Hong Kong cuisine can definitely be a bit overwhelming to the uninitiated. After almost a month of eating out here 2-3 times a day I’m just now starting to wrap my head around it. At least, I think I have it down enough to let a reader know what to expect if they’re about to land in the city and try Hong Kong food for the first time.
Any Internet based guide on this topic is necessarily going to be of the quick and dirty variety. It’s an enormous city with an ancient food culture. Indeed, there are many books on the topics of Hong Kong cuisine, travel guides and cookbooks specific to the city.
Tip #1: Throw Out the Michelin Guide
I’ve seen more of these Michelin logos in Hong Kong than anywhere I’ve been before. The reason for that is because they write a guide specific to Hong Kong and Macau. Not the Pearl River Delta, not Southern China, not HK, Taiwan and Singapore… Just Hong Kong and Macau.
And the reason for that is because Hong Kong Kong’s government paid them to do it. This article in the Sydney Morning Herald explains how the Michelin Guide has become something of a global grift similar to Wine Spectator. For whatever reason, maybe just to pad it up to book size, a full 20% of the establishments named in this guide are casual walk-up joints.
If your goal is specifically to ‘eat your way through the guide’ then Hong Kong is a great destination. However there’s no material difference between the places named in the guide and other Hong Kong food joints. In fact, many places not named are probably much better. It seems on casual observation that the guide gives points for “authenticity” meaning they value pork intestines, beef stomach, marinated trotters and preserved egg. They like the gross shit.
One mall in Central advertises with the boast of “16 Michelin starred restaurants under one roof.” Really??? What’s the point of writing a guide if all it says is “Go to the mall?”
If you’re eating in in Hong Kong, it’s authentic Hong Kong food. You should order what you love.
Tip #2: Chain Restaurants are Good, Actually
Most Americans prefer to eschew chain restaurants in favor of local and independent kitchens. This is especially true when traveling. You’ve got a limited number of days in a place you may not return to again. You don’t want to take all your meals in the equivalent of a Chinese Chipotle or Subway. I don’t blame you!
But in the world of Hong Kong food the places with multiple locations are often the best. A generic but independent Chinese restaurant can be pretty bland and is generally not suited to western palates. What’s more, even though they’re independent they’re all very, very similar.
Chains like Bafang Dumpling or Tamjai Samgor are piling as much spice and flavor into every dish as possible and serving it up at very affordable prices. The spicy cold noodle dishes at YKY (Home Noodles) were a life changer for me. One of the best things I’ve ever had. All the noodles are handmade. Only $8 USD and from a chain.
Tip #3 Look for Fresh
You don’t have to look very hard to find extremely fresh Hong Kong food. Space is at a premium here. Restaurants don’t have giant walk-ins to keep truckloads of Sysco food. There aren’t gigantic warehouses and trucks everywhere. The food distribution system here is ancient and operates much the same way it always has. Food comes in by boat (or rail), goes directly into kitchens and is sold the same day.
There’s a vegetable market everywhere you look. Many seafood restaurants have tanks of live fish and crustaceans waiting to be ordered. Many such restaurants are semi-fancy but you can find casual and even street vendors serving seafood from live.
Dumplings are possibly the best Hong Kong food you can order and they’re typically made from scratch with fresh rolled dough. Frozen??? Man… they’re barely even refrigerated. They’re that fresh.
Tip #4 Load Up on Egg Tarts and Milk Tea
Bakeries are huge throughout Asia and there’s no exception when it comes to Hong Kong. Egg Tarts and Milk Tea are a Hong Kong food specialty you’ll definitely want to try while you’re here but anything from a bakery is going to be fresh and affordable.
Milk Tea is fairly strong, almost as much as a latte so having a bottle in the morning with whatever looks good at the nearest bakery is a can’t-miss choice.
Tip #5 Pan-Asian Restaurants are 100% Authentic
As much as I love Chinese, Thai, and Sushi at home, it’s typically adapted to American tastes. In Hong Kong restaurant owners and chefs are not so far removed from their home countries and are presenting fare identical to what you’d receive in a restaurant in another Asian country. After all there are large communities of Asians from various countries living here and hungry for the foods they love best.
Indian and Korean food is widely available.
Japanese restaurants in particular are a ‘safe’ bet if you’re a bit fatigued with Cantonese options. And much like a broken clock the Michelin Guide just happened to be correct when they handed out a ton of Bib Gourmands to Indonesian Restaurant 1968 in Central. That place is absolutely dope with good vegetarian options too.
