Get ready to enjoy a feast for the senses in Hong Kong on Champions Day

FOR racegoers travelling to Hong Kong for FWD Champions Day, or at any other time of the year, there is plenty of time to take in the local culture and cuisine between the twice-weekly race meetings at Sha Tin and Happy Valley. Even so, with so much to experience, the only difficulty will be cramming it all in.

Where to eat

For breakfast, you can’t go wrong with either Plumcot or Bakehouse. Both specialise in baked goods and both typically see long queues snaking down the road due to high demand, so make sure to get there early. Bakehouse also does brunch – think French toast, braised pork benedict, chilli eggs and a sensational skirt steak with chimichurri.

On to lunch, and Alice Pizza won’t disappoint. It may seem odd to travel all the way to Hong Kong just to order a pizza, but the square-shaped Teglia Romana pies here are worth it. All the usual offerings are available, as well as prawns, smoked salmon and speck, but the diavola topped with spicy salami should be your go-to.

If you’re more in the mood for Chinese food, head to Tim Ho Wan. Hong Kong has close to 100 Michelin-starred restaurants – more than any other city in China – but none are cheaper than this dim sum spot. Order their world-famous pork and shrimp dumplings and baked barbecue pork buns, both miraculously under £5, and engage in the Cantonese tradition of ‘yum cha’, meaning to eat dim sum while sipping tea.

Finally, dinner. Naturally, you’re spoilt for choice, but one place stands out for its food, service and location. Just outside the prison walls of Tai Kwun, a former colonial prison turned spacious cultural centre, lies 1862 bar de Tapas y Vino. In an area stacked with Italian, Chinese and Sushi spots, this quiet tapas restaurant is arguably the best of them all.

Perhaps riffing on the jailhouse’s renovation, the compact menu turns the simple into the sublime. Corn on the cob is covered in a blanket of parmesan and salsa, cheese on toast becomes honey-drizzled Manchego on toasted bread and the humble steak is transformed into a buttery ribeye with outrageously good fried onions. But best of them all is the grilled octopus with potato wedges, chilli sauce and mojo verde – worth twice as much for half the price.

The speedy service and friendly staff are the icing on the cake, with the cherry following right behind if you’re wise enough to order dessert. Pick of the bunch is the hefty almond tart towering over a dollop of almond pastry cream. Flavourful but surprisingly light, it’s a perfect end to the meal.

For all its amazing restaurants, Hong Kong remains a city where you can eat like a prince on a pauper’s budget. Unlike so many other great cities, it’s still reasonably easy to find hidden gems here. If you’re feeling adventurous (or just feeling the squeeze), the mainland’s Chungking Mansions has some of the best Indian, Malaysian and West African dishes in the area, often for under £10.

For more traditional Cantonese specialities, make sure to visit a dai pai dong. These open-air, streetside food stalls are stacked with history and flavour and can be even cheaper than Chungking Mansions. Sing Heung Yuen’s signature tomato noodle soup and the Haiphong Road Temporary Cooked Food Hawker Bazaar’s Hong Kong-style pork and beef balls are highly recommended.

Finally, there are the genuine hole-in-the-wall spots, where front of house mingles with the kitchen and pantry and there’s not a seat in sight. Pick of the bunch is Som Tum Thai in Wan Chai. Flash £5 and you’ll be met with red-hot pork with chilli, basil leaves and rice to be eaten on the move.

What to see and do

Peak rush hour on the tram to the top of Victoria PeakCredit: HONG KONG TOURISM BOARD

Victoria Peak and Sky Terrace
The term ‘must-visit’ gets thrown around a lot, especially in a city as exciting and varied as Hong Kong, but in this case it’s absolutely true. You can hike to the top of the peak but more interesting is the Peak Tram, the city’s oldest mode of public transport, which scales the summit at a laughably steep angle. Hop off and pay extra for the observation deck, as this provides quite possibly the best view in Hong Kong, especially at dusk and into the night. But remember, this is the definition of the beaten track. The whole world and his Pekingese have heard about Victoria Peak, so expect some queueing in the build-up and even more once outside. That perfect spot at the front will eventually open up though, after which you’ll hardly remember the wait.

