Hong Kong is a city of dichotomies. At its core, suited financiers speed walk through skyscrapers connected by over and underpasses. It is all too familiar. Yet on the Sunday I arrived, south-east Asian domestic workers seemed to have taken over, displacing the bankers completely, as if they had stolen their spirits. In one rundown arcade, you were transported to the land of remittances, and as is expected in Hong Kong, any personal space is a fantasy.

Another interesting sight is the archaic double-deckered trams that seem to come out of a movie set, completely anachronistic with the futuristic Central. These trams run across the waterfront of most of Central and are a great way to see the city. The transportation network is vast and efficient. A bullet train from the airport takes you straight to Central in 24 minutes. The price segmentation of customers make this public service seem like a profit maximizer. Open-air trams are 2 HKD (0.28 CAD) and air-conditioned busses are twice as much. The train to the airport is 100 HKD (14 CAD).

These disparate prices continue everywhere. Identical products have egregiously different mark-ups. The same power adapter, which I bought for 15 HDK was selling for 80 HKD not far away. In the heart of Causeway Bay, it was 200 HKD. Exploring the markets at night is another Hong Kong staple. The two main ones are Temple Street Market (g: Temple Street Night Market) near Jordan and the Ladies Market near Mongkok (g: Ladies Market). Most of the fun is from haggling with vendors, which can bring down prices by half. These markets mostly sell classic tourist kitsch, but there were some intricately cut 3D cards - one of the Eiffel Tower and another of the Astrological Clock for about 30 HKD each.

Museum central is on the Kowloon side - the history museum (g: Hong Kong Museum of History; 10 HKD) and art museum (g: Hong Kong Museum of Art; 10 HKD) are particularly provocative. They are easily accessible in English. The history museum recounts Hong Kong from its place in the various Chinese sdynasties, under British influence, under Japanese conflict, and more recently, as a special administrative area of the PRC. The art museum is well known for its modern art; one provocative display is of photographs taken of rooftops of Hong Kong - some posh and some quite the opposite.

One morning can be spent in the area west of central. Pay a quick visit to the Man Mo Temple (g: Man Mo Temple), then walk east until you reach the mid-level escalators, which in the morning run toward the waterfront. That will take you to Lan Fong Yuen (g: Lan Fong Yuen; n.b. Google Maps says it is permanently closed but it is not), an authentic breakfast spot with the best Milk Tea and French Toast, Chinese style. This famous vestige of Hong Kong culture was recreated in the art museum mentioned above. Around the corner is the famous Tai Cheong Bakery (g: Tai Cheong Bakery), where you can get egg tarts.

Then there’s a big Buddha on a tourist-trap hill, though the gondola is breathtaking. The glass bottom is well worth it (238 HKD), especially if you pay by AMEX (15% off). Near Diamond Hill are the Nan Lian Garden (g: Nan Lian Garden) and Li Chin Nunnery (g: Li Chin Nunnery) - go for a peaceful escape from the general hustle and bustle.

Hong Kong is the easiest place to rack up Michelin stars. For a cheap one-star, there is One Dim Sum (g: 一點心; multiple locations; 15-30 HDK a plate). Arriving a few minutes before opening time at 11am should secure a spot. The food is nothing revolutionary – but it is perfectly executed. A bit more posh is Kin’s Kitchen (g: W Square; n.b. searching “Kin’s Kitchen” on google gives wrong location; lost a 1 star). Start with a cool Pig Kidney in Sesame Sauce (68 HKD) and end with a Smoked Chicken (170HKD) with complicated burnt flavours. Finally, the 15th best restaurant in Asia, Bo Innovation (g: Bo Innovation) is French with Chinese inspirations. It has three stars. There, one mainland couple, which I mistook for Canadian because of their Roots paraphernalia, was busily taking photos. The lunch is affordable at 288 HKD and includes a selection of dim sum, a main course and a dessert.

Begin with a choice of two dim sum. The cauliflower is puréed but not too finely so that it resembles a creamy risotto (or congee, if you please). It sits in a fine black truffle duck jus, a nice forward flavour to contrast the cauliflower. A second appetizer is a play on the classic Cantonese dish Cheung fan, a rice noodle roll. Instead of the usual sloppy, flimsy pedestrian dish, it is finely portioned and again, smothered in black truffle. The main is a sliver of pigeon breast and leg. The pairing of chicken liver that appears almost magically inside the breast with the similarly fragrant shitake mushroom is spectacular. Dessert is the weakest part - too sweet and too busy. Otherwise, a truly innovative meal deserving of three stars.

Bo Innovation

Cauliflower Risotto, black truffle, duck jus

Black Truffle “cheung fun”

Pigeon stuffed with Chinese liver sausage, shitake mushroom cake, chicken jus infused with sour plum

Taro Ice Cream, Watermelon Jelly, Spicy white chocolate

Another 3-stars is Joel Robuchon’s - where you can get tea for two for only 380HKD (g: L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Hong Kong). For a more authentic Hong Kong experience, get the squid ink pasta at Tung Po (g: Tung Po Seafood Restaurant) - just don’t look under the table, look for bugs or pay attention to the waiters.

Hong Kong is a city where from a three-Michelin star restaurant, you can see someone’s dirty laundry hanging in the back yard. It is just the beginning – the start of the mind boggling incongruities that will characterize any trip through Asia. For years, Hong Kong has been the gateway into Asia. Thankfully, that has not changed.

Accessibility: Hong Kong is most accessible to Cantonese speakers, though English and Mandarin are in use as well. There are plenty of English signs. Google maps accept both English and Chinese words but some locations are only searchable by Chinese characters. Google guides (“g:”) in the article are designed to help you find locations simply by entering them in Google Maps. A sim card is available at the airport for 100 RMB. This will be helpful in directing taxi drivers, who do not speak English. Taxis are generally reliable and inexpensive but crossing into and out of central is expensive because you need to pay the toll – use the subway for that. Public transportation is usually sufficient.