Hong Kong

[trip style = luxury + foodie + urban]

Editor's Note: This is the second post in a series I'm writing about my March trip to Asia. Look for continued coverage over the next few posts, and don't miss the first instalment: Vancouver to Hong Kong Business Class. 

Taking an inventory of the 48 hours I spent in Hong Kong, I came to the conclusion I could be writing for days—I mean, how do you summarize Asia's glitziest gateway in a Haiku? There's a saying that goes "two is better than one," so with this, I'll tell you about the city today, and gush about my hotel, the Four Seasons Hong Kong, on Thursday.  

Hong Kong holds a special place in my heart. It's the metropolis where Mr. Trip Styler and I found our spark. We were in China to study international business; neither of us foresaw getting an A+ in Coupling 101.

Fast forward a decade, or so, and the city is precisely how I remember: Highfalutin and polished with a democratic sensibility. Everyone meets on the street. Skyscrapers rule—all 7500+ of them. Neon signs pulse. Beaches abound. And nature isn't that far off {spoiler alert: there's a huge hiking scene}, in fact 80% of Hong Kong is covered in foliage.

While I didn't get to tie up my hiking boots or suntan in the sand—been there, done that and got a sunburn at Repulse Bay—I did get to put on my lucite-rimmed spectacles and explore the art, restaurant and street food scene, as well as make time for one of Hong Kong's fondest pastimes: Shopping {evidenced by the fact that there's a two-month Hong Kong Shopping Festival}. 

F & B
LUNG KING HEEN - It's a crime to visit Hong Kong and not indulge in a traditional dim sum feast. And since you're there, why not ensure China's first three-star Michelin chef prepares it at Lung King Heen in the Four Seasons Hong Kong. My multi-course meal mingling vegetarian hot and sour tofu soup with wontons, and roast Chilean sea bass with sweet fermented bean sauce was exquisite, but it should be noted that my well-traveled friend, Chad, who has lead dining teams at top restaurants around the world, told me Chef Chan Yan Tak's fare is the best dim sum he's ever tasted. 

Vegetarian hot and sour tofu soup with wontons at Lung King Heen. 

YARDBIRD - The new and now tide shifts very quickly in this major metropolis, but one restaurant has remained hot since the day it opened in 2011, Yardbird. Helmed by Chef Matt Abergel who hails from Masa in NYC, Yardbird offers a mod take on yakitori {skewered, grilled chicken}, in a an urban, loft-like environs. Don't miss the inclusion of Portland-based Stumptown coffee in the form of housemade shochu {a Japanese distilled liquor}, or the fact that you can BYO dessert with no cutting fee. 

Yardbird

STREET FOOD - I hit up the Jordan district for my street food fiesta starting with one of Chef Tak's top stops: steamed rice rolls topped in soy sauce, and a peanut and sesame paste. The neutral taste of the rolls subdued the sauce's sweet and salty into luscious perfection making me wish I'd ordered more.

Street food: steamed rice rolls in soy sauce, and a peanut and sesame paste.

FOOD INSTITUTION - Also in Jordan, start your day with scrambled egg and a slice of cheese on thick white toast at the Australian Dairy Company. While this seemingly non-exotic concoction sounds blasé, both the restaurant and the dish have reached cult-status since the proprietor went to work in Australia at a dairy farm, discovered milk's charms, and moved back to bring his pairings to the masses. Pair your scramble with a milk tea, and finish with custard.    

Australian Dairy Company

Shopping
Witness Hong Kong's shopping craze first-hand along Canton Road, home to some of the highest-grossing stores in the world. And in case you're wondering how Dubai got the idea to place skating rinks and such in malls, look no further than Hong Kong, home to awe-inspiring shopping meccas—try Harbour City or IFC Mall—so large, you need a map to navigate. If you're pining for the traditional, browse by the Jade Market for the precious stone in all shapes, sizes and forms. 

Jade Market

Sightseeing
While I love Victoria Peak because it's the one vantage point in town you can actually tower over skyscrapers, one of the best {and most wallet-friendly} ways to see the city is on the Star Ferry, criss-crossing between Kowloon and Hong Kong a zillion times a day. 

