Enjoy a UnionPay Summer in Hong Kong

This Summer, UnionPay is collaborating with key merchant partners in Hong Kong so that cardholders can enjoy benefits and privileges while visiting Hong Kong.  I visited some of these merchants in Hong Kong in late June and stayed at the Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel.

I spent most of my time in Harbour City. There are 70 food and beverage options, over 450 shops, an art gallery and observatory deck. Harbour City is Hong Kong’s largest shopping mall. We also visited Madame Tussauds at Victoria Peak and Times Square to check out the Incredibles 2 outdoor exhibit and dined at Forbidden Duck. The trip ended with a cable car ride to Ngong Ping where the view was spectacular.

Read on to find out how.

STAY AT MARCO POLO HONGKONG HOTEL

Check into one of the three Marco Polo Hotels group properties at Harbour City. The Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel has 665 well-appointed rooms and suites in Tsim Sha Tsui on Kowloon side of Hong Kong. The hotel overlooks Victoria Harbour on the doorstep of Star Ferry and Ocean Terminal. It is int he heart of the commercial, shopping and entertainment district of Tsim Sha Tsui and a short walk to Kowloon Park, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Space Museum and the MTR station.

I stayed in one of the spacious 50 sqm Continental Harbour View rooms which offer excellent sunrise and evening views of the city skyline. Enjoy the comforts of The Continental Club, the hotel’s executive lounge located on level 17 where you can check in and out. Enjoy complimentary breakfast from 6.30 am to 11 am daily, afternoon tea from 2.45 pm to 5 pm or evening cocktails from 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm. Complimentary tea, coffee and soft drinks are served throughout the day.  Continental Club guests also enjoy complimentary use of the boardroom for two hours each day, complimentary Wi-Fi internet access, 20% discount on laundry, pressing and dry cleaning. Guests also enjoy a 25% discount at Cucina for lunch and dinner.

Besides Cucina’s Italian cuisine, you can also dine at Cafe Marco, Yé Shanghai, Nishimura and the Lobby Lounge. The hotel is equipped with an outdoor swimming pool and a 24-hour gym.

The Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel is one of three hotels owned by The Wharf Group above Harbour City. The Prince Hotel and Gateway Hotel are also part of the Discovery loyalty programme of Global Hotel Alliance GHA.

SHOP AT HARBOUR CITY

Spend with your UnionPay Credit and ATM cards every Thursday to Sunday between 5 July and 26 August 2018 at Harbour City and enjoy privileges. Visit the redemption booth at Level 3, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, near shop OC312 Leonidas from 12 pm to 10 pm.

• Spend HK$1,000 on beauty and personal care and get HK$50 Harbour City Beauty Coupon at designated merchants
• Spend HK$2,000 on beauty and personal care and get HK$150 Harbour City Beauty Coupon at designated merchants
• Spend HK$20,000 at all merchants at Harbour City and get HK$500 Harbour City Gift Card
• Spend HK$20,000 including single transaction of HK$6,000 at electronics merchant and get HK$500 Harbour City Gift Card and HK$500 Harbour City Fashion Coupon at designated merchants Not valid for purchases of Apple products or accessories.

Sun-Kissed Summer at Harbour City

Harbour City celebrated summer with a ‘Sun-Kissed Summer’ campaign at Atrium II, Gateway Arcade from 28 June to 22 July 2018. Renowned American lipstick artist ‘Lipstick Lex’ held her first solo exhibition in Hong Kong. She used ten thousand kisses to create her largest piece of kiss print “Victoria Harbour Sunset” for this exhibition. At the exhibition, shoppers could get one stop free trial for multi-brands lipsticks. There were over 30 selected brands and over 200 shades of lipsticks. They could get a free customised kiss print sticker and makeup mirror after the trial at the tasting bar. A FACEBOOK CHATBOT psychological test helped identify customers’ affiliated tropical animals and corresponding lip colours.

“BE@RBRICK SUMMER CHILL” Summer Party at Harbour City

Over 30 BE@RBRICKS have invaded Harbour City‘s Ocean Terminal New Extension Building rooftop in Hong Kong this Summer. “BE@RBRICK SUMMER CHILL” is the mall’s latest summer campaign from 5 July to 5 August 2018. We were in Hong Kong for the media preview earlier this month and it was quite a sight especially when it wasn’t filled with too many people yet. The BE@ARBRICKs are decked in eight brand new summer looks are here to join the beach party. These include Hawaii Oppa, Bearkini and Diver.  There are many photo opportunities with the beautiful Hong Kong City Island skyline in the background.

SHOP AT TIMES SQUARE

Spend with your UnionPay Credit and ATM cards every Thursday to Sunday between 5 July and 26 August 2018 at Hong Kong Times Square and enjoy privileges. Visit the redemption booth at Concierge B2, Hong Kong Times Square from 10 am to 10 pm.

