On the south side of Hong Kong Island's Victoria Peak, there is the Repulse Bay Hotel.
The hotel was built in 1920, exactly one hundred years ago.
The Terrace Restaurant at the Repulse Bay Hotel
Once upon a time, the first encounter between Bai Liusu and Fan Liuyuan in Eileen Chang's Love in a Fallen City took place on the terrace of that hotel.
Also, Leslie Cheung, who took a leap of faith in 2003 and whose life and death have become a mystery for the ages, stayed here.
Li Bihua as a young woman
If we were to summarize Hong Kong from 1840 to the present in a single microblog, Ruyu would prefer Li Bihua's quote: "Gradually, I got used to my fate being uncertain, and regrets are another kind of pleasure," she said. Therefore, some people complain about their suffering, but I don't complain too much. I don't make that face when someone is complaining.
The opening of Hong Kong originated from the weighing of politicians and the competition of militarists.
The British came from afar to occupy Hong Kong Island first, and then and Kowloon, the end of the New Territories, but for the modern Chinese to leave a piece of 1,106.34 square kilometers of enclave, wickerwork of the Qing dynasty, the Republic of China Yanjie to avoid disaster, looking for an opportunity to **** and immigrants, so that Hong Kong in the United Kingdom under the beige flag, preserved the Chinese motherland after repeated turmoil, vicissitudes of life and the old view of the original appearance of a rare reproduction.
This is the first time that I've seen this in action.
So, the sadness of the treasure, stolen life is indeed fortunate, indomitable struggle has become the lingering weather of Hong Kong Island literature, just as the ice cream, mixed with traditional Chinese desserts and mellow and not lose the Western technology of direct and decisive.
The most typical case is Hong Kong's world-famous "dessert ice cream".
Familiar recipe, the same flavor, ice cream red bean accompanied several generations of Hong Kong people
Its origin can be traced back to the 1880s, with the development of refrigeration technology, in Hong Kong, Cantonese restaurants have frozen equipment, coupled with Hong Kong's location in the tropics, during the year, the short coat can be from February to November, so some restaurants simply play the "Ice Room! "signboard, selling Yang Zhi Ganluo, fruit loaf, black bean sesame, pineapple boat and other cold drinks, ice cream derivatives.
Stills from Kowloon Ice House
And in the 1980s and 1990s, when Hong Kong's film and television dramas were at their most prosperous, Kowloon Ice House made a name for Ekin Cheng, who played a waiter in the show. However, today, the number of ice rooms in Hong Kong has dwindled, with only about 20 left by the end of the 2010s. "The cityscape atmosphere of the Kowloon Ice House is just like a faded photo, fading away in the passage of time.
Advertisement for an ice-cream brick at On Lok Yuen
In the 20th century, some locals learned about and adapted a foreign ice-cream recipe, mixing eggs, milk, yogurt, sugar, coconut oil, and ice to make a frozen paste. That was the birth of ice cream made in Hong Kong. Of the many brands, On Lok Yuen was the most popular. In order to compete for a bigger market share, the two companies introduced desserts in many forms: ice cream pies, ice cream sandwiches, ice cream cups, etc.
Hong Kong's North Point Park in 1950
In the 1950s, Hong Kong was dotted with recreational facilities, beaches and country parks where vendors sold ice cream to help people cope with the hot and humid summers.
In the 1970s, soft-serve ice cream trucks sprang up, playing delicious tunes across the city.
Watercolor of an "ice cream van" in Hong Kong
This was the era when Hong Kong televisions became popular. So, in TVB dramas, you could often see the heroes and goddesses eating soft ice-cream and falling in love by the Victoria Harbour, and you couldn't help but want to follow suit.
This is the American Softee franchise Mobile Softee ice cream mobile vending car, also known as the "Regal Ice Cream Van". It is characterized by its ability to change its selling location at any time, and it can sell ice cream for passers-by when parked on the street. At its peak, there were as many as 144 such ice-cream vans. However, the Hong Kong government stopped issuing itinerant hawker licenses in 1978, so the number of Regal Ice-cream Trucks in Hong Kong has only remained at 14 so far.
The Regal Ice-cream Van has continued to this day, and except for the change in the selling price of the ice-cream, almost everything else has followed the same pattern for more than 40 years without much change. Until now, the ice-cream van still maintains the appearance of white body, blue roof and red front, while the blue and red pattern on the body designed by the founder and the phrase "Freshly made for you every day" have become a household symbol in Hong Kong and a representative of the ice-cream van over the years.
Prices have remained almost unchanged
The government has strict regulations for ice-cream vans. According to the government's hygiene regulations, ice-cream vans must be equipped with a soft-serve ice-cream maker, a hand-washing tray and two refrigerators. As there is only one soft serve machine per van, there is only one flavor per van, usually the more popular vanilla flavor, and three other packaged ice creams: Nutty Cone, Lotus Cup and Jumbo Orange Ice.
Appolo Hong Kong-style dessert ice-cream sells land and Hong Kong
At the same time, Hong Kong's own brand of ice-cream is also in the post-World War II Nestlé and Horozuki domination of the world, out of the way. 1972, Appolo (Appolo) ice-cream was founded in Hong Kong. It must be said that in the ice cream industry, Appolo is in the forefront. 1992, Hong Kong Appolo entered the mainland market, began to Hong Kong-style desserts to guide consumers to enjoy the long journey of ice cream.
