10 Food Not to Miss in Hong Kong

Beef Brisket E-Fu Noodles at Kau Kee

1. Stellar Noodles

I'm not sure why I've been so obsessed with Hong Kong of late. It might have been the Bo Innovation booth at Savour 2012. The thing is, I have so many favourite Hong Kong eats that it would take light years for me to ever list them all. Okay, that might have been a bit of a stretch, but seriously, I adore Hong Kong's food scene. (Pause - This is going to be a long, long post, so unless you're all curled up in bed and ready for a read, I wouldn't fault you for just strolling through the photos. But just in case you're going to Hong Kong any time soon, I also compiled a list of addresses right at the end. Enjoy!) Noodles, in particular, is something this city is utterly expert in. Without a doubt, Wanton Noodles and Beef Brisket Noodles are the top two you absolutely must not miss. What sets this city's noodles apart from all the rest really lie in the depth of their broth and toothy, perfectly al dente noodles. For Wanton Noodles, head to Tsim Chai Kee for a filling bowl of noodles with giant wantons, or the Maks (Mak's, Mak Man Kee and Mak An Kee) for a smaller offering with a more intricate broth. Also, don't forget to order Beef Tendons or Pork Knuckles when you're visiting Mak Man Kee. For Beef Brisket Noodles, I'd strongly recommend Kau Kee - the broth is remarkably flavourful and the beef brisket is as tender as it gets. Kwan Kee and Wai Kee are highly raved noodle joints as well. The former for lip smacking Beef Balls and Pork Knuckles, the latter for their delicious Beef and Pig Liver Noodles.

Tai Hing's Roast Duck and Pork Rice

2. Succulent Roast Meat

I would never leave the city without clocking some Roast Goose, Duck or Pork. Even in a chain like Tai Hing, the Roast Duck and Pork are excellent. I can certainly find ways to fault them, but that'd be nitpicking. If you're serious about your roasts, make a 4th floor reservation at Yung Kee and order a whole Roast Goose. While you're at that, don't forget an order of their luxuriously soft and flavourful Century Egg. Alternatively, Kimberley Chinese Restaurant does a highly raved Roasted Suckling Pig Stuffed with Glutinous Rice. If you're on a budget, Joy Hing is a good bet - this rustic restaurant is popular with locals and dates back all the way to the Qing Dynasty. Till now, they maintain roasting their pork over a pre-war designed oven. For the Roast Goose fanatic, Sham Tseng in New Territories is an area widely touted to have the best rendition in Hong Kong. Is Chan Kee or Yue Kee the best in Sham Tseng? You decide.

Continue reading »

Tweet
Pin It Now!

A Pocket Hong Kong Guide

Wanton Noodles, Tsim Chai Kee

Hong Kong is by far one of my favourite cities in the world. Some of you may know that this blog was born in this city itself - I spent three months in Hong Kong on an internship stint, and fell completely and utterly in love with the city. It was an amazing experience. I would spend my free time trying tiny hole-in-the-wall joints, strolling the busy streets of Mong Kok, stopping for snacks far more frequently than I needed, and mostly being in awe of the city's vibrant energy even after midnight.

So when a good friend of mine first asked me for recommendations, I typed out an entire list for her in a pdf document out of enthusiasm. Not a list of ultra high-end restaurants, nor the most budget, but really just a good mix of what, in my mind, paints a coherent picture of Hong Kong's food culture. Since then, it has been a convenient file to send out to close friends visiting Hong Kong. Two years have passed, and the file was starting to get out of date. Thankfully, I found time to visit some wonderful friends in Hong Kong this January, and finally gave the guide the facelift it needed. Seriously, everything in there is so drool-worthy by my books that I can't help but get hungry every time I read it. I hope you'd enjoy these places as much as I do.

Side Note: There is a particularly strong focus on Hong Kong Island since that was where I stayed. Are there more restaurants in Kowloon or New Territories that should have been in there? Drop a comment to share! For one, I'd definitely recommend heading to Sai Kung at New Territories for fresh and affordable seafood!



To turn it into a pocket guide,
1. Print double sided on a single piece of A4 paper.
2. Fold in half, then half again lengthwise.
3. Unfold, then fold along the creases in accordion style with title facing you.
4. Fold in half with title facing up.



You can also download the guide here. And read about 10 Food Not to Miss in Hong Kong here.

Tweet
Pin It Now!