• Spend HK$1,000 on beauty and personal care and get HK$50 Times Square Beauty Coupon at designated merchants
• Spend HK$2,000 on beauty and personal care and get HK$150 Times Square Beauty Coupon at designated merchants
• Spend HK$20,000 at all merchants at Hong Kong Times Square and get HK$500 Time Square Shopping and Dining Coupon at designated merchants

Incredibles 2 Family Unites at a special exhibition in Hong Kong Times Square from 29 June till 29 July 2018. Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Violet, Dash, baby Jack-Jack and Edna Mode & Frozone made the ground floor Open Piazza of Times Square in Causeway bay their home for a month. There were game zones, meet-and-greet sessions as well as LEGO Disney Pixar’s The Incredibles PlayStation 4 Experience sessions in July.

DINING IN HONG KONG

Hong Kong has so much food to offer. You will never go hungry with various types of cuisines available. There’s Japanese, Cantonese, Italian or any cuisine you can imagine.

Paper Moon at Harbour City

Located at the Ocean Terminal Deck of Harbour City is Paper Moon, which serves authentic Italian cuisine with homey and original recipes from Milan. Here you get a 270-degree panorama of Victoria Harbour that overlooks Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. It is also the best venue to enjoy unblocked views of Hong Kong’s sunset.

Some notable dishes I had included a Mediterranean Octopus with Potatoe sand Red Onions Salad, Salsa Verde (HK$288), a Breaded Milanese Veal Chop with Rocket Salad and Cherry Tomato (HK$348), a Seafood Risotto with Prawn, Baby Cuttlefish, Baby Octopus, Scallop and Mussels (HK$248) as well as a couple of pizzas priced from HK$178.

Paper Moon offers a variety of beautiful cocktails which complement the sunset views here. Paper Moon’s outlets can be found in other cities including Milan, Istanbul, Beirut, Manila and Doha.

Other outlets located at Ocean Terminal Deck include HEXA, XIHEYAYUAN, Tsukada Nojo Hongkong, ANA TEN and à nu retrouvez-vous.

Cucina at Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel

Cucina is located at level six of Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel. The restaurant serves Italian cuisine.

From 10 to 12 August 2018, Italian Michelin-starred Chef Igor Macchia returns for three days to showcase new renditions of classic Italian favourites. The four-course tasting dinner menu will include a starter of Warm Salmon Fillet with Smoked Mayonnaise, Miso and Sesame; Saffron Risotto with Burrata, Pan-fried Langoustine and Coffee Powder; Kingfish with Salad Soup, Vegetables, Capers and Olives and Chef Igor’s Tiramisu. The four-course tasting dinner menu is priced at HK$888 per person with an additional HK$550 with wine pairing will be available alongside an a la carte menu during lunch and dinner periods. Selected dishes from Chef Igor’s a la carte menu will also be available on Cucina’s lunch and weekend brunch menus.

Till 4 September 2018, Italian Chef de Cuisines Andrea Delzanno has prepared six Italian specialities featuring jet-fresh seafood. A Hokkaido Scallop Carpaccio with Citrus Salad, Avocado and Mango Pearls priced at HK$298  is a refreshing starter packed with natural goodness. Homemade Black Ink Tagliolini with Razor Clams and Seaweed (HK$368) is Chef Andrea’s personal favourite. A good pasta choice for a burst of freshness. Grilled Jumbo Tiger Prawn (HK$528) is a must-try. The classic Italian favourite features succulent tiger prawn smoked on a grill. Other menu highlights include Beluga Caviar with Blinis and Condiments (HK$1,088), Penne with Scottish Salmon, Vodka, Dill, Cream Sauce and Salmon Roe (HK$328) and Baked Whole Boston Lobster with Risotto in Mediterranean Style (HK$788).

The Cheesecake Factory at Harbour City

The Cheesecake Factory from the US has opened its first outlet in Hong Kong at Harbour City last year. Maxim’s Caterers Limited has brought in this franchise joining its portfolio of franchised brands including Starbucks, Genki Sushi, IPPUDO Ramen and Shake Shack in various territories. This outlet has been extremely popular since it opened with a line outside the restaurant to this day. When I had dinner here, I overheard a patron mentioning that her wait for a table was 75 minutes long.

The food portions here are comparable to those in the U.S.  I got to try a couple of salads including the Falafel Salad, Super Antioxidant Salad and the Mandarin Chicken Salad. I also had the Eggroll sampler of avocado eggrolls, Tex Mex, crispy Cuban rolls and Firecracker Salmon. I also had the Buffalo Wings, Crusted Chicken Romano, Steak Diane, Grilled Fish Taco and Prawns in Lemon Garlic Sauce. At the end of it all, I shared desserts that included a fresh strawberry cheesecake, Godiva chocolate cheesecake, Adam’s Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple and White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cheesecake.

