“Mai dong xi, chi dong xi, mai dong xi, chi dong xi” (go shopping, take breaks for food, on repeat) is the motto that has been ringing in my ears for the past 7 days. That was the tagline for a tourism campaign for HK that was aired in Singapore a few years ago. Boy did I do just that!
I didn’t listen when people said to just pack light and buy the rest of your clothes in Hong Kong. I wasn’t sure what kind of shopping I was in for, but I still wanted to look slightly dressy and presentable wherever I went so I brought along quite a few pieces with me. But gahhh I should have listened because I nearly overloaded my baggage.
I actually got a chance to go to Shen Zhen and Macau for a day each. Macau was pretty, and pretty boring. Shen Zhen completely won me over! It’s just a short train ride from Lo Wu MTR Station.
Okay this isn’t so much of what I bought, it’s more of what I did and what I found interesting that hopefully will be useful to some people who will be visiting HK. I’ll post outfits and more of my personal experiences later 
I’m getting lazy during the school holidays!
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Hong Kong
Hong Kong Industrial/Wholesale Centre
Lai Chi Kok MTR Station
Here is one of the places where small shops in areas like Causeway Bay find their goods, and you know that HAS to be good, because the prices are like 1/3 that of those in malls and major shopping areas. Some shops require that you just buy in bulk (they don’t sell items singly) so… either look out for signs outside the shops that say just that, or the salesgirl would most like approach you to remind you of that once you step into the shop.
Clothes prices start from 20HKD
Bags prices start from 50HKD
Shoes prices start from 80HKD
You’d need at least half a day to plough through the beehive of stores. You’ll find mostly pretty funky Japanese and Korean stuff. Most shops are open from 12nn to 6pm.
I got myself 3 pairs of shoes, and 2 bags!
H&M
1) 68 Queen’s Road, Central MTR Station
2) Langham Place, Mongkok MTR Station
They always say that the store at Central is the biggest and the best, but that always means that the sizes are gone, and all that jazz. You could pop over the Langham Place for another H&M that’s just as good
I just snapped up whatever I liked without much thought, because when the hell is H&M gonna arrive in Singapore anyway?!!
You should do the same too (:
I don’t know how to list what I got from here, hahaha.
Uniqlo
Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong MTR Station
This Uniqlo is pretty big and the staff are friendly, but their incessant spamming of “Foon Yeng Gong Lam” gets kinda irritating, cos they just repeat it after their colleague who heard another colleague repeat it from another colleague who repeated it from another colleague who is standing at the door welcoming customers.
Ah screw that. Anyway. The fit of their jeans are pretty weird. There were these very pretty pair of pink jeans from the guys section, but there just wasn’t a right size!!!! Grr.
I ended up with a pair of paper bag denim shorts, a cardigan and a mini dress with the cutest fake collar.
Giordano Ladies and Giordano Concepts
1) Capitol Centre, Jardine’s Crescent, Causeway Bay MTR Station
2) Terminal 2 HK International Airport, Lantau Island
I am so smitten with these stores. If you’re not Singaporean, you would probably not know that Giordano doesn’t have a very good fashion reputation (: Anyway, Giordano Concepts is avant-garde cool without making you look like a confused fashion follower. Giordano Ladies is a bit more tuned to work friendly pieces. They have outlets in Singapore, but this 2-in-1 shop has a more generous serving of their range of clothes. The staff are realllyyy professional too, they treat you like you’re their most important customer even if you’re buying the cheapest things (ie my boyfriend and I trying on 5-6 pieces of the 2 for 150HKD tees and just deciding on 2 each, HAHA)
I got myself 2 tees and one cool knit hooded coat/shrug thing that almost all the staff were wearing. Well no one will think the same when they see me in it in Singapore!
O, and everyone who works there is pretty or handsome. Eye candy in their clothes makes you think that you’ll look like them when trying on the clothes too!
Evil.
When I got to the airport (omg yes I was still shopping and cramming stuff into my hand luggage at that point in time), I got myself a greyish purple cardigan and black baggy culottes.
Woot.
La Foret Mall, Fashion Street
Causeway Bay MTR Station
I have come across other people recommending walking along Causeway Bay for La Foret Mall, Fashion Street and the like. They’re pretty interesting too, but after you’ve spent the day at the wholesale centre you can’t help but mutter “RIP OFF!” as you saunter past the small shops of goodies other people seem so engrossed with. Haha.
