Best place to buy wine and chocolate?

Tony George · 18-05-2009, 12:35 AM

Making a visa run from the mainland and want to stock up on these two staples while I'm here since imported goods are usually more expensive in China.

Any stores close by Tsim Sha Tsui that carrry a large selection of California wines or some good chocolate?

I checked out Welcome and wasn't too impressed by what they had. Are there any really big supermarkets like Walmart or Carrefour here? Also, what would be the limit on the amount of wine and chocolate I could take back with me to China?

Need to know by tomorrow, going back in the afternoon. Thanks!

PDLM · 18-05-2009, 09:21 AM

Try Watsons Wine, unit 313A in the Ocean Centre on Canton Road.

Leonidas has a shop right next door in unit 312.

Jean-Paul Hevin has a shop immediately below in Unit 212 of Ocean Centre.

Godiva has a chocolate shop on the third level of the adjacent Harbour City.

No idea on duty-free limits into China, sorry.

beachball · 18-05-2009, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by PDLM:

No idea on duty-free limits into China, sorry.

Apparently there is an interesting "loophole" in the duty (or duty-free) regulations for the PRC: I have been told that the threshold for whether alcoholic beverages are subject to duty is 12%, meaning that one can bring a limited amount of wine under the duty-free exemption but unlimited amounts of champagne (given that a lot of it is around/below 12%). Don't take my word from it, but worth looking into.

DaveD · 18-05-2009, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by Tony George:

Making a visa run from the mainland and want to stock up on these two staples while I'm here since imported goods are usually more expensive in China.

Any stores close by Tsim Sha Tsui that carrry a large selection of California wines or some good chocolate?

Citysuper in Harbour City (the biggest shopping mall in TST) stocks many different international chocolate brands and probably also decent wine from around the globe. But they are not famous for being cheap...

Lammarite · 18-05-2009, 02:35 PM

Try finding some of the smaller independent wine stores and buying from there. You will get a better choice as well as helping the little guy who, in the case of these small wine shops, generally know their stuff and can rarely do anything but watch people come out of supermarkets with bottles of Carlo Rossi and Argento.