Hi guys, it’s Dad. My wife and I recently just got back from an amazing trip to Hong Kong, Macau, and Bali. Just like Angelina did for her trip, we also booked one night at the W Hong Kong before the SPG redemption rate increased from 12,000 to 20,000 points per night. My review will consist of my take on the location, service, and both the negatives and positives about the place. I have also included my review and experience eating at the world’s cheaptest Michelin Star restaurant, Tim Ho Wan.
Many bloggers do a nice job with elaborate reviews filled with pictures and all sorts of multimedia, but since I am still about 10 years behind with technology, you can head on over to Angelina’a review if you’d like to see a review with photos and such.
- The location of the W is not ideal; you are away from everything. You can take a taxi to all tourist destinations, the hotel shuttle that runs every 30 minutes, or even walk about a 1/2 mile to the Austin street MTR train station (not recommended – the layout of the train station is confusing). During our stay at the W, we visited Temple Street, Nathan Road, and Tim Ho Wan, the world’s cheapest Michelin Star restaurant.
- The service and positives: The hotel is very “hip” and cool, featuring top-of-the-line technology and super comfortable beds. Service was excellent from all staff, and the rooftop pool was unbeatable in the smoldering Hong Kong heat. Another major positive is that directly under hotel is the Airport Express Kowloon station stop. We were able to check in for our flight and luggage was transported directly to airport from the Airport Express station.
- The negatives: There wasn’t any free breakfast, and the location not ideal for touring by foot.
Dining at Tim Ho Wan
As I previously stated in my trip challenge blog post, I am not an expert on Asian cuisine, so it’s fair to say that I was a little apprehensive as to what to expect food-wise. Luckily, during my trip research, I came across a blog post that inspired me to eat at the world’s cheapest Michelin Star restaurant.
First off, it was not easy finding the location. I repeatedly google-mapped the location, and the directions were down-right terrible. To top it off, no one seemed to know where the restaurant was when I asked for directions. Dispite the challenge so far, I was determined to find it, and I even came up with my own easy-to-follow “Dad” directions:
The best way to the restaurant is to walk down Nathan Road to Dundas Street. Then, make a left and go 4 blocks to Kwong Wa Street. Look for the restaurant with line of people waiting outside.
Once you are there, get a number and wait for your turn to be called. We picked up a menu, and everything was in Chinese, so I asked a young couple in front of us if they spoke English and if they would be kind enough to order for us. I showed them pictures of the food we wanted to eat taken from the original blog post and they kindly ordered for us by checking the appropriate boxes. After all that, we later found out that they actually have an English menu – you just need to ask for it.
We were seated quite quickly, in about 10 minutes, because we were there late on a weeknight; from what I’ve heard, it could be up to a two hour wait on busy weekends. The food was excellent; in the end, Marie and I had a full meal and free tea all for $68 Hong Kong dollars…or 8.76 USD…I love these hole-in-the-wall local restaurants…In all of my travels, those have always been the best value and best food.
Some tips:
- Try going at an off-peak hour and during the week for shorter wait times. Weekends can lead to 2 hour+ wait times in some instances.
- You’ll normally get a table faster if you’re in a small group (a party of two) or if you’re dining solo.
- Listen carefully for your number! If you miss your turn, well, you’re pretty much s*&t out of luck. You snooze, you lose!
- It might be a little tricky to find, but is totally worth it.
- They oped another restaurant in Hong Kong, but the one in Mongkok is the original is rumored to be better.
- Location: Tim Ho Wan, Tsui Yuen Mansion, 2-20 Kwong Wa St, Mongkok, Hong Kong
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