Advice from Emdee

[deebs]

Hi Emdee
i am going to Hongkong in March and want to go to either Tai Pak restaurant or Jumbo restaurant, could you please give me some advice, (some of us are not very adventurous food wise but will come to basic chinese) and do not want to pay a arm and a leg for dinner, or maybe there is somewhere close to eat that we could overlook the bay and enjoy a nice meal

cheers
Deebs

[kyshel]

If we don't hear from emdee, I'll be going in Feb and I'll see what I discover. From what I understand Jumbo is very commercial. I saw a place on the Amazing Race TV Show--called the Majesty--which was a total hoot!! Karoake and buffet (food looked excellent but I would not typically choose buffet as an option, but I just might now...)
Have you been on tripadvisor.com? they have an extensive list of recommended restaurants and some of the destination experts really know their stuff!)
We're staying at both of the Langhams in Kowloon which is a first for me, so I keep perusing tripadvisor. We're airline people and will have some ideas from our crew flying in, too. I'll share what I find but it wil be mid Feb. Cheers til then!

[deebs]

Thanks kyshel
i also saw the amazing race that is one reason i want to go there it looked really pretty, i seem to be able to find stuff on the jumbo restaurant but nothing on tai pak
deebs

[Emdee]

Hi Deebs,

Please accept my apologies for a delayed reply. Christmas and all that you know . . .

If I can be blunt, give BOTH a miss. The Jumbo restaurants are touristy, expensive and and are not the best examples of Cantonese cuisine. Tai Pak has its admirers and enthusiasts but I can tell you that I am most certainly not one of them.

As you say Deebs that your are "not adventurous" I would strongly suggest the Jade Garden group. These restaurants have a number of locations on both the Kowloon Peninsula and HK Island.

Just ask your concierge at your hotel to make a reservation for you at the nearest Jade Garden. I have found the food to be acceptable there, not too overpriced, with swift service and an OK ambience.

Kyshel: You are staying at the Langham up near Mongkok. You will have literally several hundred eateries to choose from - cheap, cheerful, family, trendy, upmarket, the choice is up to you. The Langham itself has a couple of highly acclaimed restaurants. I haven't dined there, however, I have only heard good things about them.

But I guarantee you one thing: it is very difficult to eat badly in the Mongkok/Yau Me Tei area.

I have several favourites on the Kowloon Peninsula which hopefully I will review sometime over the coming weeks as the Hong Kong forum is rather bereft of dining recommendations.

And of course, if your hearts are set on visiting the Jumbo restaurants, well try the one on Aberdeen Harbour for something different. But it will be the same as the others: non-traditional, touristy, overpriced and "westernised" Cantonese food.