Tip #6 Get a Little Taste of Europe in Central
Filipinos, Indonesians and Japanese aren’t the only foreigners living in Hong Kong Kong. There’s also Westerners from all over the world living and doing business here, primarily in and around Central.
As long as you keep your eyes at street level and don’t look up at the towering and unmistakable Hong Kong architecture you can sense a strong Euro vibe on the streets in Central. It’s got the restaurants to match. Italian, Greek, Spanish… even New York pizza can be found easily for a nice change of pace from so many Asian dishes.
Tip #7 Be Judicious About Street Food
Particularly if it’s your first time is Asia the street food scene can be very alluring. There’s a certain mystery and romance in trying to find a memorable meal in an alleyway on a plastic stool. There’s a definite sensory overload among all the steam, sizzle, smells and sounds. You can almost feel dishes hit you in the sultry and humid heat.
But just because food is cooked on the street doesn’t mean it’s going to be one of the best meals of your life. Or even very good if we’re being honest. It’s hit or miss. If you like what you see, by all means go for it. But there’s plenty of stalls and stands serving Hong Kong food that are frankly underwhelming or at best a try-once experience.
Often times street food is best enjoyed in the way it was intended to be: as a quick bite in a spare moment when you’re between places and happen to find yourself on the street with an appetite. As destination dining you might find yourself a bit disappointed and be better off with a table in a restaurant.
Tip #8 Recognize the Takeaway Types
Stuck sort of halfway between street food and restaurants are a variety of hole in the wall food stands and restaurants with full kitchens but little to no seating. Fortunately Hong Kong has a large number of “sitting-out areas” which are little neighborhood parks with plenty of benches. Locals love to spend some time outside their small highrise apartments and they need a place to do it. Dining here can be a pleasure and a great way to appreciate the local way of life.
There are a few takeaway archetypes that dominate Hong Kong cuisine. There’s the Grill, which offers mostly skewered meats, stuffed vegetables, blocks of tofu and maybe some eggplants.
Noodle bars are characterized by several bowls of ingredients that you can choose to mix into a bowl with noodles and sauce. Or have the ingredients on their own as the menu offers. My favorite of these is Chongqing Snack which will sell you a bowl of one of three types of noodles with the toppings of your choice, spicy or not, for $5 USD.
The Add-Rice is probably the best of them all. You can’t miss them. Giant pans of colorful foods displayed behind a window in a humble shop. They give you a container of rice and you add two options for about $5 USD. Add a third option for another buck or so. Most of these cook the same dishes as every other one, and most prepare the same dishes daily. But there is a 15-20% variation so it’s always worth taking a look to see what’s available.
Tip #9 Vegetarians: Seek and You Shall Find
Cantonese cuisine is not super friendly to vegetarians. They have Mapo Tofu and they’ll even throw pork into that unless their English is good enough to understand when you ask them not to.
But finding a dedicated vegetarian restaurant is as easy as searching the map on your phone. There’s probably one within easy walking distance. If not, there’s definitely one next to an MRT station. A Hong Kong vegetarian restaurant is exactly like a local Chinese restaurant in terms of decor, ambiance, clientele, even menu. Except that the dishes are all vegetarian ingredients.
And much like Chinese restaurants at large the service and quality will vary. Could be best to play it safe until you find your favorite and remember: you typically have to order rice separately with any stir fried dish. That’s not just true in veggie places.
Tip #10 Just Go to Parkes Street
The Temple Street Night Market is one of the most famous attractions in Hong Kong Kong and a definite must-see. There’s a block dedicated to street food in the market which is honestly kind of meh. There’s also a number of restaurants on or just off Temple Street that are definitely worth exploring and open fairly late.
Before you dive into the world of Hong Kong food you should definitely bookmark this handy list of Dai Pai Dongs because you’ll definitely want to try at least one. The Woosung Street Hawker Bazaar (featured image at top of post) is one of the largest and easiest to find as it backs right up to Temple Street. It’s also open well into the night. Many markets and cooked food centers in the city close as soon as the lunch rush subsides.
But in the area south of Temple Street in Yau Ma Tei you’ll find Parkes Street not far from the MRT station. This is a culinary hotspot of unbelievable proportions. Everything mentioned in this post can be found right there.
If you’re only in Hong Kong for a week or less you should strongly consider searching a hotel close to Parkes Street. Having a million dope and exotic restaurants, stands and stalls within a block or two of where you’re staying is probably the best Hong Kong food tip of all.
