Hi and welcome to the second segment. Below is the schedule so far:
TRIP ITINERARY
SFO - TPE on BR PEY - Boeing 777ER - CLICK HERE
TPE - HKG on BR Y - Boeing 787 - YOU ARE HERE
HKG - SIN on SQ Y - Airbus 350 - CLICK HERE
SIN - HKG on SQ Y - Boeing 777-200 - coming up
HKG - TPE on BR Y - Airbus 321 - coming up
TPE - SFO on BR PEY - Boeing 777ER - coming up
After our arrival in TPE, we proceeded straight to the connecting flight to HKG at gate B7. I did not attempt to go to the lounge in order to minimize the hassle of requesting another wheelchair again and just waited at the gate.
I was not impressed with TPE and thought that it really lacked natural light. It felt like I was inside a claustrophobic maze with endless corridors and this airport was so different from its Asian counterparts. When you have been to HND, ICN, HKG or SIN and then step into TPE then you ask "what happened"?
When I first booked this itinerary the TPE-HKG segment was operated by a 777 with PEY cabin. That is why I chose it since we would still be in the same cabin type going to HKG. Eventually the plane was changed to the new 787 and to my surprise this new plane only had J and Y cabins. I thought that the 787 would be used for long haul routes and PEY would be offered. The change did not matter much to me since this represented a golden opportunity to fly on a new aircraft.
From B7 it was impossible to view the plane so I moved to the gate next door and was able to get a partial view of my plane.
Partial view of the plane
Boarding started 30 min. before departure and we were the first ones allowed inside the plane. There was a cart with newspapers at the end of the jetbridge. Two FA's were positioned at the door greeting pax and one of them escorted us to our seats.
Cart with Chinese and English periodicals
Cabin
The economy cabin looked roomy and comfy with its Recaro seats. Each seat had a packet with earphones and we decorated in a geometrical pattern with touches of green and orange.
Earphones
We were seated in row 42 which was located in the 2nd Economy cabin. A few passengers were seated nearby but overall the flight was empty so I moved to the back to get a window seat in a whole row for myself. FA's were proactive in helping pax find their seats and store their luggage.
Looking outside the window
An empty flight
Seat
I don't have the exact pitch but it felt fine and I was able to move around.
i found the separate partitions in the seat pocket useful for storage unlike the PEY one on the 777.
Seat pocket contents
Coat hanger on the side of the seat
The screen was of decent size and it was touch sensitive.
Socket for your electronics under the seat
The headrest could be adjusted according to one's preference.
Reading light control is located on the menu screen and not on the armrest
Finally we are able to taxi out
Since I had a window seat it was easy to do some plane spotting
One of the hub carriers
Ready for take off
Bye TPE
The tray table was easy to deploy and it could be folded for maximum flexibility
FA's started to distribute the special meals first and then followed up with a snack and drinks for the rest of us.
The snack consisted of packaged baked goods. I thought that it was a bit frugal considering that the competition offered a hot meal or even some type of sandwiches. However, coming from the USA it was appreciated that something was served for free for this quick flight, especially with a full set of silverware. ;)
Brown rice burger? Something is lost in translation. It was some sort of sweet pastry that did not taste bad though.
Time to visit the WC in the back.
WC.
As you can see the WC for even such a short flight was well stocked with amenities.
This is how the seat looked when reclined.
Windows darkened.
Looking out of the window midflight.
In preparation for landing FA's made sure that seats were in the upright position and that bins were closed. I have never seen an airline so focus on making sure that bins were completely closed and several FA's rechecked this.
Soon we were turning and approaching HKG.
Taxiing to the gate.
The arrival was smooth and thankfully Immigration in HKG was not too full. We went through a special line for wheelchair pax and just waited for 10 min. We then took the HK Express to the IC Grand Stanford for some resting (and eating).
Many here have tried Michelin rated Tim Ho Wan for dim sum including yours truly and I agree that the praises are merited. However, during this visit I discovered Yum Cha which also has many chains thorough HK. Personally I find their interpretation of dim sum to be more creative with a fun twist. I visited the branch in TST (Tsim Sha Tsui) on Granville Rd. located inside the Soravit hotel.
Upon arrival there were already a few people lining up in the narrow hallway and there was a big window that looked into the kitchen with their set up.
