Jose Carreras, a/k/a "The Third Tenor," or the one who isn't Pavarotti or Domingo, was giving a concert in Hong Kong, so we decided to use a bit of our vacation to hear him and to explore a bit of Hong Kong food and shopping.
Hanoi-Hong Kong is about as far as Hanoi-Saigon, but the fares are much higher and of course Hong Kong is a very expensive place. Fortunately Cathay Pacific has packages that include airport transfer and hotel which enabled us to stay at the beautiful Ritz-Carlton. On all of our previous visits to Hong Kong, we stayed in Kowloon, on the mainland, so this was our first time staying on Hong Kong Island.
Hong Kong is one of the most amazing cities in the world. There is enough neon signage to light most countries and a skyline that even eclipses New York. One disadvantage to staying on Hong Kong Island is that the views are not as spectacular as those from Kowloon across the harbor.
The Ritz-Carlton is not only a hotel with great service and amenities, but also with clout. When the concierge was unable to get us a reservation at the restaurant we had chosen, he got us into a private club instead. The China Club is decorated like an old Shanghai supper club, with eclectic pictures on the walls, ceiling fans and many period artifacts. A jazz orchestra provided music while two different singers entertained us with standards. During the band's break, chefs twirled teapots with extra long spouts and made noodles after skipping rope with the dough. The food was excellent and the tab not outrageous. All in all it was an experience we could not have had on our own.
We did some wandering and shopping on the next day, climbing the "ladder streets" in old Hong Kong and then taking a nostalgic trip across the harbor on the Star Ferry. They have moved and upgraded the piers but the ride(at only about a quarter) is still the best deal in town.
We can never resist one of our old favorites, Spring Deer. This restaurant serves Pekingese food and has been around for nearly forty years. We first stumbled 
upon it in 1992 and have gone back many times since. After a big steamer full of dumplings, the lightest and finest we have had, we tackled the Peking(why not Beijing?) duck which is only available in the whole duck size. Somehow, we had no trouble finishing it, the sweet flesh and delicious crispy skin disappearing in no time.
Jose Carreras is a Spanish tenor with an international reputation whom we have heard several times at the Met. His serious illness prompted Domingo and Pavarotti to launch the "Three Tenors" concerts to raise money. Happily, Senor Carreras beat leukemia and established a foundation to fight the disease and he continues his career.
The concert was definitely on the lighter side with Neapolitan songs, zarzuela and some crossover numbers with a soprano whose name escapes mention. Actually she is called Georgia Fumante which we suggest you promptly forget. Carreras still has a lot of presence and a few top notes so the evening was definitely worthwhile. The Hong Kong Cultural Centre is quite a modern space and the small hall in which the concert was held had excellent sight-lines and acoustics.
It is fun to be able to hop across to Hong Kong, a modern city but on which has more of the past than say, Singapore. You can ride the Star Ferry or a fast
subway, see old buildings or huge skyscrapers and eat some of the best Chinese food in the world.
While there are not a ton of tourist attractions, we still get a rush every time we visit Hong Kong and we highly recommend it, at least as a stopover. This is one of those places that is like no other!
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