 1975 and the original station was demolished in 1978 leaving the clock tower as a historical landmark. A couple of photos was all it took and we proceeded to Tsim Sha Shui Star Ferry Pier (尖沙咀天星码头).

There were two Star Ferry (天星小轮) services, one to Wan Chai (湾仔) and the other to Central (中环). We paid for the HK$6.50 weekend fare / adult (upper deck) to Central Ferry Pier (中环渡轮码头) using our Octopus cards (fare details on Star Ferry website). Boarding the ferry started at 10:40am, and about 10 minutes later, we were alighting at Central Ferry Pier.

Next to Central Ferry Pier was the 60-metre tall Hong Kong Observation Wheel (香港摩天轮). It had a long queue and everyone was holding umbrellas under the scorching sun. An ice-cream truck that parked near the ferris wheel had a bustling time as most of those in the queue who could not stand the heat wanted the cold treats while waiting for their turns. We gave the ferris wheel a miss as it was far too hot to queue and the wheel itself was of more interest to us than the views from its top.

One thing for sure — the sun was far too hot for any outdoor activities. We checked out some of the nearby structures, including the two tall towers of International Financial Centres (One & Two IFC), keeping to available shelters at all time.

My sister wanted to shop in Central Market again and I took a walk to Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal (港澳码头) via a long covered pedestrian overhead bridge between One IFC and Shun Tak Centre (信德中心). Unlike in Singapore where foreign maids / workers would gather in parks or open spaces on weekends, they gathered and camped on wide overhead bridges in Hong Kong, including the long bridge to Shun Tak Centre.

At the end of the overhead bridge, before entering Shun Tak Centre, I was able to see the ferries of Cotai Water Jet and TurboJet. Knowing that the blue Cotai Water Jet was scheduled to depart at 12pm, I waited for it to manoeuvre out of the pier and disappeared out of sight. Then, I walked around the air-conditioned mall for 15 minutes to cool down before heading back to Central Market to find my sister.

We had plans for lunch, so we took MTR from Hong Kong Station (香港站) to Jordan Station (佐敦站) and went to look for the main outlet of Kai Kai Dessert (佳佳甜品), which was not difficult to find. There was no queue at 1pm and we were seated to a table for 8 persons and shared with another two groups of two persons.

I had a cold Sweet Walnut & Sweet Almond Soup (杏仁拼核桃露/冷, HK$32), added on with 3 glutinous rice balls (+HK$8) and my sister had cold Black Sesame & Sweet Walnut Soup (芝麻糊拼核桃露/冷, HK$32). The desserts were not as thick as what we used to have — probably lesser flour or cornstarch — but the flavours were rich and not too sweet. The black sesame, almond and walnut were ground until ultra-fine making the desserts very smooth. The glutinous rice balls contained black sesame paste as fillings. The cold desserts were great on the hot day.

The main outlet of Block 18 Doggie's Noodle (十八座狗仔粉) was just several steps from Kai Kai Dessert. We came to the shop and found that it was for takeaway only or to stand outside the shop and eat. We decided to walk to the Mong Kok outlet which allowed dine-in. It was about 15 minutes' walk away.

We came to Block 18 Doggie's Noodle outlet along Fa Yuen Street (花园街), with an outlet of Kai Kai Dessert just next door. At 2pm, the noodle shop was nearly full and we shared a table again. We ordered their Signature Doggie’s Noodle (驰名狗仔粉, HK$37), Faux Shark’s Fin Soup with Shredded Duck (招牌火鸭翅, HK$37) and Fish & Meat Dumplings (鲜味鱼皮饺, HK$18).

The original Signature Doggie’s Noodle might seem simple without much ingredients but the thick, chewy noodle, topped with chopped spring onions and dried radish, in a light flavourful soup was surprisingly delicious — similar concept as mee hoon kueh (面粉粿). The portion was slightly bigger as usual. Additional ingredients, such as minced dace fish, crispy lard, etc, could be added-on to enhance the dish.

The Faux Shark’s Fin Soup with Shredded Duck looked very similar to the snake soup I had the night before. Instead of snake meat, shredded meat of the restaurant’s signature roasted duck (火鸭) was added to the starchy soup with black fungus and transparent short noodles as faux shark’s fin. The thick soup had nice aroma and taste of the roasted duck and not salty. It was also a big bowl but we still finished it.

The Fish & Meat Dumplings, with fish-meat-made wrapper skins, had firm and chewier texture with nice flavours. The various sauces, chilli sauce, sesame paste, etc, that accompanied the dumplings had strong flavours and slightly saltier.