One word of advice. Come with a huge appetite or come with a bunch of friends to share the portions.

Mak’s Noodles at Harbour City

Mak’s Noodle is well known for its small serving of signature wonton noodles priced affordably at HK$45 per bowl. The most expensive item on the menu is the HK$112 Beef Brisket & Tendon dish. The Pork dumplings are so delicious because they contain shrimp, pork, mushroom, fungus and bamboo shoot. I always have the Signature Wonton noodles and Beef Brisket & Wonton noodles (HK$70). Mak’s Noodles outlet at Harbour City allows you to sit quite comfortable without the need to share the seat with strangers during off-peak periods unlike the other nine much smaller outlets in Hong Kong such as the one in Jordon, Kowloon.

Mak’s Noodles opened its first outlet at Centrepoint in Singapore in 2015.

Ralph’s Coffee at Harbour City

Ralph Lauren opened the first Ralph’s Coffee in Asia at Ocean Terminal in Harbour City. Ralph’s Coffee represents the timeless American spirit of the Polo Ralph Lauren brand with a fresh and vibrant atmosphere. Take away a selection of coffee and light bites. The coffee is crafted specifically for Ralph Laureen by La Colombe and brewed from the highest quality organically grown coffee beans that are available for sale, whole or ground.  Other items for purchase include artisan chocolate bars from Brooklyn-based chocolatier Fine & Raw, t-shirts, hats, totes and mugs.

Forbidden Duck at Times Square

Three Michelin-star chef Alvin Leung has opened Forbidden Duck at level 10 Times Square in Causeway Bay serving classic Cantonese dishes and afternoon dim sum. My favourite dish here is the Seafood Rice in Aromatic Duck Soup priced at HK$168. The Aromatic Duck Soup has fresh scallops, prawns and rice pops in a broth simmered with duck meat. I also had the lobster and vermicelli with black truffle har mi XO (HK$288), a Japanese Yuzu Lemon Chicken (HK$138) as well as a couple of dim sum dishes including the Iberico Pork Char Siu that melts in your mouth. The Peking duck here is fragrant and slightly crispy and not too thinly sliced.

Chef Alvin Leung has added Forbidden Duck to his list of other F&B outlets in Hong Kong including Liberty Exchange Kitchen & Bar, Liberty Stone Oven Pizza, Qi – House of Sichuan, Qi – Nine Dragons, Mic Kitchen, Bib n Hops and Plato 86. In May this year, Forbidden Duck and Qi – House of Sichuan opened at Marina Bay Financial Centre.

SELFIES AT MADAME TUSSAUDS HONG KONG

Visit Madame Tussauds Hong Kong with your UnionPay card and enjoy special privileges. Located at Victoria’s Peak, the wax museum is home to the rich and famous such as Angelababay, Donald Trump, Varun Dhawan, Lee Jong-suk, Siwon Choi and Taylor Swift.

There are many zones to explore including a Yayoi Kusama Gallery, Fashion zone, Historical and National Heroes, Hong Kong Glamour, World Premiere, Kung Fu Zone, K-wave Zone, The Champions, Music Icons and Animated World.  You can touch the wax figurines as well. So there’s a lot of interaction and definitely a lot of selfie moments.

UnionPay cardholders enjoy 30% off regular-priced admission tickets for up to four tickets per transaction.

A DAY OUT AT NGONG PING

UnionPay cardholders enjoy 15% off on 1+1 round-trip cable car tickets for both standard and Crystal cabins at Ngong Ping 360. I would recommend you to take the Crystal cabin with see-through glass flooring so that you can also look down at the landscape. Of course, that’s if you are not afraid of heights.

The 25-minute cable car ride connects Tung Chung with Ngong Ping. Enjoy panoramic views of Lantau. I was pleasantly surprised with the unblocked view of Hong Kong International Airport with aircraft taking off and landing. I could get a full view of the Midfield Terminal where Hong Kong Airlines took up most of the bays. Other views include Tung Chung Bay, the yet to be completed 50 km long Hong Kong – Zhuhai – Macau – Bridge, Lantau North Country Park, Nei Lak Shan (Hong Kong’s sixth tallest peak at 751 m above sea level), the 34 metres tall Tien Tan Buddha that weighs 250 tonnes and Ngong Ping Village.

When you reach Ngong Ping Village, visit some of the attractions such as the Big Buddha, Po Lin Monastery, Tai O fishing village and others. Next to the Ngong Ping terminal are some food and beverage outlets as well as shops where you can pick up some souvenirs.