Nan Lian Gardens
Nowhere sums up Hong Kong better than this horticultural hotspot. The beautiful Chinese gardens wouldn’t look out of place in the ancient Tang dynasty, yet are found in the heart of a metropolis with skyscrapers looming above you at every turn. Dominated by a golden pagoda which is impossible to photograph poorly, the garden is packed with lush greenery, water features and hidden alcoves, not to mention a rock garden, music box exhibition, tea room and vegetarian restaurant. If that wasn’t enough, it’s all connected to the Chi Lin Nunnery, a Buddhist temple complex made almost entirely out of wood.

Ngong Ping village, Tian Tan Buddha Statue, Tai O fishing village
As distant as it looks on a map, getting to Ngong Ping is surprisingly easy. Take the Tung Chung line (orange one) from Hong Kong Station to Tung Chung, then ignore anyone who doesn’t recommend the glass-floored cable car for the final leg. Of course it’s more expensive, but you can’t put a price on being 1,300 feet up in the air and peering straight down on the forest below. Look up and you’ll quickly catch sight of the Tian Tan Buddha statue in the distance.

Half an hour later and you’ve reached your destination. Wander through the picturesque little village – Da Dolce Gelato Italiano do some wonderfully fresh lychee ice cream – and you’ll eventually reach the Po Lin Monastery and the Big Buddha himself. Despite being mobbed with tourists even in the quiet months, both promise serenity compared to the hustle and bustle present in much of Hong Kong.

While you’re on Lantau Island, you’d be remiss not to take a short coach trip over to Tai O.

This is a small fishing village on the west coast where many locals still live in stilt houses perched above the water. Seafood is, unsurprisingly, the name of the game here, with shrimp paste driving much of the interest. For the curious traveller, head to Cheung Choi Kee and order their special ‘husband roll’, so named after the literal Cantonese sounds of ‘shrimp, pork and roll’.

When you’ve had your fill and wandered along the waterfront, take a boat out into deeper waters to try to catch a glimpse of China’s elusive white dolphins.

Happy Valley

Runners race towards the home bend in a 1,650m race at Happy Valley Credit: Edward Whitaker

What’s a trip to Hong Kong without Happy Wednesdays? No tourist should find out, especially as it’s barely £1 to watch some of the most exciting races Asia has to offer. It may not match the grandeur of Sha Tin with its Group 1 masterclasses, but nothing compares to being part of that boisterous crowd as the jockeys round the final corner and explode up the final stretch. If your bets come in, there are bars and eateries to enjoy. If not, there’s always the in-house McDonald’s.

Hiking
In a city with more than 550 skyscrapers (comfortably the most in the world) it’s easy to forget that 75 per cent of Hong Kong’s land is kept for natural spaces. And with temperatures hovering in the 20s for most of the year, this makes it ideal for long, rambling walks through the countryside. Each of the established hikes offers something unique – wildlife and rare fauna on the Eagle’s Nest Nature Trail, golden beaches on Dragon’s Back Hike and even the challenge of 1,000 steps on the Twin Peaks Hike.

Macau
Hong Kong’s huge variety can satisfy even the busiest tourists for weeks, but there are still plenty of options outside the city’s walls. One hour across the bay by boat and you’ll find another former European settlement,  Macau. Famed for its gambling and gaudiness, this region was influenced by the Portuguese rather than the British, giving it more of a Mediterranean feel. You won’t find a Pret, but you will be treated to some of the best salt cod, pork chop buns and pasteis de natas this side of the Pyrenees. Ironically, you’ll also find Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower and a host of Venetian canals, all replicated beautifully by the casino resorts. Be sure to also visit the ruins of St Paul’s, the stone battlements of Monte Fort, the Grand Lisboa Hotel, Taipa Village and Macau Tower, from where the real thrill-seekers can bungee jump off the 61st floor.