Fast, frenetic, fashionable and sometimes furiously loud, Hong Kong is one town this Scouter would cheat on her beloved Mumbai for. Here are details of her dirty weekend with the other city by the sea.

Eat

It seems like every nook and cranny of Hong Kong has a restaurant. They tuck themselves amongst office buildings and surround the signature “travelator” in Central, and can even be found buried under froths of tulle at Kimberly Street, a stretch of bridal stores that hawks dresses in bizarre colors and also delish Korean restaurants.

If you’re an herbivore looking for good Chinese food, Three Virtues in Kowloon is your best bet. This restaurant is exclusively vegetarian, offers a huge selection of dim sum for lunch (highly recommended) and also mock meat dishes that are astonishingly tasty.

Also super charming is ABC, a tiny restaurant in Sheung Wan cooked food market, located in what seems like a rundown food courtbut serving up authentic, home style Italian dishes. Try the pasta in red sauce. Finally a shout out to Pret A Manger, the British sandwich chain that we were ecstatic to find all over Hong Kong. Be sure to step in for an egg salad or sweet potato falafel sandwich if you spot a branch.

Getting there: Three Virtues, 4/F, JD Mall, 233-239 Nathan Road, Jordan, Kowloon; ABC, Shop 7, Food Market, 1 Queen Street.

Drink

It’s no Seoul, but Hong Kong has its share of karaoke lovers. One of the best places to sing along is The Derby, a nice English pub close to Happy Valley (horse-racing central – check it out!) where a live band will back you up. Break a leg!

Lan Kwai Fong street in Central Hong Kong is jammed with more bars and restaurants than you can ever go to. We visited during Chinese New Year, and the party atmosphere reminded us of New Orleans. The best way to experience the slope-y neighborhood is to just walk around and step into whichever bar catches your fancy, but the Hong Kong Brewhouse is always fun and we also loved Peel, a small bar on Peel Street that serves super Singapore Slings.

Getting there: Shop G-1, G/F Valley Centre, Morrison Hill Road; Hong Kong Brewhouse, LG/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong; Peel, G/F, 21 Elgin Street, Central.

Do

Think you can’t paint? Go Art Jamming, and you might just find a hidden talent. At the very least, you’ll end up having a blast. Hosted in a little studio on Wellington Street, this is a regular event where guests are given canvases, tools and an unlimited supply of acrylic paints, and asked to create their own work of art. Guiding them is Betty, talented and funny and super helpful. We suggest you take along your sense of play and a flask for inspiration.

Also visit the Chi Lin Nunnery in northern Kowloon, whose buildings are built in the style of the Tang Dynasty, without any nails. Extremely serene and beautiful, and a sharp contrast to Hong Kong proper.

Getting there: Art Jamming, 123 Wellington Street, Central, visit www.artjamming.com for schedule and details; Chi Lin Nunnery, Diamond Hill, Kowloon.

Shop:

Along with a ton of international chains (we found the Vivienne Westwood “Heart” shoes here!) Hong Kong has some great little shops, best discovered when you wander around. Try the neighborhood just to the west of Chatham Road South - Observatory Road and Granville Road for funky stores. Causeway Bay is also good for shopping, as is TST in Kowloon – lots of chaos, few designer labels – a good way to spend the afternoon!

PS: Big shout out to Hong Kong resident and temporary Scouter Sara Devi Earnshaw for showing us around!