Just off Cochrane on Queen's Road Central is the entrance to the pedestrian escalator, which offers a above ground view on it's way up. The ground level walk along and underneath the escalator, on the other hand, is a lot more interactive and delicious. Click to see a map of the suggested walk.

First block off Queen's Road one will see various fruit hawkers in front of the old record store on the right. The little dead end (Stanley Street) next to the record store hosts one of the most classic forms of working class feeding during weekday lunchtimes: Dai-Pai-Dong, a.k.a. street stalls... hearty and greasy... offering noodles to quick stir-fried dishes.

On the north side of Stanley Street across Cochrane, one can partake in another Central office workers' lunchtime tradition: drinking the herbal tea at the Good Spring Company. The Chinese herbal medicine shop offers a choice of bitter (by far the more popular) or sweet herbal tea at $5 a shot. This is usually a fitting compliment to the grease and/or MSG one ingests with the masses in the nearby eateries.

Moving up beneath the escalator, one comes to the next intersection of Wellington Street. Just after the crossing on the left is Hui-Lau-Shan, the gaudy red and gold sign which is the most welcomed sight on a hot summer day. This is one of the many franchise outlets where for less than $20, one can have a choice of freshly prepared fruit juices / puree / sorbet desserts with cool tapioca or coconut milk. After Hui-Lau-Shan one passes the lane on the left and come upon a northern Chinese joint with no real English sign on the outside. Next to that (in the building of drape-makers) is another ordinary looking roast meat eatery, Ser-Wong-Fun. Now Sair-Wong-Fun is famous for it's large variety of Chinese soups and being the canteen for bankers in the finance districts. Keep moving up and one will see a typical Chinese Qi-Bao (Cheong-Saam in Cantonese) maker on the left before hitting Lyndhurst Terrace.

Lyndhurst Terrace

The Lyndhurst / Cockrane intersection is not perpendicular but the right handside splits again into Gage Street. At this intersection, the lively pub Dublin Jack sits across the opposite corner of Cafe Siam, an excellent Thai restaurant. Next to Cafe Siam on Cockrane (still underneath the escalator) is one of the best sweet soy pudding, a.k.a. Dou-Fu-Fa to be had in Hong Kong. The cigarette stand (!) peddles their very popular recipes... soy milk (Dou-cheung in Cantonese) and pudding only and the community support is clearly visible during lunchtime... people can be seen standing or sitting on the concrete flowerbeds enjoying their $5 servings, hot or cold.

Go straight towards Hollywood Road on the left, there is a bakery whose Dan-tart have filled over the years the stomachs of many office workers in Central during their afternoon tea breaks. Chris Patten, the last Governor of Hong Kong, loved their dan-tarts. He even brought Helmut Kohl here to have a try.

Return to the cigarette / soy pudding stand under the escalator, on their right is the entrance to that corner building. Follow the sign for "Flow" and one will find a specialty store for old CDs / vinyl albums / videos recirculation shop. If the search for that ever escaping record is not successful at Flow, one can continue to try his luck at "Collectables" by following Cockrane up the steps to Hollywood Road. Second floor in the Winning House across from the steps is a similar shop with a bigger emphasis on printed material, especially boasting a large collection of National Geographics. They have a good collection of art and antique catalogue books by Christies and Sothebys too.