How to Eat Like A Local In Hong Kong

We worked with Qantas to bring you all the best things in to do in Hong Kong, here’s part two of the series.

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As we’ve touched on before, Hong Kong is a city that lives to eat. It offers a kaleidoscope of dishes that pull together the very best of Hunan, Szechuan and Cantonese cooking with the rest of the Asia-Pacific. No matter what your budgetary concerns, there are culinary thrills just around the corner. We’ve already covered the where, now lets look at the what.

Airy egg puffs and rickshaw noodles, sweet gooey egg tarts and milk tea, here we’ll show you how to get the best out of HK’s dai pai dongs, tea houses and dining halls.

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Baked Treats And Sweets

Satisfy your sweet tooth with a classic Hong Kong treat, sold from bakeries, carts and corner stores all over the city. Cruise the local markets for fresh wife cake, filled with sweet winter melon, or stop into Circle K for the local preserved plum lollies. Egg puffs (a pod-shaped cake filled with creamy egg custard) can be found at every Hong Kong bakery, while saquima (caramel fritters) are in most convenience stores.

The best of Hong Kong’s sweet treats, though are the egg tarts, framed in heavy dough or flaky pastry, and the best egg tarts are served piping hot at the Tai Cheong Bakery. For the classic Hong Kong bo luo bao (called a pineapple bun for their distinctive criss-cross surface), try the Kin Wah Café in Bute Street, Mong Kok.

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Open-Air Fare

Dai pai dongs are more than just a place to eat; they’re a living piece of Hong Kong history, dating back to the First World War and fast disappearing. These lean-to, streetside restaurants are often just a few chairs assembled around a mobile kitchen — the perfect place to grab some Cantonese food and watch the world go by.

Huddled around the Mid-Levels Escalator, you can find dai pai dongs that are decades old, including Sing Heung Yuen on Mee Lun Street, opened in 1957. For a truly authentic and slightly steamy experience, try the fried pork ribs in sweet and sour sauce from Sing Kee on Stanley Street. On the Kowloon side, you’ll find more great dai pai dongs around the Sham Shui Po and Yau Ma Tei districts, including Keung Kee near the Apliu Market, which serves up a tasty cuttlefish cake.

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Dimsumlicious

From steaming buns to plump dumpling packages, dim sum is the absolute best, and Hong Kong is the best place to get it. You can fine dine the hell out of dim sum at Shanghai Mansion or Fook Lam Moon, but there are awesome cheap options around every corner. Dim Dim Sum in Jordan rates a mention for its Salted Egg Yolk Custard Buns, decorated as little pig faces, while Tim Ho Wan is the hands down winner for budget delights. The flagship restaurant in Sham Shui Po earned a Michelin star for its delicious dumplings, and will knock your socks off with its BBQ pork buns.

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The Best Congee In Town

Congee is a Cantonese staple that has many forms – a thick and starchy rice porridge that takes on the flavour of whichever meat, fish or vegetable you care to infuse. It’s a must-try Hong Kong breakfast dish and you can find stellar examples everywhere. Law Fu Kee on Queen’s Road in Central is a local favourite, serving up fluffy congee with pork meatballs or a homemade clam sauce. Out in Sheung Wan, Sang Kee has been serving congee for over 40 years, including their signature fish belly dish, while Wong Chi Kee in Central is renowned far and wide for their authentic Cantonese-style crab congee.

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Comfort Food, HK Style

For fast, hearty eats at all hours of the day, locals flock to a cha chan teng (Hong Kong-style teahouse). These cheap and cheerful eateries serve traditional Chinese snacks alongside Western-style dishes such as spam sandwiches, scrambled eggs and macaroni, all washed down with a delicious milk tea. For a cha chan teng beloved by locals, try the Tsui Wah chain, which is ubiquitous on both sides of Victoria Harbour. Be prepared to order, eat and run at the Australian Dairy Company, a popular cha chan teng in Central, or stop by the Sham Tseng Chan Kee Roasted Goose in Mong Kong for a juicy slice of the gooey house special.

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Small Sips For The Soul

Medical, restorative or just plain tasty, tea is the wellspring of life in Hong Kong. Made from condensed or evaporated milk, the omnipresent Hong Kong milk tea is a creamy take on the Western original, sometimes brewed in a stocking-like sieve. On the more traditional end of the spectrum, you find the fragrant herbal brews with near-magical powers, from curing cold to boosting your flagging energy.

Good Spring Company on Stanley Street, just under the Mid-Levels Escalator, is a tiny hole in the wall with a host of teas on the boil, including sweet flower tea, American ginseng tea and five-flower tea. If you’re feeling particularly brave, or unwell, try the powerful 24-herb tea – a guaranteed cure for what ails you (if you can keep it down).

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For more on Hong Kong culture and heritage, go here. Qantas is on sale now with flights to Hong Kong. Sale ends May 2, 2016 unless sold out prior. Conditions apply. Visit qantas.com for more details.

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Simone Ubaldi is a ghostwriter, music journalist, film critic and frequent flyer.