But just go anyway because it is a pretty interesting atmosphere to immerse yourself in.
Temple Street
Yau Ma Tei MTR Station
My boyfriend and I spent one evening covering the super long Nathan Road to find the Temple street night market. There were paintings, toys, wood carvings, memorabilia, slogan tees, jewellry, fake goods, watches, and lots of gooooddd foooooddd! Actually the items on sale are not THAT interesting, but there are still lots of middle aged foreigners giving their all at bargaining for that fake monogrammed bag.
Lots of shouting and wailing and blasting music, you have to shovel the crowds away to get to your target stall. Luckily I had great company to make up for the lack of interesting buys (:
Heaven is in these precariously stacked bowls of pallid milky goodness, haha!
Smooth, sweet orgasmic stuff!
Look out for this shop, or a red circular logo of a cow’s head admidst the neon signs!
Yee Shun Milk Company
1) Along Jordan Road, Yau Ma Tei MTR Station
2) Lockhart Road (behind Sogo), Causeway Bay MTR Station
Here’s where you get the best double skin milk (seung pei lai) and steamed egg custard (dun dan). Try the original. Then try it in other flavours like chocolate, cappucino and ginger juice. Ahhhhhhhh the milkiness is so strong but it feels so light all at the same time. This just makes you want a bowl after another after another!
My boyfriend and I made a small video. He very cleverly tilted the camera vertically, so you might have to tilt your head when you view it too, haha.
Mak’s Noodle House
44 Jardine Bazaar, Causeway Bay MTR
This was part of Anthony Bourdain’s food trail when he was in Hong Kong. How bad can it get! And how good can it get! Very very good. The noodles here have great texture. It’s what Chinese call “Q” or “song”. There’s just no English equivalent for this expression! Bouncy or chewy just doesn’t cut it. Elastic just sound wrong, haha.
The wanton filling is just as bouncy and yummy, with a very generous portion of shrimp mixed with meat and rolled in a thin smooth skin
Ahh.
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Shen Zhen
Luohu Commercial City
Shenzhen Railway station
This place is best know for their designer knock offs of bags, watches and clothes, and occasionally rejected designer goods, but they do have some tiny shops with awfully cheap shoes and Japanesey and Korean items. Be sure to bargain! Think this is another place where small shops get most of their stock.
And if you have the time, get a manicure there too! They’re mostly about 20RMB, for a full manicure/pedicure, and it isn’t as crumpy as the price suggests
I got three pairs of flats, 2 tops and some cheapy silver accessories (:
Eye that ginormous bowl of sashimi!
Mostly black interiors
Kamii Restaurant
King Glory Plaza, Luohu District
Those who were with me said that this place serves one of the best sashimi. I cannot vouch for that because I don’t eat wasibe, so I don’t take sashimi either. But the other things like handrolls and shabu shabu were delish!
You’re enveloped in black interiors, with a water feature right down the centre of the restaurant and a very peaceful and happy looking buddha. Ah, the life.
Best of all, it’s actually a buffet from 11am-2pm and it only costs 100RMB. Like wtf, how can they serve such food at such a price! Go and eat your fill!
Shui Yun Jian (Water Cloud House)
Fu Qiang Road
This place is a haven for hardcore shoppers, not that it is another cheapy wholesale centre, but it is a place for you to take a nice shower, indulge in a sauna or jacuzzi, and a good fulll body massage, all for just about 60SGD.
Massage parlours around Asia all sound kinda dodgy, but this place is t3h sm3x! Sorry to those who are not acquainted with 1337 speak, I have been influenced by the boyfriend (: t3h sm3x just means that it’s ridiculously incredibly awesome, heh.
The great thing is that you just have to buy any massage service, and you can stay there for the entire day, eating, sleeping (yes there is a room for you to sleep!) watch tv while the masseuse pound you up, and like I said above, bathe and indulge rid yourself of all the muckiness of hardcore shopping!
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Sorry I kept having to say cheap. But everything kinda was!
I hope this was at least a litttllleeee helpful for anyone who’s looking for a rough guide to HK, cos prior to the trip I’ve been devouring travel blogs and fashion blogs and wikipedia and wikitravel for shopping guides! Actually the Shen Zhen places and the wholesale shopping mall was reccomended by my boyfriend’s aunts, who are local to HK
I must add that I did not manage to cover some places, like th sneaker street, Soho area and Wan Chai. Part of me selfishly hopes that it’s not all that great so I wouldn’t have missed out on much, haha.
