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Happy Valley, Hong Kong

Hong Kong needs a break

December 25, 2021 by George Chen in Hong Kong, photography, Happy Valley

Title: Hong Kong needs a break
Camera: Nikon F4
Lens: Nikon AF 35-70mm f3.3-4.5
Film: Kodak ColorPlus 200

In the last month of 2021, I'm glad I was able to pick up a new skill, film photography. I bought a Nikon F4, the same model my dad used for his professional work more than three decades ago. I self-learned how to load a film and anything else.

I must confess film photography is a complicated process: you need to choose film, know the light and speed, and catch the moment. And just a gentle reminder -- you only have 36 (or 37 if you are lucky) chances to catch the moments for one roll, and you won't know how good or bad the moment is for you until you get your film developed in the dark room.

So why do we need to go back to the basics and go back to the complicated process as we already have our smartphone to snapshot anytime easily like never before? Maybe it's because you know you have the limited times (up to 36) to catch the moments, you have to stay more focused and determinated to make that moment(s) happen.

Film photography is all about being focused, calm, and perhaps also being bold sometimes. When you shoot film, it kind of gives you a moment of zen, a new perspective to seize the moment.

"A moment could never be complete in itself, since it belonged to a context of movement and mood, and only in this context had meaning; and moreover part of this context was the observer himself, interpreting the moment in the light of his own mind -- his own personality and knowledge," writes Richard Mason in his famous 1957 novel about Hong Kong, The World of Suzie Wong. That has been my favorite line to define the uniqueness of photography since I read Mason's book more than 15 years ago.

People love to talk about NFT these days. Actually I believe film photography shares the same concept of NFT. The famous Andy Warhol used to produce very limited edition of his photography work. That did help to push up the market price in every single art auction.

Each film has its own life, or "destiny" I should say. You can easily screw up one roll for whatever the reasons could be. Film also carries a sense of mystery because you only see your work when it is fully developed. That could be several days or even months later. Time and space are all relative when it comes to film photography and to the whole journey for one roll.

I happened to catch the moment of this 7-Eleven photo when I carried my Nikon F4 on way back home in Happy Valley. I didn't hesitate at all, as I knew that was the moment and this moment could mean something.

After I got the film developed -- Kodak ColorPlus 200, in fact my very first roll since I bought the F4 and began to shoot film just about a month ago -- the 7-Eleven photo naturally became my favorite moment of the full roll. I decided to title it "Hong Kong needs a break" as 7-Eleven represents our daily life. Btw, this particular 7-Eleven shop located at 15 Wong Nai Chung Rd in Happy Valley is actually the first 7-Eleven opened in Hong Kong in 1981 on the same location.

Every photo is your point of view, about the world, people and everything and every idea around you. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Nikon made F4 in 1988. I began to learn how to shoot film in 2021.

December 25, 2021 /George Chen
photography, street photography, Hong Kong, Nikon
Hong Kong, photography, Happy Valley
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The Private Kitchen in Happy Valley

September 12, 2021 by George Chen in Happy Valley, Hong Kong
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This is already my 4th month of living in Happy Valley and I keep exploring the happy and delicious neighbourhood.

You may know The Chairman (大班樓) in Central, which used to be one of my favourite local Cantonese restaurants. Unfortunately The Chairman suddenly became too famous for me to get a table (yes, you need to wait until Q1 2022) after it won the Michelin fame. Never mind. I found my new favourite, the Tasting Court (天一閣) in Happy Valley. The founder and chef of Tasting Court was one of the co-founders of The Chairman, hence my favourite crab steamed in 15-years Shaoxing Huadiao wine (十五年紹興花雕) is an iconic course at Tasting Court too.

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You have to make advanced booking for Tasting Court, which is more like a private kitchen than just another restaurant for the public. Tasting Court hides inside an ordinary apartment building on Wong Nai Chung Rd, facing the Racecourse. You probably will miss it when you walk by if you don’t pay enough attention to its small board showing the restaurant name. Low profile is its attitude.

Other signature dishes include fragrant chicken oil and flat rice noodles and smoked Chinese pork (aka cha siu), pomelo skin and jujube and coconut milk pudding and etc. In fact, you don’t need to remember those items. Everyday the restaurant has its own and the only menu for you. Just come, sit, and enjoy the food.

Address: 1/F, Bonny View House, 63-65 Wong Nai Chung Rd, Happy Valley

September 12, 2021 /George Chen
WhatGeorgeEats, Happy Valley, Hong Kong, 跑馬地, 香港
Happy Valley, Hong Kong

The Little Yakitori Place in Happy Valley

August 12, 2021 by George Chen in Happy Valley, Hong Kong
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Yakitori is a Japanese type of skewered chicken. Its preparation involves skewering the meat with kushi, a type of skewer typically made of steel, bamboo, or similar materials. Afterwards, they are grilled over a charcoal fire. From the name you tell, Yakitoritei is a restaurant that is good at making Japanese skewered chicken and also goes beyond just chicken.