Sign.
A teaser.
Nice kitchen prep area.
Interior.
Birds in buttery crust with pineapple filling.
BBQ Pork buns.
Doggie Chinese sausage buns.
Green tea custard buns.
Naked vegetable dumplings with truffle.
Lemongrass beef pops.
Shrimp and pork dumplings with crab roe.
Truffle e-noodles.
I loved all the dishes but one in particular caught my attention - truffle noodles - when the dish was brought to our table it was so aromatic and the taste was rapturous.
For more information about this restaurant you can click HERE.
Originally I intended to go to Yat Lok but upon arrival the place was closed, so I went a couple of blocks back to Yung Kee which is another institution with a long history and a Michelin star recipient in previous years. It is also said that Yung Kee has an infamous reputation for its exorbitant prices but if the price merits it then it's all fair.
I ordered a goose leg over rice to take away and it was neatly packed along with some sauce to go with it. The goose was delicious and the skin was a thin crispy layer that had a lovely texture.
Yung Kee
Interior
My plate.
This Buddhist temple complex was founded in 1934 as a retreat for Buddhist nuns and follows the architecture style of the Tang Dynasty. It is built entirely of cypress wood without using any nails, just interlocking features in the wood to hold it together.
It is one of the most beautiful and serene places that I have ever visited. The beauty of a place like this is not only external. Its serenity invites you to reflection and hopefully in the end would allow one to become a better person.
Main entrance
Interior
Water pond
Altars
Nan Lian Garden located in front of the Nunnery
Thanks for sharing !
You tried all the BR new aircrafts !
I'm eager to try the business class in this 787...
Too bad the catering just suffered of cost cutting again. 2 years ago a hot meal was offered on the same route...
Thank you for your comments M. Numero_2.
Thank you for this exclusive report, Adan.
That's what I like about flying throughout Asia, to travel on long haul carriers.
The cabin is comfortable espacially when the flight is empty
"I have never seen an airline so focus on making sure that bins were completely closed and several FA's rechecked this."=> you notices that too. Even SQ boys and girls are not like that.
The animals-shaped dumplings are so nice. How cruel from you to eat them like that (LOL)
Roasted goose: YUUUUMMMMMYYY!!!
Hi Bernard.
"That's what I like about flying throughout Asia, to travel on long haul carriers."
- It used to be that you were guaranteed a widebody aircraft when you travel within Asian a few decades ago. That seems to be changing lately. My return HKG-TPE was on an A321 and MH has been deploying 737's on their HKG-KUL routes.
"How cruel from you to eat them like that (LOL)"
- I have yet to see a dumpling shaped like a bear. :P
"Roasted goose: YUUUUMMMMMYYY!!!"
- Don't get me salivating! There were far more food pics but I did not post them all. After all this is an aviation site, right? ;)
Thanks for your support.
"My return HKG-TPE was on an A321"
looks like KLM's seat, exactly like that just different color
A lot of carriers install RECARO seats these days. It's the new standard.
You unfortunately missed the unique feature of TPE : the very creative diversity of the decorations of its boarding gates. It used to take me over an hour to check all of them. Granted, the windows are few, and the ones without heavily tinted glass even fewer.
Nice cabin look. BR is departing from its corporate (dark) green, which IMO is a welcome change.
Few passenger know that the ponds seen just after takeoff from TPE are the historic reminders of two and a half centuries of development of aquaculture in an originally infertile plain. Over 3,000 of them remain today, from a peak total close to 9,000 before industrialisation took off in the early 70s.
Nice view of the brand new bridge-tunnel link between HK and Macau + Zhuhai !
Thanks for sharing this report and its bonus - I share your appraisal of the Chi Lin Nunnery.
"You unfortunately missed the unique feature of TPE : the very creative diversity of the decorations of its boarding gates. "
- Perhaps I will devote more time for exploration next time I'm there, although I remember passing by the famous "Hello Kitty" gate during my TPE-HKG connection.
" BR is departing from its corporate (dark) green, which IMO is a welcome change."
- It's not a flattering color to work with but as you know in Chinese culture it symbolizes prosperity and therefore it is ingrained in the corporate culture. The addition of different colors has improved the aesthetics, especially of the FA uniforms. The bright green from decades ago used to be just hideous.