Street Scenes

[photos by trip styler (except for Austrlian Dairy Co via Daniel Food Diary) snapped while a guest of Cathay Pacific and Four Seasons Hong Kong]

Cathay Pacific: Vancouver to Hong Kong

[trip style = luxury]

Also see 
*What it's like to fly aboard Cathay Pacific's latest-gen A350 aircraft on the Vancouver --> Hong Kong route! 
*A trip styled tour of the Cathay Lounge in Vancouver

With direct flights to New York and Hong Kong from Vancouver, flying Cathay Pacific has been a regular part of my life at 35,000 feet for the past 15 years. For both of these routes, I'm so Cathay-loyal, I won't fly any other carrier because the Hong Kong-based airline flies circles around its competitors when it comes to professionalism, graceful service and attention to detail—have you ever seen a red-suited Cathay flight attendant with so much as a hair out of place? 

While I've always flown economy with Cathay, the more I travel, the more I try and fly business class on transcontinental flights {as a frequent flier, the sleep-tential in fully flat seats is my sky survival}. Traveling to Hong Kong and Thailand in March, I did not have to go through my regular dance trying to sort out which points I could gather or upgrade fees I could fandangle to fly biz. Due to my four-year investment in Trip Styler, I was invited by Cathay to lie-flat in their business class and explore Asia. Obviously, I said yes because I'm already a fan of the airline. 

Before liftoff: Cathay's signature and antioxidant-enriching Original Breeze, combining sour plum tea and cranberry juice with honey, fresh lemon juice and rose water. It's as refreshing as it appears.

After nibbling on a few pre-flight bites in the Vancouver Cathay lounge for an hour, I boarded my bird in the wee hours of the night at 2.25am—the second of two daily, non-stop flights to Hong Kong from Vancouver. I dig this departure time because it fits nicely into the night-versus-day time-zone tango. You get on the plane tired, hopefully sleep, and arrive in Hong Kong 13 hours later at 7am as if you hadn't jumped a calendar day.

While I don't normally drink on flights due to alcohol's moisture-sapping effect, when in business class, you must celebrate with at least one flute of brut. So I did. After settling into pod 20c, cleansing my hands with a hot towel and placing my down comforter over my legs, I was ready to relax for night.

Since I was unable to take photos of myself sleeping, here's one to give you the gist

Knowing I wouldn't be able to sleep immediately, I clicked my TV button and a 15" screen appeared from the depths of my pod. Eyes fluttering in lala land, I half-watched two movies {Dallas Buyers Club and Diana} while nibbling on salad and fine cheese until my lids requested I manoeuvre my chair into the horizontal position. Almost asleep, I remember thinking my seat-bed was wide enough for my starfish-like sleep positions and long enough for a leggy supermodel; turns out it's one of the longest and widest provided on any commercial airline. 

Indulging in on-demand Haagen Dazs {obviously}

As the lights came on, the cabin filled with the scent of coffee and a multi-course breakfast arrived at my pod starting with tropical fruit, a croissant, yogurt and a landing 'elixir' blending papaya, kiwi, honey and mint.  

Fully awake and well fed, I slipped into the lavatory to check for pillow marks on my face and get Trip Styled for touchdown. I was met by a vase of orchids and citrus-scented Jurlique products, which I slathered over my skin while brushing my teeth. Now I was presentable enough for Hong Kong, where I'd spend a few days before taking a flight to Chiang Mai, Thailand. 

Personal amenity kit by agnes b. with products from Jurlique

If you have airline status or fly in business class on a regular basis, you know that airline lounges—especially the flagship locations—are an INTEGRAL part of the jet-set experience, and in some cases make you long for a lengthy layover. 

The Wing

Such is the case with Cathay's The Wing lounge in the Hong Kong International Airport {one of six Cathay lounges at the airport}. At over 4,500 sf including the Business and First Class lounges, The Wing is a modern labyrinth dressed in Carrara marble, live bamboo, Italian leather, warm woods and 24 shower suites.

