It’s actually over a month since Scott and I were in Japan and Hong Kong, and we’ve both been reflecting on the trip as we’ve done photo reviews with friends and family.
There were a few things I wanted to write about but didn’t get a chance to, or I missed them in my blog entries.
2015 is actually shaping up to be the year of Asia. I knew prior to going to Japan and Hong Kong that I may be headed to the Philippines and/or India for a work project. We’ll see if it happens.
Weight-wise I maintained my weight over the trip. However, it seems that after my weight went up 6lbs to 253lbs, mostly water weight! 11lbs up since my low of 242lbs. I’m back focused on the diet and also back swimming three times a week. This feels good and I can already see the results of the loss.
Hong Kong
For our first dinner in Hong Kong, Scott and I had asked the concierge at the hotel, “We want something that is definitely local, and good to eat, where should we go” and he point us to this place that had a bit of a diner feel and the food seemed mostly western but with some Chinese and pan-Asian dishes.
The restaurant was Tsui Wah. Tsui Wah is actually quite the institution in Hong Kong and is probably one of *the* places one can go to for something truly from Hong Kong. As some people say, this is *the* place for original fusion food. What do I mean?
Bring a bunch of cultures together, mash their food together and you get fusion. You see it a lot in Canada with all the various ethnicities that exist here in Canada. Case in point: Chicken Balls. Nowhere in China, in Hong Kong or anywhere other than Canada and maybe the US will you see Chicken Balls. They’re standard fare here in Canada. The merging of two cultures.
As the linked article states: “…With a menu that was broader than your average cha chaan teng, Tsui Wah could offer everything from condensed milk buns to fried noodles to Swiss-style chicken wings or an admittedly superb Malaysian chicken curry…”
And it does! This is a Hong Kong icon, and we really didn’t know it. I’d like to go back and give other items on the menu a try.
That is how we feel about Hong Kong. We kind of got one feel for it, but I’m not sure it’s the right impression. We really want to go back and experience the “real” Hong Kong, away from the gold, expensive watches, etc… And that would have taken probably another two days.
Diet Pop in Japan and Hong Kong
I do drink a lot of diet pop, it’s how I’ve been able to maintain my svelte figure over the years. Seriously though, I don’t drink sugared pop, so what do you drink in Asia where they don’t drink a lot of diet pop?
Firstly, unsweetened green tea is found everywhere, in pop machines, as is bottled water. So there’s one answer.
It seems Coke Zero is readily available in both Japan and Hong Kong. Coke Light was the diet variant available in Korea. Also, Pepsi does have Pepsi Strong Zero available in Japan, and I think in Hong Kong.
Coke Zero in Japan is pretty tasteless relative to the variants in Canada and Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s seemed to taste light yet still tasty versus Canada’s.
Once again, I preferred the Pepsi offering – Pepsi Strong Zero. It had a much better flavour – better than Coke Zero and Diet Pepsi in Canada. It’s new as of June 2015 and it does have more caffeine.
So there are offerings, but keep in mind the tea will probably be more healthier than the diet pop. It’s nice seeing these options.
Crosswalks in Japan
It’s true. Nobody walks against the lights, although there were a few times where I did see a rogue Japanese person do so. May they hang their head in shame.
