Billow at the Little Egret

When I was young, I was always fascinated by a beautiful natural lake that I saw when the train passed between the University and Tai Po Market stations.  Back then, it was simply a lake with a lone rock in its middle.  This scenery in Tai Po Kau stayed on my mind even when I have moved abroad to America, its serenity has never left me.  Needless to say, such beautiful views would not have remained untouched by the business acumen of the Hong Kong people.

During the 1990s, a developer built luxurious housing in this area on Hung Lam Drive.  The Government required the developer to conserve the surrounding habitat, which included lush mangroves that gave home to egrets.  As such, Little Egret became the name for the resulting conservation effort.  The developer built a nice and large structure, which served as a restaurant and event venue.  The lakefront became the venue for light water activities.  The lakeshore areas grew beautiful flowers.

Yet after many years of use the structure and the lakefront facilities have degenerated.  There was a long stretch of closure, and Billow is now the resident facility after a significant revamp of the area.

This sunny day I went to Billow for lunch with a companion.  Because we went from Science Park, we passed by Yau King Lane.  “Yau King” in Chinese means “beautiful scenery.”  As the name suggests, this section of the drive blessed us, perhaps rather surprisingly, with breathtaking tranquility.  It felt almost dreamy driving on this tree-lined avenue, curving its way into my childhood memory on a bright summer day.

I must say, however, that despite the very modern and beautiful ambiance of Billow, the food was not too good.  My Thai seafood salad was good, but his steak was not good.  Even though it was a Monday, it was a full house during lunch hour.  Reservations are made online here two weeks in advance opening at 12:00am sharp.  Phone reservation is not available.

After lunch, we walked around the area and found the mangroves near the train track.  The views certainly made up for the mediocre food.

Parking is available on site, but weekends might draw crowds.

Source

The Wikipedia on Little Egret.