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danswayne · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 237

Does anyone here have any tips on the best places for a starving American to find good food in HK that might not be available in China. I will be there for a day or two in December and would appreciate any help offered. I live close to a Metro, but I would still appreciate finding some things that even Metro doesn't have.

Thanks in advance.

anninhk · Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 284

There are a lot of City Super stores. There is one in Causeway Bay and another in Tsim Sha Tsui. There is Olivers in Princes Building in Central.
In Pacific Place there is Great and then there is Taste in Festival Walk and in other places.
I'm sure you'll find something to tempt you in Hong Kong

ralph wiggim · Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 2:21 pm Post subject:

Park n Shop superstores. And Vanguard superstores. The superstores are much bigger and have a better selection of goods that Americans like.

And there are these wholesale type stores on Nathan road. Not big stores but sell wholesale imported stuff. Like big jars of Welches grape jelly and stuff like that.

danswayne · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 237

Thanks to both of you for replying, a little more info would be appreciated if able. I have access to quite a few things at Metro here in Changsha so I am mainly looking for things that I can't find here. Things like the fruit and oats that my Mom-in-law has started to like and some good chocolate things for eating, also some baking things too that might be impossible in Hunan like Vanilla extract for example. I would also like to find the places that do not charge 5 star prices for these ordinary items like some of the specialty shops in Shanghai and Beijing do. If any more help is available it would be appreciated also.

anninhk · Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 284

Park and Shop and Wellcome both have websites and so you can look at the things they stock.
I expect City Super and Olivers have one too but I have never looked. Perhaps you can google grocery shopping in Hong Kong and find out.

Jason Goren · Joined: 24 Nov 2008 Posts: 33

You don't have to worry; most if not all supermarkets will have aisle upon aisle of what you are looking for. Baking products and the like are certainly no problem. Just try any 'Park 'n Shop' (a strange name for a chain that claims to be environmentally friendly and which rarely has a car park) or 'Wellcome' (do not quite know why they spell it with two ls). Those are the two main supermarket chains in HK and they serve the vast majority of HK households. Slightly more upmarket in terms of products and prices is 'Taste', and I suppose the most exclusive supermarket is City Super, which is really a supermarket-cum-delicatessen. It seems to attract a large number of Japanese tai-tais in the afternoon.

Every shopping mall in HK has one, some, or all of these supermarkets so don't worry.

Marcoregano · Joined: 19 May 2003 Posts: 872 Location: Hong Kong

My only addition to the above would be Oliver's in the Princes Building, in Central - it's not cheap, but is slightly cheaper than CitySuper and has a better choice of western goods - certainly the best for western stuff in HK methinks.

Jason Goren · Joined: 24 Nov 2008 Posts: 33

Good point, though I suspect that the goods in Olivers (and City Super) may be somewhat beyond the price range of someone coming from Mainland China.

'Danswayne', no matter which supermarket(s) you end up going to, don't forget the cardinal rule! You have to use a trolley, even if you are just going to purchase a small bottle of vanilla extract. If you fail to do so a security guard may nab you and force one upon you! Oh, and if you do have a little rat-like chiwawa then it must be placed on the baby seat/frozen food rack of the said trolley. It also helps if the chiwawa is dressed up in a waistcoat, bow tie, and 'dog-nappies'.....

danswayne · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 237

Prices are not a make or break situation because I am not a teacher, instead here running a little international business. I just don't like paying $5.00 for what should be $1.00.

I will be spending the better part of the day there because I will not be back in SZ until dinner time so I will probably try at least 2 or 3 of the above mentioned options.

Once again thanks to all who responded since it was mainly opinions I was looking for I appreciate reading them for sure. Anymore opinions would still be appreciated. I do think I am going to go check online now for anymore info on Olivers now.