Hong Kong has the most efficient flight check-in process that I've ever experienced. They let you check bags and get your boarding pass at selected MTR subway stations on the day of travel, which means you can squeeze in some last-minute sightseeing, shopping -- or in our case, eating -- without needing to drag your luggage around or tip a bellhop to watch over them before heading to the airport. We took full advantage of this service by dropping off our bags and securing our boarding passes at the airline counters at Kowloon Station and heading into Hong Kong Island for lunch at Asian Twist at IFC Mall -- which featured a Singaporean menu; yay, laksa! -- before catching the Airport Express to HK International Airport on Lantau Island. Coincidentally, as a perfect precursor to the next leg of our Asia Trip 2012 tour, the train ride included a video of Japanese Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto sharing tips on how to properly eat nigiri sushi:
1. Do not mix wasabi in soy sauce. The wasabi that the chef places on the sushi should be sufficient, requiring at most a quick dip in soy sauce; otherwise, the extra wasabi should be added directly on the sushi and then dipped in the soy sauce.
2. Use fresh, not powdered wasabi. Fresh wasabi isn't as potent and allows more of the natural fish taste to come through.
3. Expect to use more wasabi on fattier fish. (Didn't catch the reason behind this one.)
After a smooth 4-hour flight via Taipei to Fukuoka, Japan, we went through an elaborate immigration process that required scans of both index fingers and a mug shot. We were relieved to finally emerge from customs almost an hour later to see BT and NW's familiar faces. We headed to BT's apartment via the Kuko then Nanakuma subway lines, then on foot through a quiet neighborhood where we sheepishly grimaced at each bump that our rattling roller bag encountered. We ended this day with a tasty midnight snack of tonkatsu (breaded deep-fried pork cutlet) over rice and then turned in for the night with peaceful smiles on our faces.
Monday, April 9, 2012
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1 comment:
thank goodness Brian was there... there's no way we would have found our way without him. -a
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