While we were in Japan, we constantly saw Mos Burger and I asked Taro if the hamburgers in Japan are good. He commented yes, but at the same time, he had not tried a burger for over ten years. So of course I was curious to try it – Japan’s chain version of a fast food joint – but we just didn’t get a chance to since we were either constantly running around and having a meal with family or we were just stuffed beyond belief. I was sad that a burger was within my reach, but missed out on the opportunity…until we discovered that Hong Kong also had Mos Burger! We actually stumbled upon it the first night we were there at Mong Kok in a gigantic shopping plaza. I promised Taro that if we went all the way to the top and walked down, we could enjoy some burgers together.
Taro ordered the Fresh Burger while I decided to stick with the Mos Burger. The burgers have a very distinct taste, unlike any that I have tried before. There is definitely a Japanese twist to it, especially with what appeared to be bolognese sauce. The burger was satisfying, but smaller than a typical American burger. We almost considered getting another one, but decided that we should instead enjoy street food if we were hungry later.
It turned out we had Mos Burger again the next day just because the menu is pretty extensive. We were at Sha Tin this time and after hours of shopping, Taro just wanted the satisfaction of a burger. He ordered a Sakusaku Chicken Burger and initially, I wasn’t going to get anything until I saw a man eating an Unagi Rice Burger next to me. I love unagi so I just had to try it. There were pieces of unagi and seaweed sandwiched in between two rice “buns.” I have to admit, it was pretty tasty, resembling a giant rice ball. Taro described the Sakusaku Chicken Burger as light and crispy with a piece of dark chicken. If we are in Asia again anytime soon, we definitely will swing by Mos Burger to try a different burger.
Mos Burger has inspired Taro to think outside of the box when it comes to making hamburgers. Who knows what he may come up with at our next barbeque. But for now, we will miss Mos, Mos, Mos (the slogan I came up with).
Mos Burger (left) and Fresh Burger (right):
Unagi Rice Burger and Sakusaku Chicken Burger:
A sightseeing attraction that Taro had not seen before was the giant Tian Tan Buddha in Hong Kong. When I saw this with my mom a few years ago, I thought it was quite memorable. It is the world’s largest outdoor bronze Buddha, weighing over 250 tons. In order to reach it, you have to climb 268 stairs, which, in the middle of the summer when I came with my mom, is quite a trek up in immense humidity and sweat. Luckily, the weather was manageable and even cool when Taro and I visited it. The first time I came, I had to take a dreaded bus that went through the winds and turns of the mountainside. By the time I reached Po Lin Monastery, I was carsick and had no interest in the vegetarian lunch offered there. However, the cable car to Ngong Ping was finally fixed and this was the method we took to the village.
The cable car is such an easy ride – 25 minutes – and gives you a view of South China Sea, the city including Hong Kong International Airport, the mountainous terrain of Lantau Island, a view of the statue, and a 360 degree view of Ngong Ping Plateau. We chose to ride the crystal cabin cable car, which has a glass bottom. It wasn’t too bad when we were over water – since the bottom itself had a bluish tint – but once we were over land, I could feel my stomach drop a little bit. Luckily, it didn’t feel like we were too high, plus I was pretty distracted snapping away photos.
Ngong Ping Village has changed so much since I last visited. The shops are busier and there were more visitors and tourists in general. And despite it being foggy initially, it cleared up and we had a great view of the Tian Tan Buddha. In my opinion, it still is a magnificient sight to see, especially as you roll over the hilltops in the cable car and it just sits in the distance. The walk up the stairs was not as difficult this time – I wasn’t drenched in sweat – and we were able to enjoy the beauty, surroundings, and the serenity that the Buddha is suppose to invoke.
Afterward we headed over to Po Lin Monastery and this time, I was able to have the vegetarian lunch. To be honest, I had a vision of what this luncheon would include – the chanting of monks, sitting on the floor with a bowl and chopsticks, and a monk handing over a bowl of rice and me accepting it with two hands. Taro’s vision was that we would be under a canopy of green flora with a view of the hills. Sadly, neither one was true; instead, we were sitting in a restaurant. However, there was an abundance of food (photography was not allowed) and we enjoyed soup, tofu, bok choy, and other vegetables.
Even though it was my second time visiting, it was a great experience sharing a first time Buddha visit with Taro. And this time around, I had a camera that could handle the magnitude of the Tian Tan Buddha.
The view of the Buddha, covered in a layer of fog, from the cable car:
There were a couple fascinating things in Ngong Ping Village. First, everyone was buying cotton candy because they were swirled so large that it was bigger than your head! Second, Taro saw a monk sitting/meditating outside a coffee shop. I love the photo.
Po Lin Monastery:
A part of our trip to Japan included three nights in Hong Kong. I strictly wanted to go for one thing: shopping. There is an abundance of stores, shopping plazas, and clothes, clothes, clothes! The prices are beyond reasonable and the fashion is ahead of the United States. Before our trip even began, I had a gut feeling that I would catch the shopping at a prime time: the markdown of Winter clothes, the new styles for Spring/Summer. So the minute we landed in Hong Kong and dropped our luggage at the hotel, The Salisbury YMCA of Hong Kong (which is, by the way, a great place to stay at because it is centrally located and the rooms are gigantic), the shopping frenzy began. I warned Taro ahead of time to mentally and physically prepare for this; the malls don’t close until 10:30-11 p.m. and the street stores are usually open until midnight. With only three days, it was going to be intense shopping. Regardless, the warning was not enough to prepare Taro. His feet were sore, he looked tired, and he gave me the I can’t believe you’re still shopping crazy look. Despite that, I have to give him credit that he came up with the brilliant idea to carry a backpack to the shopping plazas in order to bring all of the clothes back to our hotel…in addition to carrying the bags.
I shopped my heart out in Hong Kong, but we also enjoyed great food, the sights, a foot massage (I warned Taro that it would hurt since it was his first time. Boy, did he cringe!) and back massage – the woman walked on our backs and cracked our necks which was so scary! – and the busy lifestyle of Hong Kong. I love visiting Hong Kong, but after this trip, I don’t know if Taro would ever want to go with me again. It’s okay, though; my mom thinks that we should go back together and bring Vivian with us. Then we can really shop our hearts out.
I love public transportation, the MTR, in Hong Kong because it is so efficient. I took the picture on the left when it wasn’t crowded on the subway. In addition, the buildings in Hong Kong are just immense and Taro captured it well in the photo of the building. I love that you can see a reflection of another building in the photo!
Bright lights, big city. Hong Kong never seems to sleep:
Taro brought with him a pair of old shoes to Japan/Hong Kong. However, with the amount of walking we did in Japan and Hong Kong, his shoes were just not good enough. Luckily, I bought him a pair of new shoes and that revived his feet. However, you can see the exhaustion on his face after a long day of shopping!
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