A newbie foodie guide to finding the best restaurant in Kowloon, Hong Kong

So you've just arrived in the pulsating country of Hong Kong. It's been a short or long flight and chances are you didn't like the food the airline served you for breakfast. You just exited the train from HKIA and you're in the throbbing unofficial capital of  Hongkong,Kowloon. You can't wait to roam around and shop for awesome finds but your starving already. You're now on the hunt for the best food for your first meal...

The good news is that finding good food this side of the world shouldn't pose a problem because there's just so many restaurants offering superior and world-class cuisine. Whether you fancy sushi, buckwheat noodles, a slappy high grade burger, or whatever delectable is in you mind, you will find it on the next block for sure. 

The bad news is that if you arrive early in Hong Kong, most restaurants won't open until noon. That's what happened to me during my last visit. I starved and waited for them restaurants to open. So, i managed to discover what other alternative places to check out when you're already crazy hungry.

A few hours with a growling tummy and a few bites of tasty bread from 7-11, and so i started hunting for those off the beaten, awesome restaurants. I am not a food connoisseur! But i guess, food in general is subjective. As long as i find the food ridiculously tasty, then i am writing it. I want to leave fancy critique to my other fellow bloggers like Chyng Reyes and Patti Mallari. I'll just take you here at PBJ on a walking tour around Kowloon, searching for food and more food.

Because backpackers will die of hunger if there's no 7-11!

For backpackers, 7-11 stores are a staple to find a go-to-meals for less. I've managed to drop by a few times to buy soda and crackers. Sometimes, when I'm too tired to scout for some more places to eat, I'll buy microwavable food here and just re-heat at the hotel. Some of the food they offer are forgettable like those beef curry strips but the clubhouse sandwich and pasta supreme are good value for your money. Prices aren't cheap but i've managed to buy discounted chips. Yes! You've read that right. Sometimes, if you buy one, you get the other for half the price. What i love about Hong Kong is that they serve Vitamin C water which is a perfect alternative to bad, bad soft drinks.

The story of the duck

A friend once told me for a globetrotter, i am quite the picky eater. I couldn't agree with him more. Firstly, i don't eat pork unless of course it's "siomai", "sisig" (google it), bad processed food like hotdogs and spams.  I don't eat peking duck. During my last visit to Hong Kong, i've narrowed down my list of top five best experiences and the duck isn't even included. Although i think i've tried it once for experience but it surely it isn't palatable to me. In Hong Kong, there's tons of food places where you can sample the best peking duck ,whether it is fried or broiled and served with rice or in a sandwich. Of course, i had to leave it to some people to experience that. 

While roaming around Tsim Sha Tsui, i was looking for a nice and affordable place to eat. It's my first big meal in Hong Kong and i want to make it special. It's been a long time since i last came to this country and i felt as if i was traveling for the first time. I had my favorites like the lunch to go at the basement of IFC mall and one of those quaint noodles shops in LKF. Other than that, my recommendations are pretty slim. 

My Captain, Old Captain!

And then i stumbled upon a restaurant named Old Captain's. It's not an authentic Chinese restaurant. It's actually a Chinese owned Vietnamese restaurant serving authentic Viet food with a fusion of Chinese and Continental delicacies. Prices are shown in the menu outside the restaurant so it's not intimidating. The food produce is fresh and cooked right when you order it. Those manning the restaurant are a friendly bunch who would make sure every customer is served well. All in all, i found myself making the most out of the money i spent, maybe even more. If there's one place to eat that i can really recommend in Hong Kong, it's this place. I ate there almost three times because the food was so good. Check out some pics i took, guys!

seafood fried rice

lemon chicken

fried spring rolls (it was so good, so unforgettable)

garlic shrimp

Food isn't necessarily cheap in Hong Kong. I know there's tons of other places where you can dine cheap but if you want to experience the real deal, you need to shed a few dollars i guess. It's a hit or miss, actually. I've eaten in a fancy restaurant and spent a grand total of $50USD for three people, and i can still taste how awful the food was. So the next day, it was time again for some Old Captain's food trip. While walking at night, the scent of jasmine and garlic being cooked in oil is enough to whet anyone's appetite. It sure did to me.  I've eaten in other restaurants during my stay but only Old Captain's made me write another food blog entry.

Now that I'm done eating, it's time to walk around errr... shop!

Old Captain's

G/F,Woon Lee Commercial Building,7-9 Austin Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong

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