I was invited to a media event last week at Jurong Point together with other bloggers and media friends to tour their latest addition to the mall which is a themed-destination concept “Mongkok” that replicates the bustling streets and markets of Hong Kong.
From now till 31 August 2014, there’d be buskers’ performances, roving acts, on-the-spot games and quizzes during weekends that hype up the atmosphere and engage all mall visitors in a more interactive way which would really make a usual shopping trip into more of a lifestyle experience here.
If you don’t mind sweating away with a little exercise, you can hop onto this four-man cycle to tour the mall…
…before you make your way to Mongkok that is located at JP2 area on Level 3.
I spotted some interesting exhibits along the way. These miniature street hawker stalls on display were just so cute!
That’s kai dan zai (雞蛋仔) in the background. Ooohh, it’s a must-eat snack when you visit Hong Kong. Though we can also find it in Singapore now, somehow it’s just not the same!
Stinky tofu! Reminds me of that really popular stall at the end of Dundas Street in Mongkok. Delishly addictive if you can stand its smell! :p
What is Hong Kong cuisine without dim sum? One of my all-time favourite cuisines because I love variety!
There is this Mongkok street scene photo wall near JP2 main entrance where you can take pictures with the cheongsam ladies holding up signages to Mongkok. Take a picture, post it on Instagram with hashtag #JPMongkok to stand a chance to win a $10 shopping voucher.
And you can also pose with this rickshaw which is on loan from the Hong Kong Tourism Board. So old school!
Street food giveaways are also available so you can sample and savour some traditional delights like this Dragon’s Beard Candy (龙须糖).
Or indulge in one of these ice pops to cool yourself in this mean hot weather!
It’s ice lemon tea flavour by the way!
Before we headed to Mongkok, we stopped by Mr Bean’s new outlet on Level 3 to sample some of its new creations.
Introducing the mini beanies…where you can choose your preferred dipping sauce and toppings and customise your very own beanies!
Each of us had a sampling platter of all the dips and toppings.
The beanies tasted just like their usual pancake crust without any filling inside. Cute, aren’t they?
So I tried to put on my creative cap to make some wigs for my beanies, lol. Not too shabby for the first time, huh. The left one was hazelnut chocolate with buckwheat puffs and the right, nacho cheese with chips.
The one behind was peanut butter with rainbow rice and the front, caramel custard with oreo.
I totally digged the caramel custard, nacho cheese and hazelnut chocolate dips! This item is currently only available at Mr Bean here at JP and not in their other outlets yet so if you want to try, you gotta head here soon!
Mr Bean
Jurong Point Shopping Mall, #03-11
63 Jurong West Central 3
Website
Facebook page
Back to Mongkok…
I loved how JP had managed to turn shop signages and brands into neon-lit ones that really captured the essence of Mongkok at night and made this street look so dazzling and bright.
We really don’t need to leave Singapore to enjoy the same vibes and atmosphere that Hong Kong brings us. Cool.
Bian Lian (变脸) performance
We were hosted lunch at the brand new Legendary Hong Kong Restaurant that serves up the famous “London Roast Duck”. Helming the kitchen are 8 established chefs in their own speciality from Hong Kong so as to bring their local native flavours to diners here. For info, the same chef who made noodles at Michelin-starred Mak’s Noodle is now here with Legendary Hong Kong too.
One unique feature about this restaurant is that it has four entrances depicting each of its 4 sub-themed concepts of Roasted Meats (Kou Yu Roasts), Noodles & Congee (Hong Kong Congee & Noodle), Dim Sum (Lung Fung Dim Sum) and Bing Sut – Predecessor of Cha Caan Teng (Pak Kung Cafe & Bakery).
An unassuming looking restaurant interior that really has that atmosphere of a Hong Kong cha chaan teng.
Red Bean Ice, Milk Tea and Yuan Yang
I had the Yuan Yang (mix of tea and coffee) which had a good balance of both tea and coffee flavours without being overly sweet.
Barbecued Pork, Roasted London Duck and Crispy Pork Belly
The signature “London Roast Duck” is named after the city where Chinese from all over the world flock to in search of the ‘best duck in the world’ because of its succulent flavour. Legendary Hong Kong uses ducks from Silver Hill Farm in Ireland, a premium duck farm where each duck sold is de-feathered by hand so as to ensure integrity of the quality of meat and to prevent bruising. This same farm also supplies ducks to some of the best Chinese restaurants in Europe so in terms of standard, it is definitely comparable with those restaurants in the West.
