Hong Kong, 香港, translates to "fragrant harbour" a world city, known to be like the NYC of Asia. With all of the British influence as well, HK is the most westernised and international Asian city I've ever been in!
I recently worked and lived in this city for 2 years and find a lot of the things on this link "39 Things Only People Who Live in HK Will Understand" to be hilarious yet stereotypically true - especially regarding the weather and taxis!
The "million dollar view" from Victoria's Peak.
Eating out culture is very big here, and it makes sense with the smaller living spaces, plethora of types of restaurants and range of cheap eats to fine dining. I have to say the food you would eat is different depending on whether you live in HK or are just visiting. When you live in HK, you end up eating way more western or international dishes. If you are visiting, it's as much Chinese food as you can! Here are some of my favourite HK eats - or must try items of Hong Kong! Most of these are very close to each other, so hopefully you can try them all!
Click on the restaurant names for website links!
TIM HO WAN - cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the world! My fav. all day dim-sum place!
Shop 12A, Hong Kong Station (Podium Level 1, IFC Mall) , Central (Hong Kong Station). +852 2332 3078
There are several locations, but the easiest location is at HK Station (where the Airport Express Train gets out in the city). It is one floor above the podium where you get on and off the Airport Express train! (or below one floor of where you can check in at the IFC). Make sure you go at off peak hours to avoid the long lines that will be there.
(cash only)
Turnip cakes, Beef or Prawn Cheung Fun (rice noodle wrap), Black Bean Sauce Spare-ribs, Har-Gaw (prawn dumplings), Chicken Sticky Rice.
The best and most cheap dim-sum ever. I am usually too full to order sticky rice, but this one is always worth it no matter how full you are!
Their famous Char Siu Bao - BBQ pork buns with a sweet crumbly crusty top.
A close up on the inside. Filled with a savoury BBQ pork filling.
A must order here.
Other great dim-sum recommendations: Fu Sing Seafood Restaurant (Sheung Wan, CWB, Mong Kok), Tim's Kitchen (Sheung Wan), Lei Garden (Central IFC, Mongkok, TST).
One place that is popular but I do NOT recommend is Maxim's City Hall. I don't know if you are paying for the history or view, but the dim sum there is horrible. Taste likes mass produced food that you can see just sitting there in mounds. The only good thing they have there is the novelty of old school style dim sum carts. The food was so unsatisfying that I went to Tim Ho Wan's after for some proper yumcha.
CRYSTAL JADE - LA MIAN XIO LONG BAO
Known for their XLB's and noodle dishes. I like their appetizer dishes here.
Multiple locations (internationally also) - find your closest one HERE. This location is conveniently on the 2nd floor of where you check-in at Airport Express in the IFC, or at the arrivals at Hong Kong International Airport.
Shop 2018-2020, Level 2, IFC Mall, 1 Harbour View Street, Central (HK Station),+852-2295-3811
My 3 favourite appetizers - Cold Jellyfish, Xio Long Bao (Pork Soup Dumplings)
and Shredded Chicken & Bean-starch Sheets in Sesame Sauce. This is a MUST order. It's a Shanghainese appetiser, served cold - the slippery yet chewy noodles combined with the saltiness of the sesame seed sauce and the coolness of the cucumbers and texture of the shredded chicken is like an explosion of flavours in your mouth! SO GOOD!
Several locations - I go to this one: 3016-3018 on Podium Level 3 of ifc mall, 1 Harbour View Street, Central (HK Station). And the HK Airport, Level 7 Departures side.
This and the above two restaurants are literally all in the same building, on the 3F, 2F, and Podium Level 1 floor of the IFC (Central/Hong Kong Station!). Eating tour of 3 rounds in one building!
I always loved their: Sliced Fish Congee, Stir Fried Rice Noodles with Black Bean Sauce Gravy, Prawn Wonton Noodle Soup....all of their food is good, but they are especially known for their congee (rice porridge) and noodles. Hence their name is quite fitting!
I actually can't find my pictures from when I ate here - so I'm going to include an "open rice" link which is ok for reviews, but mostly is great for having a bunch of pics that people upload of what they ate.
http://www.openrice.com/english/restaurant/photos.htm?shopid=17424
Famous Beef Brisket Soup and Beef Tendon Curry Soup.
21 Gough St (Central or Sheung Wan Station, side of SOHO), +852 2850 5967
(cash only )
This is a noodle place just next to SOHO has been here for about 90 years? So ghetto yet so good!
Love the beef brisket soup with Ho Fun (rice noodles). I like the flat noodles with the Curry Tendon soup too, but I much prefer the beef brisket soup because of the meat. However, I love the curry soup flavour too, so...
