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Visiting Hong Kong without trying the traditional local snacks and cuisine would be a waste. While the food at cha chaan tengs (local cafes), such as the more common dishes like egg tarts, fish balls, pork intestines, and noodles, may seem repetitive, there are always a few places that serve delicious and must-try dishes.
One Michelin-recommended eatery in Central is “Tsim Chai Kee”, where their ping pong ball-sized wontons and fresh fish balls are a must-try. Their small size doesn’t mean they lack in flavour.
At the famous and long-standing Hop Yik Tai in Sham Shui Po, people line up every day for their steamed rice rolls, but I, like many others, am there for the pork intestines. It’s strange, but with soy sauce, sesame paste, sweet sauce, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, even a “fatty” like me fell in love with the dish.
Kwan Kee in Sham Shui Po is a top-notch bakery famous for its traditional Cantonese pastries such as steamed egg cake, white sugar cake, red bean cake, sesame cake, tea cake, and mah lai go. The specialty of the shop is the hand-ground rice flour used for making their products, which can vary in taste depending on the individual.
There are countless dim sum shops in Hong Kong, but many people recommend Tim Ho Wan as the number one must-try restaurant. While that may be a bit of an overstatement, the food is truly delicious and worth the price. My personal favourite and their signature dish is the baked BBQ pork bun.
We cannot forget about roast goose, and Kam Tong in Causeway Bay is the place to go for it. Their “Kam’s roast goose” uses the most tender part of the meat, and the flavour is so good that you’ll be licking your fingers.