This tiny shop, aka “燒鳥亭”, has been around in Happy Valley for a decade or so. It fills up quickly with diners, and with smoky barbecue aromas, making for a buzzing atmosphere. Sounds like a perfect place for just few friends to eat and chat? This also feels quite like the right sentiment of Happy Valley as a community.

The restaurant grills more than just chicken here, expect anything you can put on a skewer, from goose liver, to lamb chops and seafood to veggies. There’s a strong range of Japanese beers and sake to keep you lubricated while you chow down.

Address: G/F, 49-51 Sing Woo Road, Happy Valley

August 12, 2021 /George Chen
Happy Valley, 跑馬地, 香港, Hong Kong, WhatGeorgeEats
Happy Valley, Hong Kong

Shanghai-style Haircut: Today and Yesterday

August 08, 2021 by George Chen in Hong Kong, Happy Valley
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First haircut after I moved to Happy Valley, and of course I chose to go to the most locally famous one: the Shanghai Yangtze Barber Shop (上海揚子美髮廳), right around the corner of Sing Woo Rd and Wong Nai Chung Rd.

This Shanghai-style barber shop has been around for more half a century and its guests include business tycoons like David Li Kwok-Po (李國寶) of Bank of East Asia (東亞銀行) and movie star like Tony Leung (梁朝偉), who invited the Yangtze barbers to help to design his hairstyle for Wong Kar-wai’s (王家衛) classic movie “In the mood for love” (花樣年華).

Shanghai was the birthplace of professional modern hair salon in China, since the 1920s when Shanghai became the meeting point for Chinese and Western businesses. At the end of Chinese Civil War, which the Communist Party won, many rich Shanghai families migrated to Hong Kong and they also brought rich Shanghai culture and traditions (not to mention a lot of money) to the British colony in the 1950s, including Shanghai cuisine and Shanghai-style haircut.

Shanghai-style barber shops are now rare to find in Hong Kong. It is said only four or five authentic ones still remain in business including Yangtze in Happy Valley. The decline of the business is mostly due to technological development (while Shanghai barbers all love to do things manually by hands) and lack of interests from the younger generations of those barber shops to keep the old business.

Culture wise, the youth of Hong Kong has been influenced by K-pop and Japanese style in more recent decades, also reflecting in their fashion and hair style.

It’s lovely that I can exercise my Shanghai dialect again as I can chat nicely with my barber while having my hair cut smooth and clean. At one point, I almost fell asleep. “It’s good that you feel sleepy here because it shows your heart can settle down and have less worry at this moment,” said my barber.

Address: Shanghai Yangtze Barber Shop, 1/F, 29, Wong Nai Chung Rd, Happy Valley

August 08, 2021 /George Chen
Happy Valley, 跑馬地, Hong Kong, 香港
Hong Kong, Happy Valley
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Ask for Alonzo

July 17, 2021 by George Chen in Happy Valley, Hong Kong
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“Alonzo Milanese” schnitzel

“Alonzo Milanese” schnitzel

Ask for Alonzo is a modern trattoria in Hong Kong, serving dishes inspired by the Mediterranean provinces of Italy. The Italian hideouts have three locations, respectively in Quarry Bay, Tai Hang, and Happy Valley.

The Happy Valley branch is right at the Tram Terminus and you can just sit inside and watch all the trams (aka “ding ding”) and people moving around to get a vivid sense of daily life in Hong Kong.

The restaurant’s name comes after its founder and chef, who claims to be a big fan of home-cooking pasta which eventually led to the opening of his restaurant(s) in Hong Kong. I was there for lunch and the “Alonzo Milanese” schnitzel caught my attention more than its pasta.

My decision proved to be a great one and the only problem was the food portion there was quite big so I ended up packing the last piece (of total four) pork schnitzels home. That ultimately became my midnight snack. My gym trainer will hate me when he sees this post, I know.

I used to live in Central and we have a pretty nice restaurant in the neighborhood called Oolaa. The sentiment of Alonzo reminds me of Oolaa too. It feels like a good choice for brunch or just drinks.

When you have a glass of wine and see all the trams are moving around alongside the iconic racecourse in Happy Valley, you tell yourself: “Life in Hong Kong is not too bad!”

Address: Ask for Alonzo, G/F Hang Fung Mansion, 17-19 Wong Nai Chung Rd, Happy Valley

July 17, 2021 /George Chen
Hong Kong, Happy Valley, 香港, 跑馬地, WhatGeorgeEats
Happy Valley, Hong Kong
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