...I usually order like this! 1 beef brisket soup with ho fun, with a side order of the curry soup! It's the best of both worlds!
Other great noodle house recommendations: Mak's Noodles. This BLOG has some great noodles places laid out nicely.
Vietnamese Restaurant
88-90 Wellington Street (Central Station, SOHO), +852-2581- 9992
(cash only)
Spicy Beef Salad - the meat sort of tastes like Korean BBQ! But the sauce, texture and flavours of everything in this salad just works so well together!
This is one of my favs!
One of my favourite South East Asian dishes: Morning Glory stir-fried in garlic. Yes, morning glory like the old Korean stationary store! But it's a delicious seasonal vegetable!
Other Vietnamese recommendations: La Taste (Stanley Street, Central). I like their curries there.
Famous for their egg tarts.
35 Lyndhurst Terrace (Central Station, SOHO)
+852 2544 3475
(cash only)
They are usually piping hot out of the oven because there is always a line for these egg tarts! I actually prefer the Portuguese style ones from Macau, but every visitor will want to try one of these.
Other egg tart recommendations: Lord Stow's Bakery (Macau)
Excellent Peking Duck.
88 Queensway (inside Pacific Place at Admiralty Station), +852 2845 8452.
Has several locations. The one in Central is supposed to be very nice as well.
They bring the whole duck to your table and then slice it up beautifully for you. Love the cute duck platter! They didn't have that at a different location. I think I would come to this location only just for the cute duck plate alone. haha
One order of Peking duck. Come with a huge plate and a half of meat! Great soft and tender duck with a nice and crispy skin. Make sure to ask for refills on the hoisin sauce, cucumbers and scallions.
Great quality XIO LONG BAO (Pork Soup Dumplings).
Although this restaurant can be found all over the world, I find it to be the most consistent for quality and taste in each place or country. Great quality Xio Long Bao. The DTF in Seoul is great as well.
Same quality and standards world-wide.
On the left - fish roe XLB. One the right - OG XLB.
One other dish I would include, but I don't have a specific place - is BBQ pork (Char Sieo) on rice and BBQ duck! I've had this a a few places including the well known, Yung Kee BBQ Restaurant, but some of the best ones have been local places on the streets! There's a really good on on the corner in Happy Valley, and on just on the streets of the Wet Market in SOHO. Actually, even all proper nicer dim-sum places will have this on their regular menu, so try ordering if you are at a restaurant too!
Don't be turned off by the display! It's just the way it is!
A plate of 3 meat: BBQ pork, BBQ duck and Steamed Soy Chicken. I love all 3, but I have to say the duck has always been a favourite. So has the BBQ pork...and the chicken. Okay, yes, I love all 3.
The amazing ginger, garlic, green onion and oil blend for the soy chicken! This sauce is SO addicting! I think sometimes we order chicken just for the sauce!
Importance of sauce pairing! Don't mix up the sauces!
The ginger oil mix is for the Steamed Soy Chicken. The plum sauce is for the BBQ Duck. And the BBQ pork comes with a sweet soy sauce on it already and you mix that with the rice and enjoy it together.
The stores and restaurants may not look very appetising with the hanging meat and ducks out in the front (especially in the summer heat), but it is another one of my favourites to always get! You can get take out versions at fast food joints like Cafe Coral but it's not quite as good of course!
Gonga Cha Bubble Tea (Boba)
If you don't know what bubble tea is or what to order, see my blogpost HERE on GongCha Bubble Tea. Also available in Seoul, Macau, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, mainland China and the Philippines.
Multiple locations. Click HERE for a location near you in Hong Kong! I used to grab one from a take-away location in Central hidden in the market streets on G/F, 23 Li Yuen Street East. This is the new location after they moved from Queen's Road.
Fried Chilli Garlic Crab!
Mounds of deep fried garlic, black beans and chilli peppers on typhoon shelter crab. Several places have these dish, but it is most well known at these two locations. Take the leftover fried garlic home and stir-fry it up with some rice and veggies the next day - yum!
At HEE KEE FRIED CRAB (several locations) - 379 Jaffe Road, Wan Chai, +852 2893 7565, www.heekeecrab.com
I prefer this location because it is less touristy, and I felt like it was a bit less salty yet more flavourful.
At UNDER THE BRIDGE (several locations) - Shop B, G/F, 401-403 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, +852 2834 6818. www.underspicycrab.com/chi/index.php
To hit up all these eateries, we have to "dash and dine" in between the rounds so we can finish at one of the lululemon showrooms before closing hours! Which showroom do you want to see?
Goodbye Hong Kong. A shot of the famous traveling duck in the harbour. Quack quack.