The Wing has many nooks and crannies. Trip Styler Tip: Explore the entire footprint before settling on a place to sit.

Shower Suite

Three spaces that made me wish my flight was delayed were The Noodle Bar, The Long Bar and The Coffee Loft. The Noodle Bar feels more like a woodsy-sleek and sun-filled restaurant than an airline lounge, and therein lies its brilliance. Though, at a restaurant you pull out your wallet and wait for your food. At The Noodle Bar, you peruse the made-to-order menu and your ramen or char sui bao is prepared in about three-to-five minutes at no cost. 

Made-to-order ramen in The Noodle Bar

The Long Bar is as it sounds, clocking in at 23 meters. Twenty five seats line the lengthy white-marble slab and when I perched myself at one of the leather bar seats, I found a stash of fresh-baked croissants to pair with my mimosa {it was 8am}.

The Long Bar

The Long Bar morning croissants

Finally, tucked into the far back corner of The Wing, The Coffee Loft is the newest addition to the mega-lounge sporting Foster bar stools, Knoll armchairs, and butter imported from France for the pastry selection. In the morning, real coffee is ground and frothed by a barista, and in the evening, the lights dim and the environs shimmies from cappuccinos to cocktails. And for the record, like on the plane, you can request a Haagen Dazs here, too. Cheers.

The Coffee Loft

The Skinny 

• From Canada: Cathay Pacific offers 17 non-stop flights per week between Vancouver and Hong Kong, and more than 10 non-stop flights per week between Toronto and Hong Kong, plus daily non-stop service between Vancouver and New York {JFK}.

• Approximate Fares: Vancouver/Hong Kong return, Economy Class $1,367, Premium Economy Class $2,321, Business Class $4,926, First Class $9,778.

• From the US: Cathay Pacific offers daily non-stop service to Hong Kong from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York {JFK & EWR}.

• Once in Hong Kong, connect to destinations such as Bali or Thailand with sister airline: Cathay Dragon.

Other Dispatches in this Series
Flying Well :: Cathay Pacific's Revolutionary A350
Style Inspiration :: The Pier Business + First Class Lounges in Hong Kong
First Look :: Cathay Pacific's GORGEOUS New Lounge at YVR
Hong Kong :: Instagram Diary
My Most Beautiful Meal in Hong Kong
6 Hong Kong Hints {that will make you want to book a ticket ASAP} 

[photos by trip styler—some courtesy Cathay Pacific Canada—taken while as a guest of the airline]

Suit Up :: 17 Tips For Stylish Travel

J.Crew has joined forces with filmmaker/cool guy Casey Niestat to promote its newest suit, the Ludlow Traveler, in a three-minute video called Travel With Style. The fast-paced film documents Niestat and the suit as they globetrot 12,000 miles via airplane, skateboard, motorcycle, boat, snowboard and surfboard. All of this while maintaining the suit's wrinkle-free appearance and while offering 17 tips for traveling in style.  

This film is right up our ... aisle.

Like all of us at Trip Styler, frequent flier Neistat believes that we should look our best when we fly. "Air travel is stressful and uncomfortable," he told Fast Company. "A lot of folks think 'Why not be comfy? I'm going to wear sweats and Uggs,' and those people aren't wrong, they just don't hold dignity above comfort. I do."

Here are a handful of our favorite tips from the film:

• Rest {It's the key to healthy travel}
• Change {Transition to a more comfortable outfit in flight, and freshen up before landing}
• Start Early {Don't waste an opportunity; you're only in a moment once}
• Make Friends {Talk to locals and immerse yourself in their culture}
• Wear a Suit {Look your best; you never know when you'll be invited to a soirée}

We don't have to dress to the nines when we fly, but there's wisdom in the words of Niestat. Dress for the occasion. Hold dignity above comfort. Bring skis.

*If you haven't seen his other globetrotting projects, check out Casey's films for Nike, Mercedes and 20th Century Fox. They'll make you want to take off without a plan.

[photo via j.crew]