 |
 |
|
||||
|
|
||||||
 |
|
|
|
 
| |||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||
| Daiba Little Hong Kong: Daiba | |||
| |||
|
Now you don't go to Odaiba in search of the real McCoy. One glance at the dusty artificial beach on this dusty artificial island allays any misconceptions there. So with a place called Daiba Little Hong Kong, you know not to expect some genuine slice of Hong Kong life.
Occupying two floors of Decks, Daiba Little Hong Kong aims to re-create the Hong Kong of a dreamy nostalgic past - some far-off time when people on the street there talked to one another instead of into mobile phones. The experience is a bit like being on some pastiche film set with an insistent soundtrack. Decorations are heavy on red, gold and dragons. From the sound system, you hear the loud, no-bones-about-it Cantonese street talk and the roar of jets overhead. On the "street," Chinese pop songs are played, but step in a shop and Faye Wong soon loses out to the Eagles. There are various gift and clothes stores to browse by. Food shops sell the items you can find elsewhere in Tokyo, not the enigmatic offerings at a real Chinese food market. To complete the Hong Kong experience, you can have your photo taken in traditional Chinese dress - in other words, the kind of clothes Hong Kongers wouldn't be seen dead in. But the main reason for coming here is the food, for which there are a dozen eateries - from inexpensive conveyor-belt dim sum to restaurants with upmarket interiors and appropriately upmarket prices. But the food is surprisingly good, at all levels a refreshing alternative to the bland fare typically dished up as Chinese. Little Hong Kong is certainly worth checking out if you're hungry and in the area. Overall, the place manages to keep just the right side of being plasticky and tacky - not unlike Hong Kong itself. by David Capel |
Daiba Little Hong | ||
|
|||
 |
