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H0les prism sunglasses in Hong Kong! Italian restaurant Nom, Linguini Fini, Check-In Taipei.

hong kong fashion blogger, blog

I’ll never get tired of writing about Hong Kong — I discover something new, every time I visit. The above image sums up the eccentric energy of the city, especially in the Central district. I was trying to take an outfit photo, but this dapper old Chinese man stole the show!

Read on for my favorite memories from HK: including food, fashion, lucky cats, and Miffy galore. 

cyber rave sunglasses, makeup

First, my outfit of the day. I’m looking out from the balcony of my suite at Hotel Sav in Kowloon. (Remember how I celebrated Chinese New Year with this new hotel?)

I adore my Black Milk leggings, which have an Art Nouveau print by my favorite artist: Alphonse Mucha. (You can also galaxy printed leggings from BlackMilk here.)

I’m also wearing wood sunglasses by Moat House Eyewear, and a blue coat by Alice’s Pig.

h0les prism crystal round sunglasses

And what are these prismatic marvels on my forehead! Round, trippy, kaleidoscope glasses from H0les Eyewear Lady Gaga and others are fans of these light-refracting sunglasses. I wore them as forehead goggles, since I can’t actually see clearly through them (everything shatters into a prism).

black milk leggings, street fashion

My cyber-kitty look fit with the colors and chaos of Hong Kong. In the Central district, be prepared to walk uphill and on uneven steps.

purple pink hair color

My Pirate crew and I had lunch at NOM, which stands for “Not Only Meatballs” (Address: 1-5 Elgin Street, Soho, Central, HK)

John Skeleton gives it five stars: “NOM lived up to its name by serving up one surprising twist on rustic Italian comfort food after another. ”

nom restaurant not only meatballs

Chef Fabrizio Napolitano told us that he wanted NOM to be the kind of place you go with family and close friends to enjoy an intimate atmosphere. With each dish, the chef personally came to our table to tell us about the story and inspiration behind each dish, including some of his own grandmother’s recipes.

red cocktail with herbs

“We tasted an array of cocktails, my personal favorite being a red beet whiskey concoction with hint of thyme.”

burrata cheese salad

I could have eaten five plates of NOM’s burrata (cheese) and tomato salad. What appears to be simple ingredients are chosen with the utmost care.

meatballs, central hong kong restaurant

The classic meatballs lived up to their name: nom, nom, nom! Chef Napolitano only purchases beef from family businesses in New Zealand and Australia, which take an ethical approach to raising livestock.

mini burger sliders

The sliders were also a hit, and a perfect example of how the chef brings modern interpretations to heritage flavors.

shredded coconut paleo dessert

We lapped up every bite of the caramelized banana/ginger/sesame seed dessert topped wdith goat milk gelato. I also adored the lemon tart, and ordered a second scoop of the cardamom gelato. (You can order this for yourself, at NOM in Central.)

homeless furniture store hong kong

We walked down the street to visit an interior design store, Homeless. Look who is peering from the window… Miffehhh!

miffy toys, homeless central

This lifestyle store sells a wide array of modern furniture, lights, home decor and gifts… Such as these fat-faced Miffy bunny toys.

cat ears hairstyle, holes sunglasses lady gaga

Their ears look a bit like my horns hairstyle, which is the work of Stephanie Hoy at Stratosphere Hair in Vancouver. (Can’t get enough of these prismatic H0les Sunglasses.)

miffy lamp, interior design store

John Skeleton ponders the Mr. Maria Miffy XL lamp. (Remember I have one in my room?)

hong kong modern furniture

The Netherlands lighting designer also has a smiling child and bear lamp, both carried in the HK Homeless store.

year of goat statue pmq

We continued our walk to PMQ, a constantly changing hub of artist studios and shops. (I wrote about PMQ in this post, with tons of photos from inside.)

heavy metal hand pose

Posing in front of the deconstructed, meat-like Year of the Goat statue.

year of sheep decorations

It was inspiring to see how artists created modern works that celebrated Chinese New Year. This one strings together gold origami to form a giant sheep.

pmq sheep bicycles

On the cute and weird side… There was a sheep-carousel that let children pedal tricycles in a circle.

elizabeth lau, refinery hong kong

We stopped by to see our designer friend Elizabeth Lau at The Refinery HK. (Remember we filmed at her shop last time?)

video games print dress

The Refinery always has something quirky on the racks, such as this Nelson Blackle dress with a retro video game motif.

check in taipei food

Time to eat again (that’s what locals do, in Hong Kong!) I was intrigued by Check-In Taipei, a new restaurant that takes inspiration from Taiwanese street food. (Address: G/F, 27 Hollywood Road, Central)

My Pirate team and I sampled the Chinese New Year “lucky menu”. We were impressed by the creative dishes, like purple yam mochi balls served on a Ping Pong platter. 

creative hong kong cocktails

John writes: “I have to admit that I wasn’t all that aware of what kinds of dishes defined Taiwanese cuisine, but after checking out of Check-In Taipei, I felt like I had taken a grand tour of the country’s finest. Everything is taken one step beyond to elevate each aspect of the dining experience. The pearls in the bubble tea are not just handmade every day, but they are also only kept for a few hours before being replaced in order to ensure that every single one has the right texture and consistency.”

modern taiwanese fusion restaurant

I enjoyed hearing the folktakes that inspired the “lucky” dishes. Braised Pork Nachos are mixed to symbolize success, pepper pig ears remind you to “listen and learn,” while barbeque prawns encourage you to “laugh out loud.”

