All in all it's not a bad way to travel, really… up at the sharp end of the plane. Two days after getting back from Indonesia it was back on another plane, this time on a Cathay Pacific trip to Hong Kong. Billecart-Salmon champagne certainly helps ease the ills of inter-continental travel, as does being treated like a human being!
Cathay is in the process of rolling out a new business class product which will offer fully-flat beds, but most exciting is what they have planned in the economy cabin which is, let's face it, where most of us do most of our flying.
They're completely redesigning the economy seat and will be the first airline to offer business-class-style hard-shell seats in economy. This means that when the over-sized guy in front of you whacks his seat back to make his belly fit, it won't intrude into your space, but will stay within its shell.
They've also done clever things to make flying more comfortable, like moving the magazine pouch away from your knees to under the seat, giving you a few extra centimetres of legroom. Can't wait to try it out. Check out www.cathaypacific.com to find out more.
Anyway, the trip was to check out the foodie delights of Hong Kong, which is far and away my favourite big city in Asia. With a sizeable expat population it's no surprise that you can get anything from McDonalds to Beluga caviar, but without doubt the best 'Hongers' (as the colonials would've called it) has to offer comes in packages a little more discreet.
Ever since my first visit to Hong Kong in 2006 dim sum has become one of my favourite foods; small steamed parcels containing anything from prawn, scallop and shark fin to barbecue pork.
You'll find dim sum anywhere in the city, but your best bet is to find a friendly local and ask them for a good local breakfast restaurant. Hong Kong apartments are so small it's easier for locals to eat out than cook at home, so you'll find people tucking in any time of the day.
Perhaps the best dim sum I found was at the Eaton Hotel, about halfway up Nathan Road in Mongkok. They have over 25 varieties of dim sum, and each is a work of art. It's not cheap though, with dishes ranging from HK$10-HK$45, but it's popular with tourists and locals. Bright lights, big tables and lots of dishes… just what a Cantonese restaurant should look like!
If you can't get to Hong, Kong Ping Pong in London does a passable 'bao' and is always on the itinerary when I'm in the UK, but I'm yet to find anywhere in Cape Town that does decent dim sum. If you know of somewhere that does I'd love to know where I can have that culinary itch scratched. Regardless, for the real deal Hong Kong is the business.
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