Tao Heung, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Eggplant with Minced Pork in Claypot

I was a pretty lucky girl in Hong Kong. Shortly after M left, two of my good friends flew over to visit me! We had one of our meals at Tao Heung, a typical Cantonese Restaurant that also does Steamboat (which smelled really good). It was a small meal because we had planned to snack away at Mong Kok afterwards, and our first dish was eggplant with minced pork. When egg plant is done right, it can be so right. The best egg plant I had so far was in a small village in India. Here at Tao Heung, the dish isn't amazing, but reasonably tasty.

Continue reading »

Tweet
Pin It Now!

3 Delicious Noodles in Hong Kong

Noodles in Fish Soup with Pork Belly, Sang Kee

Hong Kong is quite the noodle lovers' heaven. Look at this beautiful concoction of sweet fish soup with tender braised pork belly! Actually there were lots of healthier choices of toppings available, including fish balls, fish slices, beef slices, etc, but I just couldn't resist choosing pork belly. Apparently, the milky colour of the soup is attributed solely to an ardious preparation process of the stock, and not because of the addition of milk. Impressive! The fish stock was fresh and sweet. Yummy. It's a healthy and tasty bowl of noodles, if you don't choose pork belly that is!

Continue reading »

Tweet
Pin It Now!

Wing Hap Shing Restaurant, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Beef and Egg Claypot Rice (Wo Dan Ngao Yuk Bo Zai Fan), 40 HKD

Have you tried the Beef and Egg claypot rice at Wing Hap Shing Restaurant? The minced beef is diced by hand, and very well seasoned. Mixed together, the yolk adds flavour all round, and the whole dish is simply delicious. They are quite generous with the beef - there is more beef than it seems, and the portion is good for 2 light eaters. The only gripe I had was the lack of crispy charred rice at the side that I had expected. I wonder what the problem was. Perhaps the pot wasn't hot enough, or perhaps the rice wasn't cooked in the claypot. Still, this is really good grub!

In fact, this place has been featured in the media, and the restaurant is famous for this particular dish! You know, it's probably not something I'd travel half the country for, but since this place happens to be right below my house (almost), I have no issues at all(: It's a great place, with a relatively healthy and suprisingly tasty bo zai fan.

P.S. The second time I went, I tried the gong zai min, and the man can yuk (luncheon meat) version my friend had was good!


Wing Hap Shing Restaurant
G/F, 113-115 Jervois Street
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2850 5723 / 2850 5726

Tweet
Pin It Now!

Random Cool Eats, Hong Kong

Squid Ink Bread with Cheese and Smoked Ham

I was just looking for a snack at the Saint Honore Cake Shop near my house one afternoon when I stumbled upon this. So unexpected! I was really excited as I took my first bite, but I couldn't detect the slightest hint of squid ink in the bread. Bummer! Good idea though! Very cool, makes me feel like trying this out at home.

Lobster Bisque in a Slom Jar

And look at this! Isn't this a fantastic idea? It was pretty rich and delicious too. Had this at the quaint Caffe Habitu at Causeway Bay. No lobster meat in this one, except for the mini lobster I suppose, which I figured wouldn't be worth the effort(: Another great inspiration! Now, if only my Hong Kong place had a functional kitchen. I'm itching to get back to my Singapore kitchen to try things out........

Caffe Habitu

L1, 2/F, Leighton Centre

77 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay

Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 3579 4050

Tweet
Pin It Now!

Pak Lee Cafe, 百利冰室, Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong

I was sent on an errand, really hungry, stumbled upon this old school char chan teng, and figured I'll give it a shot. There were various "western" pastries on display, but the pastries were really more chinese than western, not that it's necessarily a bad thing! Some of the cookies were reallly cute. I wish I took pictures.

Continue reading »

Tweet
Pin It Now!

Dak Shing Restaurant, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Soup of the day

When you're out living alone, you start dreaming of delicious home-cooked meals, right? The thing about eating out in Hong Kong is that you really don't need to worry. People in Hong Kong don't waste time. You can get a quick meal of noodles, fried rice, or dishes with rice, in many proper eateries scattered across the city in about the same time and efficiency as any fast food joint. Obviously, even with the possibility of msg, this option far outweighs the nutrition of a big mac!

Continue reading »

Tweet
Pin It Now!

Tai O Street Food, Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Tai O Village

Adorable, isn't it? This is what first greets you when you step out of the bus upon reaching Tai O Village.

Continue reading »

Tweet
Pin It Now!

