Jenny Morris, or the Giggling Gourmet as she is known as back home, is one of South Africa’s most-loved food personalities.  An author, magazine writer, radio and TV presenter, celebrity chef, teacher, caterer and culinary tour guide, Jenny has had an ongoing love affair with food since she was a child.

When she dons her hat as culinary tour guide, Jenny leads groups of fellow foodies on tours around the world to discover some of the sights, sounds and tastes that others only see on telly.  The busy chef is currently planning one such tour to China and she and her band of merry foodies will make a stop-over right here in Hong Kong.

Jenny Morris will lead a culinary tour to China in early 2011 (Pic: www.jennymorris.co.za)

To give her and her group a glimpse of the culinary scene on this side of the noodle-gordyn, we’ve scoured the web and found this short but informative clip on YouTube.  My apartment is but 5 minutes from the Hong Kong Intercontinental where you can find some of the world’s best restaurants… all in one building nogal.  The world-renowned hotel is home to SPOON by Alain Ducasse, NOBU InterContinental Hong Kong as well as the Michellin starred Yan Toh Heen.

World-renowned Nobu Matsuhisa has a restaurant at the Hong Kong Intercontinental

Click here to have Louis Baleros, Chef Concierge at the Intercontinental show you around Hong Kong (YouTube clip) and stay tuned to Howzit-HongKong.com for more on this topic.

While I was living in Taiwan, a colleague used to tell stories of his days spent in Chungking Mansions.  He was travelling on a “backpackers budget” and Chungking was the only the place he could afford.   In a city where space for accommodation (both for locals and tourists) come at a premium, Chungking Mansions is universally known as probably the cheapest place to live in Hong Kong.

Wikipedia describes it as: “a labyrinth of guesthouses, curry restaurants, African bistros, clothing shops, sari stores, and foreign exchange offices. It often acts as a large gathering place for some of the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, particularly South Asians (Indians, Nepalese, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans), Middle Eastern people, Nigerians, Europeans, Americans, and many other peoples of the world.”

I have not stayed at Chungking Mansion, but must admit that I do like to go there to buy some otherwise hard-to-get South Asian spices, fresh vegetables and other products.  When I do venture out there, I’m always amazed at the long lines that form at the elevators.  Bear in mind that air conditioning on the ground floor is virtually non-existant and in the height of summer this place could be unbearable.  “Melting pot” then takes on a whole different smell!  However, the queues that form also tells me that the place is also very popular, especially with budget-conscious travellers. 

My visits to Chungking Mansions have also be limited to the ground floor mall, so I cannot tell you what it looks like upstairs.  However, while research Chungking on the internet, I came across this informative video (posted 2 years ago):

Stay tuned for a first-hand account, right here on Howzit-HongKong.