A Journey Through Greece…In Hong Kong

We were in Hong Kong for a week and half. This post is not about Hong Kong specifically, rather about the magic of putting yourself out there during travel.

Our final days in Hong Kong were the start of the Chinese New Year celebration which began on February 17th. Many businesses are closed for 3-5 days during the holiday (which lasts for 15). One of those businesses that was going to close for the week was a laundry we’d been using, which was a real bummer. We used it twice during our stay and it was great and a simple drop off/pick up situation. They charged by the pound, which was a heck of a lot better deal than our hotel, plus the had a super cute Korean jindo dog who lazily greeted customers through his own little window as folks dropped off or picked up at the counter. We needed to wash our laundry once more before our next stop, mainland China.

We are big believers in the “when they zig, you zag” philosophy when traveling, and, as many people made their way to the New Year parade and other various celebrations around the bustling city, we made our way to the laundromat. We’d scoped it out earlier while out and about and decided the teeny, tiny, self-service spot would work just fine for our needs.

We were somewhat surprised that there were three people there when we arrived, sitting on the little fold-down seats waiting on their own laundry. We asked if there were any machines open, and a nice fellow told us, yes, number three was available. Everyone waiting kindly filed out so we could shimmy in to start our machine.

The nice fellow was enjoying a beer while waiting for his own laundry. We felt he had the right idea, so we walked down to the 7-Eleven at the end of the block, purchased our own beers, and then went back to wait. When we returned, the other people waiting had dispersed and it was just us and the nice, beer drinking man. I asked him where he was from. My guess was Spain or Italy, from our brief, previous interaction, but it turns out that Panos is originally from Greece, having lived in China and Hong Kong for the last twenty something years.

A chef, he’d been working in the hospitality and food industry which took him around the world. We found out he’d worked for Morton’s Steakhouse, a famous steakhouse chain which originated in Chicago, so of course, Phil was familiar with it. After the pandemic grounded him in China, he decided to open a restaurant (actually two), one of which was very near to the laundromat and the other in mainland China.

We talked of travel and food and laughed with Panos during the hour we waited on our clothes. He asked if we’d ever been to Greece and told him only Athens, but we wanted to return to see more. He recommended a road trip through Greece as it’s the best way to see the country (I am 100% sold on the idea). We asked if his restaurant was closed for the next few days due to the Chinese New Year holiday. He told us they were only closed that day because, he joked, he needed to do his laundry, but that they would be open the following night. He invited us to come by and we told him we’d be there at seven o’clock. He said he would take us on “a journey through Greece”.

Our hotel was near the harbor where the annual New Year’s fireworks display happens. We had already experienced some of the increased activity and people in the city during our time there as they geared up for the holiday, visiting some of the markets and partaking in special food treats reserved for that time of year. It was pretty cool but also very crowded and intense. We understand that by traveling around Asia, we are going to encounter really big crowds and crowded situations. We do, however, like to get away from it when possible and while we had considered watching the fireworks display, how often do you get invited by a chef to visit his restaurant?

So, we zagged upstream, against the throngs of people making their way to the Harbor and arrived a little after 7 the following night to the lovely Santorini Steakhouse by Panos. Panos greeted us and offered our choice of seating. We chose a table outside, the coolish night air being a welcome change from the hot, humid day. Panos brought us out a glass of crisp white wine that we sipped while perusing the menu.

Santorini Steakhouse, is, well, a steak house, but it also offers classic Greek dishes. Phil and I were both tempted by the delicious sounding cuts of meat on offer, but decided to keep it Greek. We figured that during our 60 days of travel in mainland China (that we would leave for the next day), we would probably be able to get a steak if we wanted one, but it would be much less likely that we would be able to find Greek food.

We started with meze plates of taramasalata (white cod fish roe whipped with lemon) served with warm pita bread and kolokithokeftedes (pumpkin fritters made with feta and herbs) served with tzatziki. It was all delicious and Panos brought us another white wine to try. The second white tasted a bit more like a chardonnay (though it was a Greek wine) and the first a bit lighter and crisper. Both were quite nice.

It turns out that the fellow who took our order, who we later discovered was the front of house/GM for the restaurant, Alfonso, is Gallego (from Galicia, Spain). Phil and I visited Galicia during our time living in Asturias and in fact, Galicia is the neighboring autonomous community to the west of Asturias. Gallegos generally tend to be outgoing and fun people, from our experience and according to our friend, Diana, who is Asturiana. Alfonso was no exception.

Alfonso has lived in many different places around the world, including the U.S. When we told him we’d lived in Asturias, he asked, “Why Asturias? That’s like moving to the U.S. and living in Wisconsin”. He was a real character and we enjoyed chatting with him a bit between courses. When we were ready to order our entrees, we told him we wanted to ask Panos some questions about the menu. He seemed offended and told us, “This is my menu, ask me anything”, and so we told him we wanted the moussaka, a favorite of Phil’s, and I was considering the braised beef cheeks. He told us the beef cheeks were not very Greek, more Mediterranean and if we wanted traditionally Greek food, better to go with the pork chop and lentils. I love a good pork chop and am neutral on lentils, so we took his recommendation and ordered one of each.

Panos brought us out a merlot as the moussaka arrived. I’m not usually a huge merlot person due to high tannins, but this one was very smooth and I liked it a lot. Next, with the pork chop, came a chilled, red Moscato. I have only ever had white moscato which is typically rather sweet and I don’t love. The red one, while certainly sweeter than the merlot, wasn’t overly so and I liked it quite a bit. The lentils were the star of the show in my opinion. It sounds crazy but they were freaking amazing! The best lentils I have ever had, so creamy and herbaceous and just wonderful. The pork chop was also quite good.

And the wine kept flowing! While we were finishing up our Moscato, Panos brought out another bottle, with three glasses. He opened the bottle and told us not to hurry. The wine needed to breathe a bit. We were happy that he’d brought three glasses, hoping that meant he was going to join us as we so enjoyed visiting with him the night before.

We finished our Moscato and Panos pulled up a chair and joined us, pouring us all a glass of Xinomavro, a dry red wine from Greece’s Amyndeon region. We laughed and talked, with Alfonso popping in and out, joining us in conversation as well.

To end the meal, Panos brought out a port after the Xinomavro. The desert wine was a real treat and very lovely. We floated our way to the exit just before 11pm and grabbed a couple of photos with Panos (next to Phil in the photo below) and Alfonso before heading back to the hotel.

One of our favorite parts of traveling, is having chance encounters like this one, with others; locals or other travelers (a couple of other examples are during our trip to Tokyo and our time in Turkey). Phil and I are both introverts and while we try to be friendly, it may not always be our first instinct to strike up a conversation with a stranger, but that’s where the magic happens, getting out of your comfort zone. Oftentimes, it is, in fact, uncomfortable, but every time you do it, it reinforces the behavior and sometimes it can be magical.