Quaint Tai O Village + Big Buddha, Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Stilt houses, Tai O Village

Lantau island. I don't know about you, but I always thought that Lantau island was an island-in-name. You know, like how Singapore's an island. I mean, it's the name that pops up most often, it's the largest island in Hong Kong, it's where the Hong Kong Airport is located, as well as the rather classy Tung Chung Outlets, you can almost smell tourists in the air, how can you believe that there's an island life going on here? Well as it turns out, there is! At Tai O Village at least.

Continue reading »

Tweet
Pin It Now!

Tim Ho Wan, Mongkok, Hong Kong

Some weeks back, during M's visit, we made our way to the unbelievably popular Tim Ho Wan - the world's cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant. It took us some time to find this legacy of sorts, and when we finally spotted it, it was because the crowd gathered in front of the restaurant was unmistakable. The long wait you've heard about is true. We took our tickets, and stood by the side, just like everybody else, as I tried to peek inconspicuously at neighbouring ticket numbers.

Continue reading »

Tweet
Pin It Now!

Stanley Restaurant + Repulse Bay, Hong Kong

Stanley Market

This is the town of Stanley. Does look cooler than what I'd imagined! Almost reminds me of Venice Beach in Los Angeles. Lots of small shops over here selling everything, from souvenirs to shades to clothing. It was supposed to be a great day according to the weather forecast, so we'd planned to take the bus to Repulse Bay, but we sorta overshot and found ourselves in Stanley Town instead. Whoops.

Continue reading »

Tweet
Pin It Now!

Rainbow Seafood Restaurant, Lamma Island, Hong Kong

Lobster e-fu noodles with superior stock

M and I were wandering around in Lamma Island, some weeks back, because we'd heard that Lamma's a great place for seafood. It was a real fishing village. At least the side where we were in. It basically looked like this:

Continue reading »

Tweet
Pin It Now!

Brunch Club & Supper, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

So quaint, isn't it? As you walk up the steps leading to the restaurant, it's almost as if you're walking up steps to a cosy little cottage tucked in a nice European town. A piano painted bright yellow greets you as you step into the restaurant, along with the friendly staff behind the counter. My friend pressed down on one of the piano keys and the note reverberated gently. The piano looked so adorable in yellow paint it could easily pass off as a toy. It conjured images of beautiful summer cottages, warm sunshine, and cheerful piano pieces.

Continue reading »

Tweet
Pin It Now!

Sheung Wan Da Pai Dong, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Sheung Wan Cooked Food Centre (da pai dong)

One of the things I love most about living in a new city, is that you really get to discover things you don't normally see as a tourist. Did you know that tucked away on the second level of the Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building and Civic Centre is an entire floor of da pai dong?

Continue reading »

Tweet
Pin It Now!

Lei Garden Restaurant, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

My boyfriend, M, flew over to visit me last week, and I thought a dim sum lunch at Lei Garden would prove a good start to our 5-day vacation! True enough, we were not disappointed(: I'd read that serious foodies preferred the Wan Chai branch to the one michelin star awarded branches in IFC and Tsim Sha Tsui, so we decided to give the Wan Chai branch a shot.

Siew Mai

These were pretty good. The little morsels (slightly smaller than most offerings from other eateries) tasted more refined than those I've tried in other smaller eateries and restaurants in Hong Kong, and certainly had a good prawn to pork ratio.

Continue reading »

Tweet
Pin It Now!

Chuen Kee Seafood Restaurant, Sai Kung, Hong Kong

Sai Kung is beautiful. I went with my friends on a Saturday, and winded up waiting for a bus that were meant only for Sundays. Not surpisingly, we ran pretty late, and eventually took a cab to our trail's starting point. We were intending to find the Sheung Luk Stream, which were supposed to feature 8 falls, some of which you could jump into. I was truly looking forward to jumping into mini waterfalls. But we took a wrong turn, and by the time we realized we were heading in the opposite direction, it was nearly dusk. Still, the hike was an enjoyable experience.

First of all, the air in Sai Kung was unbelievably fresh. I felt my entire system cleansing just walking and breathing in the air. Living in Hong Kong Island means living with bad air. But except for the occasional dryness in your throat, it's difficult to realize how bad the air really is. That is, before I had my first whiff of the air in Sai Kung. It looks like everything in this world is truly relative. You won't know how good something is until you've experienced the bad.

Continue reading »

Tweet
Pin It Now!