After the meal, my sister wanted to shop around but I did not want to get anything that could add more mass to my luggage. I had planned to revisit Heartwarming, a dessert shop which we had visited on Day 2, to try more of its black sesame desserts so we split up to have our own free time and to meet at the hotel later before dinner.

Once again, I walked through Mong Kok, among Sunday crowds, towards Prince Edward MTR Station (太子站). Similarly, on a wide pedestrian overhead bridge over Prince Edward Road West (太子道西), hordes of foreign workers gathered and sat on the bridge, leaving narrow paths for pedestrians to walk. Police officers were also deployed to manage the crowds.

3pm, I reached Heartwarming (暖心芝作). There were two short queues: one was for the limited-quantity Black Sesame Film Roll (黑芝麻菲林卷, HK$25), available only from 2pm to 5pm, and the other for all other items. I queued for the "film roll" as it was shorter. 5 minutes later, I bought a box of the "film rolls" and then joined the other queue for other items.

I tried a piece of the Black Sesame Film Roll while queuing. Each "film roll" was made by rolling a thick sheet of black sesame cake, about 2mm in thickness, and topped with roasted white sesame seeds. Similar to the black sesame pudding and paste that I had tried previously, it was mild-sweet with flavours of both black and white sesame seeds and soft chewy texture. It was undoubtedly a healthier choice of dessert.

10 minutes later, I walked away with a Black Sesame Soft-Serve Ice-Cream (特浓黑芝麻软雪糕, HK$28) and bit off its tip before remembering to take a photo — that was how tempting it was. The ice-cream was rich in black sesame flavours with black sesame ice-cream, dribbled with thick black sesame syrup, in a black sesame biscuit cone — I was pretty sure it was not made with charcoal. It was mild-sweet as usual, not milky and best of all, the biscuit cone did not become soggy and had remained crispy till the whole ice-cream was finished. No regrets for going back to the shop for more of its desserts — we tried 5 types in total.

It started raining but stopped after 5 minutes, I decided to head back to the hotel as exhaustion had finally seeped-in and I could not stand the heat anymore. I hiked from Prince Edward to Yau Ma Tei, backtracking the route that I had taken. I reached the hotel at around 4pm. My sister was already back.

After a cold shower, I packed some of my belongings that would not be used anymore, noting that my luggage had really no more space for extra items. We decided on what to eat before heading out again at 6:30pm.

We used the quieter Waterloo Road (窝打老道) to walk to Golden Bowl (金饭馆2.0) in Mong Kok. The restaurant was very near Sum Hung Cuisine (深鸿私房菜), which we had visited on Day 4. Our luck ran out on the Sunday night, and needed to queue at the restaurant. While waiting for our turn, I saw a self-service launderette in the same street, just across the road — if I had known, I would have washed my laundry here on Day 4 instead of walking 10 minutes to Temple Street from Sum Hung Cuisine.

15 minutes later, we were seated to a table for 4 persons and sharing with two young girls. We ordered Baked Pork Chop Rice with Peach & Tomato (蜜桃鲜茄焗猪扒饭, HK$78) and Satay Beef & Egg Stir-Fried Rice Noodle (沙爹牛肉蛋炒肠粉, HK$58). The dishes were cooked on orders and when the restaurant was fully packed, long waiting time would be needed, so patience was key. We had all the time to relax and wait since we had no other activities after dinner. And the hungrier we were, it would be easier for us to finish the food. My sister reminded me to forgo the carbohydrates if the dishes were too large in portion, not to over-eat. 

The Satay Beef & Egg Stir-Fried Rice Noodle was not of a big portion. The beef, stir-fried in satay sauce, was smooth and very tender. The cheung fan (肠粉) was fried with egg and added some crispy texture and wok-aroma. The Baked Pork Chop Rice with Peach & Tomato had several pieces of pork chop laid on top of fried rice with egg and then baked with cuts of tomato and peach under a layer of tomato sauce. The peach fruit gave the dish a nice peachy aroma and flavour — similar to pineapple-flavoured rice. The cuts of pork chop were tender with rich tomato flavour. The big pieces of pork chop and fried rice made this dish rather filling too. Fortunately, we had paired it with a dish of lesser carbs, instead of going for two rice dishes.

After dinner, we strolled around Mong Kok more for digestion than to shop for anything. 30 minutes later, we retired back to the hotel.

Day 7: Half Day in HK & Flying Home (半日香港.返新)