John recommends the chicken and waffles, which is “elevated to haute cuisine here. The chicken is marinated in an array of spices, and pineapple chutney joins the waffle to create a satisfying combination of texture and flavor.”

tiramisu dessert cocktail, check-in taipei

Don’t leave without trying the “Tea-Ramisu” cocktail. John says, “The Taiwanese are apparently known for their hospitality, and Check-In Taipei certainly takes that to heart, as I left with a full stomach and a warm feeling that told me it wouldn’t be long before I checked in again.”

central hong kong stairs, graffiti

It’s a good thing that you walk a lot in Hong Kong… because we seem to eat nonstop here! As you probably gleamed by now, the hottest new restaurants are usually in the Central district.

(Photos by Naomiyaki, Eric Bergemann, Melissa Rundle and La Carmina.)

hong kong italian restaurant, linguini fini

We had a cozy meal together at Linguini Fini (49 Elgin Street, Central). John writes: “Home-style Italian cooking is the name of the game here, and judging by the packed seating and lively atmosphere that we experienced, it’s definitely a hit with the locals in Hong Kong.”

“Linguini Fini keeps it simple and casual, the perfect place to relax with a group of friends and share a few slices of mouthwatering brick-oven pizza and a bowl of pasta. The Radiatore alla Vodka was particularly memorable, with the vodka adding an unusual but surprisingly delicious touch to the mix of homemade pasta, ‘Nduja, mozzarella cheese, tomato, and basil.”

lucky waving cat gold statue

I’ll leave you with photos of “fortune cats” in Hong Kong. This one was guarding the back of our taxi.

maneki neko lucky cats

Manek nekos aren’t only popular in Japan. You’ll see them everywhere in Hong Kong, waving their paws to bring in luck.

hello kitty christmas lights

Hello Kitty is also huge in Hong Kong. Literally: this light display took up the front of a building.

big cat statue tsim sha tsui

Yet another “maoo maoo”, towering over pedestrians in Tsim Sha Tsui. Love the random-ness of HK.

steampunk clockwork nail art, chinese new year nails

I leave you with my two latest nail art designs, by Glam Nail Studio. Chinese New Year and sakura blossom nails, with my Scottish Fold cat raising his paw. Currently, I have steampunk Gothic nail art… in time for my trip to England and Iceland!

rupaul battle of seasons tour poster

And I just confirmed… I’ll be reporting from the RuPaul’s Battle of the Seasons extravaganza in Reykjavik! These all-star drag queens will be heating it up, in the land of ice. Can’t wait to cheer on my favorites like Sharon Needles and Bianca del Rio (who I saw in San Francisco).

You too can see the ladies in the UK, Iceland and Barcelona during their world tour, happening now. Join me and pick up tickets on the RuPaul BOTS World Tour site.

I’ll be interviewing the performers backstage — got questions for your favorite drag queen? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to keep track of my Iceland adventures on my Instagram @lacarmina.

SHARE & COMMENT

27 Comments

  1. Coolser
    Posted April 14, 2015 at 7:59 pm | Permalink

    I love this loook!!!

  2. chandy
    Posted April 14, 2015 at 8:00 pm | Permalink

    eeep! rupauls drag race, i so want to pack myself in your luggage.
    x.x

  3. Sharlene
    Posted April 14, 2015 at 8:00 pm | Permalink

    This is amazing! Nom nom nom nom

  4. Mistress Sarah
    Posted April 14, 2015 at 8:01 pm | Permalink

    Food
    Glorious
    Food.
    S

  5. Melissa Rundle
    Posted April 14, 2015 at 8:13 pm | Permalink

    That old man in the first photo is everything! Great post :) Such yummy memories <3

  6. anana
    Posted April 15, 2015 at 3:40 pm | Permalink

    This is fabulous fabulous fabulous

  7. GarageBand
    Posted April 15, 2015 at 3:41 pm | Permalink

    The hair style is cute on u.

  8. Vic
    Posted April 15, 2015 at 3:46 pm | Permalink

    Adorbs lacarmina.

  9. yukiro
    Posted April 15, 2015 at 4:43 pm | Permalink

    your fashion is smacking those drag queens all over~ love it so much!

  10. Aban
    Posted April 16, 2015 at 8:35 am | Permalink

    Atta girl
    Big hug

  11. Ai
    Posted April 17, 2015 at 12:21 pm | Permalink

    Haha the old man doesn’t look so happy

  12. Sand
    Posted April 18, 2015 at 10:34 am | Permalink

    Love the look

  13. Beauty Mark Lady
    Posted April 20, 2015 at 3:39 pm | Permalink

    In style:) !

  14. EMP
    Posted April 20, 2015 at 3:39 pm | Permalink

    Loving the jacket!

  15. sunny
    Posted April 20, 2015 at 3:39 pm | Permalink

    AWESOME!!!!!<3

  16. Claire
    Posted April 20, 2015 at 3:40 pm | Permalink

    This is perfection!!

  17. lana
    Posted April 20, 2015 at 4:35 pm | Permalink

    La Carmina always looks SO cool!!! This ones probably my favourite so far!

  18. lala
    Posted April 25, 2015 at 7:46 pm | Permalink

    recommend beautiful sunglasses http://ali.pub/dh4cy

  19. Mike McGregor
    Posted May 6, 2015 at 12:08 pm | Permalink

    Hi, we really love your blog! We’d like to see if you’d be interested in guest writing for our blog and possibly review our products on your blog? Check us out here at http://www.wellcoda.co.uk/ we’re a counter culture apparel store very young and trendy, give me an email at mike@wellcoda.co.uk and I can send you some of our clothes.

    If you need anything for competitions etc, just let me know and we can always send you things too!

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