Recommendations for Dining And Shopping in Hong Kong
- Thread starter steve williams
- Start date
I've been going to Hk since I was 6 and visit at least once a year. I would have loved to join you guys for the show but my eldest son is leaving for the US on Tuesday and my younger has school. I was there last weekend though and witnessed the full fury of the typhoon, actually left the comfort of my hotel and went by the waterfront.
Hk is audiophile heaven. Every conceivable brand from every part of this earth from the cheapest to the bank breaking models can be seen and heard. Audiophile dealers are bunched together in office buildings so you just hop from one floor to the other. A favourite haunt of mine is this place called WS electronics at shamshuipo, about 2 subway stops from Mongkok. DIYER's heaven, Mundorf, Dueland, Vishay, Mills, Clarity, etc, of all values, not to mention Furutech, Cardas etc etc and all types of hookup and raw cables and silver solder to put them all together all available just like in a supermarket. Oh, isolation racks and feet of made of materials found in the periodic table of elements. It's like Parts Express but the items are you for the picking in the flesh. Forget the language barrier, all the plastic bins are labelled and if you can't communicate orally, just write down what you need. Ever wonder how the neodymium magnets inside your 20k carts look in the flesh? Just outside the store a sidewalk vendor who is shirtless this time of the year sells these magnets in all shapes and sizes, and he tells you not to touch them cuz if you grab one and stick it to the metal tube that holds up his makeshift stall, good luck prying it loose.
For software, my favourites are Beat Records and WinWin in Mongkok. Music files? Locals love physical media and you'll find one and the same album in a gazillion formats, plain Jane cd, lpcd, sacd, xrcd, vinyl pressed by analog productions, ORG and other cheaper alternatives, not to mention albums of local pop artists available in all these formats. And just like in the defunct tower records,choice albums can be listened to in those cd machines thru decent headphones.
Food? The locals don't throw away any part of the poor creature, from the brain down to the feet, fried, stewed, steamed etc etc. I agree Spring Deer has the best Peking duck but as you gorge the fatty skin roasted in more grease and fat oil, you literally feel your arteries clogging every time you swallow the oh so luscious, succulent and crispy skin.
I've been to the Munich show and for me, the local show is a damned worthy alternative. I'd really love to be with you guys but family matters had me there a week early which led to an 8 hour delay for the flight back home due to the typhoon.
Enjoy and hope to get together with you guys here in Manila. Except for the hot and humid weather this time of the year, you'll have a ball and more!
Hk is audiophile heaven. Every conceivable brand from every part of this earth from the cheapest to the bank breaking models can be seen and heard. Audiophile dealers are bunched together in office buildings so you just hop from one floor to the other. A favourite haunt of mine is this place called WS electronics at shamshuipo, about 2 subway stops from Mongkok. DIYER's heaven, Mundorf, Dueland, Vishay, Mills, Clarity, etc, of all values, not to mention Furutech, Cardas etc etc and all types of hookup and raw cables and silver solder to put them all together all available just like in a supermarket. Oh, isolation racks and feet of made of materials found in the periodic table of elements. It's like Parts Express but the items are you for the picking in the flesh. Forget the language barrier, all the plastic bins are labelled and if you can't communicate orally, just write down what you need. Ever wonder how the neodymium magnets inside your 20k carts look in the flesh? Just outside the store a sidewalk vendor who is shirtless this time of the year sells these magnets in all shapes and sizes, and he tells you not to touch them cuz if you grab one and stick it to the metal tube that holds up his makeshift stall, good luck prying it loose.
For software, my favourites are Beat Records and WinWin in Mongkok. Music files? Locals love physical media and you'll find one and the same album in a gazillion formats, plain Jane cd, lpcd, sacd, xrcd, vinyl pressed by analog productions, ORG and other cheaper alternatives, not to mention albums of local pop artists available in all these formats. And just like in the defunct tower records,choice albums can be listened to in those cd machines thru decent headphones.
Food? The locals don't throw away any part of the poor creature, from the brain down to the feet, fried, stewed, steamed etc etc. I agree Spring Deer has the best Peking duck but as you gorge the fatty skin roasted in more grease and fat oil, you literally feel your arteries clogging every time you swallow the oh so luscious, succulent and crispy skin.
I've been to the Munich show and for me, the local show is a damned worthy alternative. I'd really love to be with you guys but family matters had me there a week early which led to an 8 hour delay for the flight back home due to the typhoon.
Enjoy and hope to get together with you guys here in Manila. Except for the hot and humid weather this time of the year, you'll have a ball and more!
Same here Steve, with all that I've said, I've not heard anything in HK that even comes close to Jack's system, much less the Emperor's new quad towers! There will be tons of software available at the show but unless things have changed, still no Open Reel tapes. But lots of European pressings of artists whose albums are NOT available in the US. Get a copy of Pearl Diver of David Roth on Stockfish records, great LP. Have fun and keep hydrated!