During these years, Apollo Ice Cream has never stopped the pace of deepening product quality, but has been producing and developing new products according to the characteristics of consumers' needs in different periods, and has successfully created a series of products such as Fruit Love, Hong Kong-style desserts, Snapper Yaki ice cream, Barry's Thousand Layer Cone Ice Cream and other products, which are well known to the consumers.
"This year than in previous years there has been significant progress is the snapper yaki ice cream and bari thousand layer cone ice cream two products. In fact, these two products have been the market for many years, is mature and stable quality products, but has been growing flat, the potential has not been realized. This year, Snapper Yaki Ice Cream added Caramel flavor and Barry's Thousand Layer Cone Ice Cream added Cookie flavor to make the product composition richer, and successfully stationed in the whole family FamilyMart convenience system in South China, which will become the breakout product in 2019. Apollo will also let more consumers know about our products through the promotional channels of the FamilyMart convenience system." Chen Dekang, General Manager of Hong Kong Apollo (Jiangmen) Ice Cream Company Limited, told the media last year.
Currently, Apollo Ice-cream is supplied simultaneously in Hong Kong and the mainland, including dozens of popsicles and torch-loaded ice-cream, such as Yangzhi Ganlu, Black Bean and Sesame, Honeydew Milk Flavor, Banana Toffee Flavor, Rock Sugar Red Bean, Rock Sugar Mung Bean, and Barry Thousand Layer Cone, which are well received by the consumers of both sides of the world. However, in the mainland market, Apollo faces the limitations of limited production and high price, and has been difficult to leap out of Guangdong and Shanghai regions.
On the other hand, the "private" ice cream products served in Hong Kong's cafes, ice cream parlors, boutiques, restaurants, and taverns have come a long way since the 1990s.
For example, Venchi, located at Shop GA16 on the ground floor of Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, 3-27 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, and recommended by the Hong Kong Tourism Board's website, is famous for its chocolate ice cream, which has been in business for 100 years.
A variety of chocolate cone ice cream models are displayed in the Venchi shop
Moreover, these Italian-originated ice cream creations are made with low-sugar and low-fat ingredients, and have fewer calories than ordinary ice creams, which is a good reason for people on a diet to go on a diet.
The love of chocolate is probably well known. His mellow aroma and silky texture, coupled with the crunchy skin of the click click click. This temptation, who can refuse?
There is another popular Korean brand SWEET MONSTER located at Shop 10-19, Level 3, Langham Place, Mongkok. it is a Korean internet sensation that has traveled across the ocean to Hong Kong to meet you. The overall area of the store is not too big, decorated with all cartoon shapes, so that the young heart can not refuse.
SWEET MONSTER's caramel ice cream products
SWEET MONSTER's Popcorn Ice Cream
It's fluffy shape will remind people of the movie theater, crunchy popcorn + milk ice cream, not only the texture becomes very interesting. The sweetness that you get just right is even more appetizing.
There's also SHARISHARI Kakigori Hous, a Hokkaido-style specialty ice cream store located at G/F, 14 Haven Street, Causeway Bay.
A look around the front of the shop
He's put a lot of thought into pairing the shaved ice with other things. Ice-cream, fruits, white jade gnocchi, cookies, etc., are well hidden into the shaved ice, from top to bottom, the layering is needless to say, you will always find a surprise in the next scoop.
Have you ever seen such shaved ice?
If you are a matcha lover, then you can't miss his matcha cream caramel flavored ice. Strong matcha, with Hokkaido with a sweet flavor of ice.
Matcha lovers should not miss the sensory enjoyment
Everything is so just right, whether it is the texture of the click click click, or the middle with caramel flavored ice. All can make you can not stop, this shaved ice is simply, eat a few bowls are not enough!
It is worth mentioning that with the rise of plant-based ice cream in recent years, Hong Kong has also seen the emergence of a new brand of "vegan ice cream", Happy Cow is a plant-based ice cream from Hong Kong. CitySuper and AlexShop chain stores to sell its five vegan ice creams, including the classic single product coconut ice cream.
Happy Cow advertisement
Founded in 2013, Happy Cow specializes in dairy-free ice cream. The products are made with organic coconut milk and coconut sugar, with artisanal jams and fruits. In addition to being all-vegan and free of dairy, eggs, legumes, gluten and cholesterol, the products also emphasize no additives - no artificial MSG, food coloring or preservatives - to project a healthy image. ?
Currently, Happy Cow has more than 150 points of sale in Hong Kong and Macau, mainly in grocery stores, hotels, movie theaters and health food retailers. The brand has also opened three self-operated ice cream parlors in Hong Kong.
A classic scene from "Chongqing Forest"
Hong Kong, the Pearl of the Orient is the hub for foreign investment in and out of China, and the world's top three financial centers, but also a long-term leader in China's industrial upgrading of the head of the geese, but she, but also a big time, countless ordinary people composed of a small world. Through Hong Kong, don't forget to taste the ice cream full of fireworks there, as "Chongqing Forest" that classic line:
Every day you have the opportunity to rub shoulders with others, you may not know anything about him, but maybe one day he will become your friend or confidant ......