Just few stations away from the blue line where the main retail attractions are in Hong Kong, Prince Edward is slightly calmer. The most balanced and optimal neighbourhood to be, located in the middle of the Lane Crawford and Apliu Street electronic market continuum. There's a McDonald's right opposite of the building.
There's also a park opposite of the lodging for people watching instead of the open space in front of the bedroom upstairs, but the park bans smoking tho. Just a heads up.
Booking a bed through Hostelworld directly would be a better and faster option than waiting for an email reply, HW bookings require a non-refundable deposit and it kinda sealed the deal by then so it's actually a better way out for lodgings. I've always had been insecure about reserving my accommodation, the stupid things that I do to worry myself more when I go out. It's slightly tricky to spot the place although I've followed the instructions and also punching in the address endlessly in my navigation app, I had to drag all my possessions walking back and forth. There's a neon light sign of a bicycle and it says 'vacancy', it didn't really stand out since Hong Kong has so many stunning neon light signs. It's not distracting enough in this illuminating city, making Wontonmeen scoring extra points for being low-key striking.
Wontonmeen hostel is a collaborative project with coffeehouse Urban Coffee Roaster, making it a whole new bed-n-breakfast experience, in two prices. There's a discount for coffee at UCR for the paying guests of the hostel. On the other side of the cafe is a bookstore named Book B, exhibiting and sells a whole range of contemporary Chinese literature and unique stationeries from local and indie artists/writers. They welcome visitors to flip through their products but gotta 'read with clean hands', extremely blunt and considerate but there's definitely no harm to be plain-spoken as a reminder.
The art space has the quirkiest names for everything, Wontonmeen is the exact Cantonese pronunciation for wonton dumplings noodles in hot pork broth, plus their wifi password is Josun, which means good morning. The common space for the hostel right behind the cafe is probably the main attraction, and there's a wet kitchen at the back for Wontonmeen tenants. It's not a really good idea since the cafe usually closes at 7pm, and their opening hours aren't standardised, but honestly it didn't really matter because who uses the kitchen at the hostel when they travel. I don't.
UCR has that typical crisp and yellow light cafe concept, yet walking into the common space feels like dropping into the old Hong Kong rabbit hole. An overwhelming hipster ambience, a soothing intermission between the cafe and the hostel itself that uses a table tennis table as their dining table. Continuing the aesthetic legacy of the common space downstairs, Wontonmeen space is although compact but complete - the 10-beds bedroom area is spacious enough with a shared long curtain for each double deck bed, but an individual bed light, a storage compartment, and plug point, of course. There's also a shared refrigerator by the door and a water dispenser, a very good reminder to not get dehydrated.
I'd be immediately enticed to lodgings that have hammocks somehow. Tintong backpackers has one (read about Tintong backpackers here!) that I fell asleep on, and Wontonmeen has one indoor and one outdoor at the balcony, really fun stuff since there's a waterproof shade at the balcony too. The lodging is located on the 2nd floor of the building beside the coffeehouse, 24 hours fully surveillance by a Chinese uncle confined in front of a few televisions monitoring the whole building. Probably he was pissed off at me going in and out all the time, punching in the door pin and letting the heavy metal door slam itself, I always leave something behind when I leave for the day.
My biggest confession about Wontonmeen: I love the toilet. Regardless being laid-back, the hygiene of the hostel (and the toilet area) is taken care of daily by a cleaner during evening before dinner time, it's actually the cleanest hostel toilet I've been so far. I didn't even have to pay a deposit or bet my life on to rent the hairdryer, and/or also being lectured subtly by the hostel receptionists about returning it, because the hairdryer is just there.
One thing about travelling alone is that you meet people from everywhere that has done things that you look forward to doing or you won't do at all (definitely not through Tinder because that is a shit hole of people who go to the gym and vape, simultaneously or separately). Martim eavesdropped my conversation between me and the barista when he was playing the off-tuned piano in the common area, and thought I was a Singaporean since he was in the lion city for a few months. We both agreed on that city was the most burdensome concrete jungle to get lost in, yet we spent almost an hour looking for the sushi place which was just 10 minutes away from our dorm. So much for thinking the other concrete jungle is easier to steer around than the one we were trapped in.
We looped Frank Ocean's album at the balcony area with beer when it was drizzling, they went to McDonald's without me (ugh) when I was half death by alcohol and nicotine on the hammock, half of the time we were just searching how to turn on the neon light sign at the balcony area. Surprisingly my Uniqlo parka and Heattech camisole pulled me through chilly nights in the balcony. If you're reading this then see you in Lisbon!
Wontonmeen is definitely my favourite lodging in Hong Kong - price wise is slightly something I'd reconsider because of currency exchange rates and inflation, but honestly this place is worth every penny I've actually spent on though. Plus there's discount for really amazing coffee and a vinyl player, what more can you ask for? Every small corner around has a huge surprise, it's definitely an adventure here in Wontonmeen.
Will be back soon Hong Kong!
Contact details:
Wontonmeen hostel
Website: http://wontonmeen.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wmhostel
Email: info@wontonmeen.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wontonmeen/
Hostelworld: http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Wontonmeen/Hong-Kong/92207