新雅翠燒味茶餐廳, Central, Hong Kong

It appears that Hong Kong has no lack of chinese bbq fast food restaurants. Every corner I turn, I'd see at least one of these chinese bbq restaurants. Well, almost. Wellington Street in particular, as you might already know, has no lack of famous restaurants (Yung Kee, Lin Heung, Mak's Noodles, Tsim Chai Kee etc). Still, it was quite a surprise to all of us that our budget lunch in this random chinese bbq char chan teng turned out to be extremely pleasant too.

Barbequed pork and roasted pork with rice, HK$35

I've since returned again and again to this char chan teng for their char siew siew yuk fan (barbequed pork and roasted pork with rice). I love the crackling on the roasted pork, and the sweet-salty flavour of the barbequed pork. It's the perfect combination, and comes with the obligatory greens that makes me feel better after all the meaty goodness. The sauce is surprisingly flavourful, and my friends often ask for a separate bowl of sauce just so they have more to go with their rice.

The meal includes complimentary coffee, tea or soup, but they are pretty nondescript. I choose the soup most of the time, it's a hit and miss game, but with better odds than the other options. Since our first visit, we have also tried other items on the menu, but nothing really shouts out to us as much as their char siew siew yuk fan. I have to warn that the quality control isn't a hundred percent though. There were times when we have dined and left disappointed when the crackling on the roasted pork was soft instead of crispy, etc. But most of the time, we satisfy our roasted meat craving, leave with a smile on our face, and still have change in our pockets.


新雅翠燒味茶餐廳
G/F, 108 Wellington Street
Lan Kwai Fong, Central
Mon to Sat, 07:30 AM to 10:30 PM
Sun and Pubic Holidays, 11:00 AM to 9:45 PM
Tel: 2542 0010

Tweet
Pin It Now!

New Bangkok Restaurant, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

The other day, my friend asked if I wanted to try a Thai restaurant in Wan Chai. He had spotted the restaurant during one of his tram rides home. He said it was popular with the locals, and always packed even in the later hours of the night (9-10pm). I've been eager to try "Thai Shrimp Sashimi" ever since I read about it in CNNGo.com's 40 Hong Kong foods we can't live without, so I was thrilled that my friend had found a seemingly authentic Thai restaurant.

After a short bumpy tram ride, we arrived at the restaurant, took our orders and were not disappointed(: We ordered too many dishes for two people (it's a bad habit of ours) but it was one dinner we really enjoyed.

Thai Shrimp Sashimi

The Thai Shrimp Sashimi was served on top of a platter of ice, along with slices of garlic and a sweet and spicy chilli dip. I've never had shrimp sashimi that looked like this. I mean, I was used to the reddish hue of shrimp sashimi in Japanese restaurants, and this platter of shrimp sashimi before me looked like the ones I could easily get from any market, or even supermarket. In other words, the shrimp sashimi looked like they were the kind of shrimp that were meant to be cooked and not eaten raw. Regardless, I took my first bite, and all my inhibitions disapparated. It had a good bite to it, and tasted surprisingly fresh. I dipped my second shrimp in the chilli sauce, and the sweet and spicy flavours added dimension to the texture of the prawn. yummy. I paired my third shrimp with a slice of garlic. I'm not usually a fan of raw garlic, but the sharp bite of the thin garlic slice went well with the shrimp here, and I found myself pairing the remaining shrimps with both the garlic and chillic sauce. A good start indeed.

Continue reading »

Tweet
Pin It Now!

Tsim Chai Kee Noodle, Central, Hong Kong

I was craving wanton noodles, and the first place I thought of was Tsim Chai Kee! Possibly cause they're so convenient for me, and probably also cause they're so value for money and my pockets were feeling just a little... empty(;

If you're here during lunch time, you'll witness the intimidating queue extending beyond the shopfront in a neat row. Thankfully, the queue moves fast, and you should find yourself seated in almost no time at all, albeit the fact that you'll probably be sharing tables with strangers. Efficiency is high here, and your noodles are normally served to you piping hot without much of a wait. I love the wanton noodles - It comes with 3 huge wantons stuffed silly with fresh prawns that retain their crunch. The beef noodles are also excellent, as the beef slices are incredibly tender (possibly due to baking soda though). The noodles itself are worthy of mention. "Al dente" with a firm bite to it, the texture of the noodle pleases. yum. It's nothing too fanciful, but for only HK$17 per bowl of noodles, Tsim Chai Kee certainly serves up good value(:

Continue reading »

Tweet
Pin It Now!