This roast duck is different from the local roast ducks we get here in Singapore. The outside skin had a hint of herbal flavour which wasn’t too overpowering and nicely complemented the smokiness of the skin. The meat itself was also juicy though the piece I had was a little tough as it was a bony part of the drumstick. But the good thing was that I couldn’t see much fats beneath the skin so I suppose most of it had rendered off during the roasting.
I liked the chunky crispy pork belly that was really tender and flavoursome with a good ratio of meat and fats. The barbecued pork was a tad too fatty for my liking though.
A glance of everything else that we sampled:
Chicken Claws in Black Bean Sauce
Steamed Pork Dumplings
Steamed Shrimp Dumplings
Baked Rice with Pork Chop, Tomato & Cheese
Pork Ribs in Black Bean Sauce
Pan-fried Beancurd Skin Roll Stuffed with Shrimp
Deep-fried Taro Dumpling Stuffed with Mixed Meat
Steamed Sponge Cake
Rice Rolls with Prawns
Sauteed Turnip Cake with XO Sauce & Egg
Kang kong in garlic mushroom sauce
Pan-fried Crispy Noodle Topped with Pork Ribs in Black Bean Sauce
Because this restaurant combines its 4 sub-themed concepts under one roof, its menu of over 300 items is really an extensive one and I think this place is definitely ideal for a group gathering as there’d be something for everyone. Plus the more you have in your dining group, the more dishes you can order to share!
Here are their menus from their website (click to enlarge):
My recommended dishes would be the London roast duck, crispy pork belly, steamed pork dumplings, fried beancurd skin rolls and taro dumplings. I wouldn’t say the meal was out of this world but I felt the dishes were pretty authentic like what I could get in Hong Kong and it wasn’t just about the food, it was also the ambience that added this distinctive charm to the whole experience. I’d have to return again with the husband to try its congee and noodle dishes! He was salivating when he saw my food pictures!
Legendary Hong Kong
JP2 Mongkok #03-80
Jurong Point Shopping Centre
Tel: 6794 1335
Website
Opening hours: 11.00am to 10.00pm daily
I missed the calligrapher in action as the other bloggers and I were too busy capturing shots of the food on our table, lol.
Don’t forget to ‘try on clothes’ at the JP Dressing Room where you can virtually fit into clothes without having to queue up at fitting rooms! Basically if you’re happy with an outfit, you can click on the Info button on top to find out which retail outlet is selling that particular top or bottom then you can head over to the shop to make your purchase or try the garment again physically. Pretty smart idea to save time! Especially when JP is the largest suburban mall here with plenty of fashion outlets, this dressing room is a welcoming technology to make things easier for shoppers! Oh, and you can get a complimentary instant printout too!
Jurong Point is also giving away limited edition ‘bao’ cushions when you spend a minimum of $88 at Mongkok or a minimum of $180 at FairPrice Xtra! (maximum of 2 same-day receipts only). Each shopper may redeem up to 2 cushions per day, available while stocks last.
4 designs (image credit: JP facebook page)
And for a little entertainment, JP planted singers, actors and dancers in Mongkok in their recent flashmob which I thought was pretty neat. Check this out:
Happy shopping and have fun at JP, folks!
Jurong Point Shopping Centre
1 Jurong West Central 2
Nearest MRT Station: Boon Lay
Website
Facebook page
PS: Thank you Jo-Anne and Siew Yin for the invite and my thanks to the JP team as well for your hospitality.
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You are most welcome Geri! Its a pleasure having you with us and are very glad that you had an enjoyable “Journey to the West”. Come again soon!
this was the flashmob held at Jurong Point Mong Kok..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgH5mce83P8
Hi, do you remember where are the miniature food carts located? Went to JP today but cant find them. The information counter and security guards are not very useful.
Hi, I remembered it was on Level One where Mezzo Wear (#01-63) was. Not sure if the display is still going to be there. You might want to check with the JP team on their Facebook page before going down again. Hope this helps!