Five awesome things to do five minutes from Wan Chai MTR station

Forget the fancy F&B offerings in neighbouring Lee Tung Avenue and head to Kam Fung Café for a slice of old Hong Kong. This place is one of the few remaining old school cha chan tengs where they serve cold milk tea the traditional way – without ice. Around four minutes walk from Exit A3 on Spring Garden Lane, Kam Fun’s macaroni with ham and satay beef instant noodles are popular, but the dish that makes this place continually cramped is its warm pineapple bun served with a thick slab of cold butter. Be sure to order it if you visit.

If you’re after digital retail therapy, Wan Chai Computer Centre has everything you could imagine. Located just outside Exit A4 is this temple to cables, laptops, cameras, monitors, headphones, video games and adaptors for devices you didn’t know you needed yet. The range is excellent and the prices fair. Still, if you’re after more of a bargain and willing to walk a little further, 188 Shopping Centre on Wan Chai Road is an excellent spot for secondhand electronics that compares favourably to anything in Sham Shui Po.

Just less than five minutes walk away from Exit C is Hong Kong’s self-proclaimed longest-running live music venue. A local institution, The Wanch remains the best place in town for cheap drinks and live music every night of the week. The place consistently champions local bands of all genres and never charges for entry. Whether you’re into blues covers or psych-rock, our advice is to roll up with an open mind and see what happens.

An easily accessible venue a minute or two away from Exit A3, Southorn Playground is a popular venue for locals to play football or basketball games. If you’re keen to avoid the crowds, the playground actually makes for a great place to chill. Buy a few drinks or snacks from a nearby 7-Eleven or Circle K, settle in the stands and enjoy the action. Low-key and low-budget. 

For one of the best views in all Hong Kong, take Exit A4 from Wan Chai MTR Station along Thomson Road and head up to Wooloomooloo’s breathtaking rooftop bar. True, the harbour view is partially obscured by other highrises but it’s more than made up for by the vista that looks out over Causeway Bay, Happy Valley Racecourse and the hills beyond. This location, right in the heart of the Wan Chai, gives you a great vantage point for taking in the daily hustle and bustle of the neighbourhood.