Just saw this, Bob - fabulous shot in the first photo you posted, I likee ...Good read about good food in Hong Kong.
________
Steve, you have been called out here
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...ilder-Restorer&p=406274&viewfull=1#post406274
"Isnt our fearless leader and founder of WBF in Hong Kong now? I think there is a whole thread dedicated to all the restaurants and shops he is going to be seeing! Steve - if you are watching this, please chime in even if you cannot make [yet another] stop on your action-packed vacation."
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...ilder-Restorer&p=406274&viewfull=1#post406274
"Isnt our fearless leader and founder of WBF in Hong Kong now? I think there is a whole thread dedicated to all the restaurants and shops he is going to be seeing! Steve - if you are watching this, please chime in even if you cannot make [yet another] stop on your action-packed vacation."
I'm here
Just got back from an incredible day at this show. Probably some of the most exotic speakers and components that I have ever seen This show is packed with people and completely unlike anything I have attended in the USA
So many things to talk about but just no time as of yet. I have taken many many photos so stay tuned
Had Dim Sum with everyone for lunch today and it was nothing like the Chinese food we get at home
So far for me the highlight of the show was meeting Nishikawa San and having him demo his new Tech Das Premium which is due to launch in a few months. He had the SAT tonearm in Titanium along with a titanium arm mount and his new Titanium platter. His other arm was a new SME also in Titanium. The cartridge was the Tech Das titanium. The controller for the turntable is now only one box and has automatic leveling
The sound was spectacular and beyond anything I have heard before It was at a level beyond the beyondo
Sadly Gary Koh who was also in the same room didn't have enough room power to power his speakers without causing drop outs with the DarTzeel. Lloyd Walker was also here demoing his new TT and I must say that it sounded terrific.
As for the Tech Das Premium Nishikawa told me they will be rolling out an upgrade program for existing Tech Das AF1 owners and the upgrade can be all or part of the Supreme. Visually the Premium is far nicer looking than the AF1 which isn't too shabby to begin with
Just got back from an incredible day at this show. Probably some of the most exotic speakers and components that I have ever seen This show is packed with people and completely unlike anything I have attended in the USA
So many things to talk about but just no time as of yet. I have taken many many photos so stay tuned
Had Dim Sum with everyone for lunch today and it was nothing like the Chinese food we get at home
So far for me the highlight of the show was meeting Nishikawa San and having him demo his new Tech Das Premium which is due to launch in a few months. He had the SAT tonearm in Titanium along with a titanium arm mount and his new Titanium platter. His other arm was a new SME also in Titanium. The cartridge was the Tech Das titanium. The controller for the turntable is now only one box and has automatic leveling
The sound was spectacular and beyond anything I have heard before It was at a level beyond the beyondo
Sadly Gary Koh who was also in the same room didn't have enough room power to power his speakers without causing drop outs with the DarTzeel. Lloyd Walker was also here demoing his new TT and I must say that it sounded terrific.
As for the Tech Das Premium Nishikawa told me they will be rolling out an upgrade program for existing Tech Das AF1 owners and the upgrade can be all or part of the Supreme. Visually the Premium is far nicer looking than the AF1 which isn't too shabby to begin with
They were a pair of Swiss speakers whose name now escapes me. Pretty impressive and they took in peaks of 3500 watts from the Ch Precision amps!!! The amps are awesome.
garylkoh
WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Just got back from a day trip to Macau. Took a hydrofoil across in a 40 minute ride and before we knew it we were at an old Portuguese town where we had Portuguese egg tarts and Jerky like I've never tasted before. Toured the museum there and then a short taxi drive and we were in The Venetian Hotel for a marvelous Sushi lunch followed by some shopping on the Grand Canal. It was like being in Las Vegas only these hotels are bigger than the ones in Las Vegas. Macao rocks
Steve, did you win some in the slot machine? I always put a few and run if I win. lol
I knew you'd love Macau, we rode the gondola so I don't have to bring the kids to Venice.
I'm convinced the Venetian in Macau is larger than the one in Las Vegas. The casino was packed, unlike the casinos in Las Vegas
Great stuff. Was this portugese jerky or what they call 'bak kwa' which is a slightly] soy-flavored jerky?
Not sure Lloyd except it was all flavors and meats and much fresher than what we buy in the USA. As to its name Lloyd I am not certain
Thanks Lloyd. I have to admit that I wasn't expecting to see what I did. What a thriving bustling economy. Macau likewise was every bit as exciting for me as was Hong Kong. High fashion, haute couture, high end audio along with one mega car after another in the road in a city where you have to be crazy to drive. Designer shops one after another and new construction going on everywhere. We leave tomorrow evening for Manila. It is my intent to blog about this whole trip when I get home as well as posting highlights on the audio show.
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