Deck the Halls with Roasting Ducks

Christmas is not exactly something one would associate with the pulsating city-state of Hong Kong. Steaming dim sum and roast duck, yes. But Christmas lights and mistletoe? Surely that's New York's domain? Well, it turns out NY has some competition on its hands, and we're not just talking IPO volumes here. In the best traditions of an island that embraces anything that will make a buck, or even better a renmenbi, HK goes all in for Christmas in such a commercialized, over-the-top way that even the Walmart festive aisle would cower with inadequacy.

The Michelin guide has long been accused of being a bit snooty when it comes to dishing out their coveted stars; if you don't make ironing out imperceptible wrinkles in the tablecloth right in front of the diner a grandiose paegent (yes, you 11 Madison Park) then you might as well shoot for Zagat instead. But with the expansion of the guide to HK, things had to change. Out here the best food is served on formica, slapped down with a grunt by a grizzled old lady the moment it leaves the wok. And so it is that some obscure, hole-in-the-wall dim sum joint deep in tangled alleys of Kowloon suddenly has a line around the block, and a minimum three hour wait.

Fortunately, with a touch of practicality that would put many a starred restaurant in NY to shame, they give you a time so you don't have to spend your whole day camped on the pavement watching the endless cycle of dejection or elation as each new number is called.

It takes more than tall buildings and a glittering skyline to earn World City status, although those sure do help.

Here comes the reason Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci et al. set up shop in HK.

HK is changing so fast, the skyline is noticeably different every visit. But the oldies still hold their own. We're talking the Lego-esque Lippo Center here, not Mei's mother.

There's something more than a little incongruous about a Michelin star taped up along with the hastily scrawled Chinglish menus.

And the surrounds are a long way from Rue Rivioli or Madison Avenue.

Worth the wait? To be honest, probably not. It's excellent, some dishes superb even, but all it all it's not noticeably better than the countless other dim sum outlets that can be found on any given Kowloon block. That's no slight on HK dim sum - without a shadow of doubt it can hold its own with the very finest cuisines in the world - it's just that one gets the feeling that this one was somewhat randomly picked once the powers that be at Michelin decided it was time to diversify beyond starched tablecloths.

What did we say about over-the-top? Why string up Christmas lights when you can build an entire Christmas palace, complete with a rotating holiday carriage?

How do you say "show me the money" in Cantonese? The brilliance of pushing Christmas is that by the time the decorations come down, it's time to hang the lanterns for Chinese New Year. Capitalism never looked so good.

This is what they call peering into the future.

At 20 cents a ride, the legendary Star Ferry is hands down the best value for your tourist dollar anywhere in the world.

Is there any doubt this is the iAsia century? Even their Apple stores are bigger.

Rock has the dubious honor of hitting the sack early in two Cities that Never Sleep.

There may be no snow, but don't let that stop you, all those piles of mainland renminbi will make some very nice drifts in no time.

Who needs Christmas lights when you've got the mighty Bank of China tower twinkling behind you.

Just in case it suddenly hits you at 1am that you don't have enough handbags...

The legendary Lan Kwai Fong comes alive as the office towers disgorge masses of Suits looking for something a bit stronger than watching yet another Canto-pop talent quest on tv in their exorbitantly priced shoeboxes.

Forget those stupid livability indexes, for a true measure of a city's worth one only needs to check the vital arteries - if they're still pumping after midnight you know you've arrived. If they're not, you know you're in the Midwest. Probably Des Moines.

It's hard to tell if this is a big chair, or a normal sized chair with Mei sitting in it.

Times Square, this way. Bootleg DVDs aren't the only rip-offs you'll find on the HK streets.

It's something of a high school reunion in HK this weekend. Apparently it's not all life and death exams and endless memorization in the Chinese school system. Or more likely Mei was just slacking off.

Each shopping mall tries to outdo the competition with ludicrously extravagant holiday displays. A case in point is this bizarre "Xmas Featherland" installation that would look more at home in the Guggenheim.

One Peking Place is HK's answer to Time Warner Center. Each floor boasts a restaurant, and at the top is a bar that can legitimately claim one of the best views in the world, looking straight back to the sparkling skyline of HK island.

Mei's friend Rain must be cool; like Rock she has a noun for a name.

Great view. Oh and the skyline is pretty decent too.

It's no contest, the Shanghainese restaurant on the 10th floor of One Peking claims the coveted Best Meal of the Trip title before the third dish has even arrived.

The dim sum comes on these cute little hangers. Try doing that with butter chicken.