Shopping experience…read more.. Retail therapy is my best relief and here in Hong Kong's Fa Yuen Street Market it definitely was something that I'm so glad to have visited. Nadine and so proudly figured out to navigate our way to this huge area that seem to have the dedicated space for this market which took the whole street. Walking through as I browsed each vendor there seem to be the same of many items which made me confused if it was the same seller or different though some of the prices and various other items differ I wasn't the greatest at bargaining though it was easier if it was just out of curiosity versus a want it was really fun looking through the various items with everything from household to electronics, towels and plushies. Taking the train was definitely fun and easy just find your way to Log Kok Station and there are signs to guide you the way...happy shopping! Thank you!

Fa Yuen Street is another "Night Market" shopping experience…read more The street is blocked off from vehicular traffic and both sides of the street are lined with vendors that block the regular brick and mortar shops along the way. That means there's four rows of shopping! The outdoor ambiance was fine for an October day. The sky was a bit overcast, so we were not burning in the heat. Some stalls weren't set up by noon, but most were open. Vendors didn't bargain much since prices were quite reasonable. Example: I got a pair of socks for 10 HK$ while I got another pair for 12 HK$ at a different place yesterday. Yeah, it's only a few cents difference, but hey... it's the principle. Fa Yuen Street had more fruits, towels, and household goods as compared with the Ladies Market. I saw pillows, curtains, chair covers, blankets, and scissors here. Other merchandise included luggage, purses, tote bags, reusable bags, Thai-style clothing, umbrellas, sunglasses, socks, underwear, and more! For us, it was worth the trek over. We got off at the Mong Kok Station... same one we used for the Ladies Market!

Koi Kei has set the bar on pineapple cakes for me. I am ruined for the rest of my life until I can…read moremake my way back to their shops. You can find the shops in Hong Kong but the prices are more expensive than getting it direct from Macau. There are multiple stores in Macau and from what I could tell, the prices were the same even if you were closer to the ferry. There are boxes of cookie, jerky, etc samples throughout the store and the employees are typically a little pushy to get you in and looking around. I think it's because that's half the battle. Once you're in and you try a sample, you'll walk out with full yellow bags of goodies! Highly recommend: Walnut and peanut brittle which was very light and crunchy vs the American version that feels like you're going to break your teeth! At $15 USD for a generous size box and gorgeous packaging, it was a great souvenir. We got packaged jerky instead of the fresh jerky that you can buy by the pound. The employee said it was the same but the packaged ones come in little 2" sealed chunks. Instructions say to heat it up prior to eating which resulted in a smoky microwave and super hot napalm covered jerky. Pineapple cakes: get the big box. Tender and almost crumbly cake / cookie outside and pineapple filling; you can see the chunks of fruit! Absolute perfection. Shortbread cookies: comes in multiple flavors. My son loved the chocolate chip the best. Some of the packaging at Kee Wah looks similar to Koi Kei but they are not the same. Both are good but Koi Kei is top notch. Can't wait to visit again!

Koi Kei is famous in Hong Kong and Macau. Its originated from Macau and is Macau number one selling…read moresouvenir. They are famous for their peanut candy. One thing I do not understand is that the items in the HK Koi Kei is way more expensive than the Macau Koi Kei. I suggest you get it at Macau. Also the Macau Koi Kei is crazy packed full of people and HK Koi Kei is very quiet. I mean of course if you do not want to travel to Macau then you might as well get it here. I do enjoy their products!

I like the concept, but it leaves me a little bit unsatisfied (story of my life..?)…read more 852 - the country code for international calls to Hong Kong (not zip code though, we don't have one), and also the way the younger generation like to refer themselves as, sells gifts depict in old, local, "hongkie" feel that's in the collective memory of Hong Kong people. Oh and they make the gift practically usable too. For the old school letterboxes, they changed them to a bag; for dim sum, they changed them to sponge; for the traditional bamboo theatres, they changed them to photo frames... so on. Some of the design may carry more meanings than others. The pet bags are designed as public transportation (taxicab, bus, train), as pets are often unwelcome guests on board. Or the deck of Cantonese words playing cards, where you can actually learn some useful phrases you cannot otherwise learn from a "formal" Canto lesson. I still have some mixed feelings about the shop. It brings you good laugh, but never able to actually buy something that's suitable as gift. Once I asked if they had something as simple as postcards (as in, the old, local, "hongkie" moments instead of the overused harbor view), and I got a very plain no for answer. Some of the designs are really good, but only for a certain age group. More like inside jokes for the '70s and '80s, but they lose the value once you HAVE to explain the reference. That's another reason I have been hesitate to buy anything just yet. Nevertheless, it has one of the best locations in PMQ and no doubt people will find it very interesting and do a lot of window shopping. One day I'll find some new products that I may actually like and buy.

BEST. GIFT STORE. EVER. Located inside the HK Convention Centre in Wan chai, this is a place for…read moretourist AND locals alike. It is a really big stores filled with really interesting design goods. I know there are quite a few design shops around town but what I really like about this is that a lot of the goods they sell here, aside from the fact that they are brilliantly designed, they are mainly local designers.. actually I think all of the designers are local. The shop has a good variety of products, from kitchen to stationary to jewellery and more. I personally really like the jewellery selection. They are all locally made, not exuberently over priced but good quality and a few of the brands they sell, i believe make one-of-a-kind pieces. Another section I like is where they have all the cute useful electronic goods, like the really cute usb sticks, embellished headphones, and other electronic accessories. I have bought gifts here for people who were visiting or when I went back home. This is THE place to look for good souvenirs. I even brought my tourist friends here and they went insane shopping for things to bring home. The store is really big, not all of the products are relevant and not every single piece is a gem but in general, I think the quality of products they sell here is above average in terms of gifts and souvenirs.

If you want to impress your friends aboard with truly local snack, this is THE place…read more Wong Wing Kee has been around for more than a century, owned by Wong's four generation of family, but the shop here in Sheung Wan looks very classy, neat and clean. The staff here are super friendly, and that is something you will be kinda of surprised to see in HK. They will offer you free sample to try, and there you can tell the difference between their products and others' - strong flavour but not overly sweet or salty. For expats, here is some good news. All products are labelled in their English translation too. I'd never know 腐乳 is preserved bean curd, but here you go. They have almost every local snack you can name, 話梅、陳皮、冬薑、焗蓮子、山楂餅、加應子 (hey, come to the shop and look for the translation yourself...), but also flower flavoured tea bags. Extra bonus if you want to post the snack aboard - they can advise you which snack you can import to US and which you cannot. Very handy advice as I had absolutely zero ideas. If you look carefully in the shop, you can also see a photo of the owner with Prince Charles. Kinda of a big deal you wouldn't expect from a very local shop just sitting around the corner in Sheung Wan!