"Few passenger know that the ponds seen just after takeoff from TPE are the historic reminders of two and a half centuries of development of aquaculture in an originally infertile plain."
- Your insight is always timely and valuable. Thanks for sharing that.
"Nice view of the brand new bridge-tunnel link between HK and Macau + Zhuhai !"
- I was not aware of it. Again thanks for pointing that out.
"I share your appraisal of the Chi Lin Nunnery."
- A must visit place in HK, especially for the first timer and so easy to access via the metro (Diamond Hill stop).
Thank you for commenting François.
Green also has a damning problem for uniforms in the Chinese culture world : during the Ming dynasty, husbands of prostitutes were publicly shamed by being forced to wear a green hat. In modern Chinese, "wearing a green hat" means "being a cuckold". You will never see a green headgear in the countries of Chinese culture.
It's a good thing that BR uniforms do not feature a headgear and I have yet to see a male FA. ;)
"It's a good thing that BR uniforms do not feature a headgear"
- Now you know why they don't !
I can't believe it! A very common Chilean expression is "poner el gorro" (lit. to put somebody the hat on), which means "to cheat on your husband or wife". This expression is unknown in other Spanish-speaking countries, where they say "poner los cuernos" (to put the horns on). Hence the word "cornudo" (cuckold). Immigration in Chile was very scarce until some decades ago, let alone immigration from China. I have read that a couple thousand Chinese immigrants settled in the north of the country in the 1880s and early 1990s, though. I wonder if this expression originated with that little handful of immigrants. Funny thing, huh? Oh, btw, descendants of Chinese immigrants invented a sort of candy called "chumbeque", which is hugely popular in Iquique to this day!
Thanks for sharing that little known fact. Chile is a fascinating place and hopefully I will get a chance to visit in the future.
Wow! This report was full of OHs and AHs! That's one handsome cabin! Tidy and modern.
Free newspapers in economy? I saw that in Argentina, but in my country we are still in the stone age, it seems.
Wonderful bonuses. The images of the temple moved me to reflection, indeed. And the images of food moved me to the fridge!
Thanks for sharing!
"That's one handsome cabin! Tidy and modern."
- So true. The seat pattern design is very unique IMHO.
"... in my country we are still in the stone age, it seems"
- From your FR's it seems that Chile is far from that. ;)
"The images of the temple moved me to reflection, indeed. And the images of food moved me to the fridge!"
- That means that I'm a decent photographer after all. :P
Gracias por tus comentarios Nelson.
Thanks for this next segment in the series Adan! I'm really surprised they did not put a PEY cabin in a brand new aircraft. I think in the US we think of 787s are purely longhaul aircraft, but it's true that in Asia, several carriers are using them on mostly regional routes. Still a PEY cabin should have been installed as some Asian regional routes can get pretty long.
The cabin looks really chic and modern with huge IFE. Yes, from a US perspective, the meal service on a 1.5 hour flight seems great, but it's true that you almost expect more from Asian carriers.
Always pleasant to have an empty flight. p.s. thanks for the #foodporn bonus. Yum
Thanks for sharing!
"Still a PEY cabin should have been installed as some Asian regional routes can get pretty long. "
- I believe that the longest intra-Asian route on BR's network is TPE-DPS or CGK and that is about 5 hrs. Now if they plan to use that plane to BNE then it is a stretch and a PEY cabin would make a difference.
"...but it's true that you almost expect more from Asian carriers."
- Especially from a 5-star one. ;)
" p.s. thanks for the #foodporn bonus. Yum"
- You bet. I hope it was satisfying. :P
Thanks for commenting as always Kevin.
Who would have thought that one day there will be nonstop flights from TPE to the mainland? Speaking of changes, "ashleyyau" alerted me that fuel surcharges are coming back to HKG so fares are not going to be as cheap as they used to.
While I find the colour of the seating terrible, EVA Air is always a guarantee for an excellent service. Nice review!
"EVA Air is always a guarantee for an excellent service."
- FAs might not be as engaging as the other competitors, but they are proactive and efficient. When I returned an empty bottle of water in the back galley the FA offered me a new one without asking and she already opened the cap. Now that is service!
Thanks for commenting ThomasDutch.