BIG DAY OUT

MONKEYS, MOUNTAINS AND MACLEHOSE TRAILS

Rory Mackay satisfies a burning urge of wanderlust in Shing Mun Country Park

If you fancy exploring a peaceful area that many folks don’t know about, then a day trip out to Shing Mun Reservoir could be in order.

This discreetly tucked away corner of rural Hong Kong has an incredible amount on offer for those who wish to satisfy a burning urge of wanderlust.

Located between northwestern Kowloon and Sha Tin, Shing Mun Country Park is well-known for its population of wild monkeys. However, the area has plenty of other attractions too, including an easy-going nature trail around Shing Mun Reservoir. For more adventurous hikers, there are many trails running up to Tai Mo Shan, including the Wilson and Maclehose.

The simplest way in (other than driving) is to head over to Tsuen Wan MTR station and take exit B1. From the station it is a five minute walk to the 82 green minibus, which will take you to Shing Mun Country Park, terminating immediately below the grassy banks of Pineapple Dam. I recommend that you enjoy a meal before your visit or bring a picnic with you, as there are no vendors in the park other than a small kiosk at Pineapple Dam.

Monkey business

Once you arrive at Pineapple Dam bus stop, keep an eye out for some of the delightful wildlife on offer, especially during the weekdays. You could be confronted by many monkeys, invariably a troop of Rhesus Macaques. Although the Rhesus species is native to Hong Kong, the Macaques found today are believed to be re-introduced. During the construction of the Kowloon Reservoirs in the early 20th Century, the apes were deployed to the surrounding areas in order to combat the spread of a plant that tainted the water supply.

These monkeys roam in large numbers and tend to hang around the entrance, as the rubbish bins and human presence increases their chances of finding a meal. There are signs at the park entrance spelling out the dos and don’ts in regards to the monkeys. From experience, simply be relaxed. Don’t approach the monkeys with food and they will mind their own monkey business. Direct eye contact and sudden movements won’t endear you to them either. With those unpleasantries out of the way, the monkeys are great fun to observe and can be extremely photogenic.

There are a couple of ways to negotiate Shing Mun, the simple way and the adventurous way.

The simple way

Keep turning right from Pineapple Dam and follow the shoreline in a clockwise direction (Pineapple Dam Nature Trail to Shing Mun Jogging Trail). There are more points of interest early on in the trail and you can turn back if you prefer a shorter stroll rather than going all the way around the reservoir.

The adventurous way

For those who are up for more of a challenge there are several routes you can follow. Primarily the Lung Mun Trail heading West or joining the Wilson and Maclehose trail. If you combine the two trails, you can even make a loop via Needle Hill. For the courageous, take a river walk up Tai Shing Stream.

On a clear day, a gap in the foliage may reveal framed views of Tsuen Wan, Kowloon and the Island behind. Back at the reservoir, the final leg of any route you take is particularly pleasant, walking along a flat paved surface under large shady trees that cloak the water’s edge. Take a breather down here, soak up the tranquil atmosphere and capture relaxing views across the water.

Rory Mackay runs adventure company Wild Hong Kong. For more details visit

wildhongkong.com

A slice of the good life

If you’ve walked past Paisano’s Pizzeria in the last few months, you may have noticed that something has changed. Gone is the stretch of fluorescent light boxes that donned the restaurant’s entrance. Instead, you’ll find a rusticinspired exposed brick wall in place of the bright orange facade.

The new restaurant exterior is reminiscent of a New York-style red brick building, which pays homage to the city where Al Morales, the founder of Paisano’s Pizzeria, grew up in.

“My family and I took a trip back to New York a few years ago. While walking around Manhattan and looking at all the brownstones and street arts with the smell of pizza in the air, at that moment I knew that was how I wanted Paisano’s to look going forward,” says Morales.

Founded in 2009 here in Sai Kung, Paisano’s celebrated its 10th anniversary last year. As the well-loved pizzeria chain enters its second decade, Morales is excited to inject some fresh energy into the brand and usher it into a new era – starting with remodelling the shops.

With six locations dotted across the city, the renovation has been a whopping three-year project that started back in 2017 and is set to be completed by the end of this year.

The first site that kicked off the renovation plans was in Tsim Sha Tsui. In late 2017, Paisano’s had to relocate to a new space on Granville Road, so Morales took the opportunity to test out his new ideas. He built a shop front decorated with red bricks – like a New York brownstone – and decked out the walls inside his restaurant with colourful graffiti.

“I was very happy with the outcome and made this our flagship location and the model for all our future shops,” he says.

The revamp for the Soho branch came next in 2018 followed by the Wan Chai branch in 2019.

Over the past few months, Morales has been busy refurbishing his Sai Kung shop, which is close to being finished now.

With factories closed during the coronavirus outbreak, it has been difficult to source certain building materials. But not even a global pandemic can deter Morales as pushed through with the restaurant makeovers.

“Now just seemed like a good time to think ahead. I’m certain that life will begin to normalise soon and when it does, we want to be ready and welcoming,” he says.

Inside the renovated restaurants, the interiors are gussied up in whimsical, pop art murals.

To spruce up the dining space, Morales commissioned a team of local artists to paint the walls of the restaurant in graffiti. Each Paisano’s location has a different mural theme, inspired by the neighborhood it is based in.

At the Sai Kung outpost, you’ll find paintings of a friendly feral cow (a common sight around the rural town), a string of palm trees (a nod to the neighborhood’s famed beaches and islands) and the Statue of Liberty (a tribute to Morales’ New York roots) adorning the walls. For three nights in a row, the mural artists came in at 9pm and worked overnight to finish the painting.

While Paisano’s shops have gotten a facelift, some things remain the same, like the

pizzeria’s much-touted 24-inch pizzas and its bargain cheese slices.

“We never had a problem with our menu. We try to introduce new items from time to time, but like they say, if it’s not broke don’t try to fix it.

“I’m very proud of the fact that even though all our costs have gone up, we have never raised the price of a cheese slice. It’s been $25 for 11 years.”

Besides his menu items, Morales has also kept up the tradition of the Pizza Challenge, a friendly competition he started back when his first shop opened.

The challenge requires a pair of participants to gobble down an entire 24-inch pie within 20 minutes. If the pair succeeds, they get to enjoy the pizza for free. Otherwise, they’d have to pay for the pizza and donate a small sum to charity.

With the revamped space in Sai Kung slowly coming into place, Morales unveiled a Wall of Fame last month to recognise the nine winners of the Pizza Challenge over the 11 years – a pretty impressive feat in our books.

When asked about what fans can look forward to in Paisano’s next decade, Morales hints that he will take on a full remodelling of his Discovery Bay shop this year. He is also looking to expand the chain and is actively looking for new locations.