Whether you’re visiting the city for business or pleasure, there are a few things you should know about Eating in Hong Kong. For starters, the markets are alive with activity in the evening and close up before sunrise. If you’re craving some local food, try dai pai dong, the open-air food stalls where you can sample dishes such as bowls of noodles and pork chop snacks. Also, you should visit cooked food centers to see how different cultures have merged into one.
While you’re in Hong Kong, try the traditional pineapple bread. It has a crispy top and soft inside and is best served warm. Another local dessert is the egg tart. The pastry is made with flour and butter, and filled with a sweet egg filling. Portuguese colonizers introduced egg tarts to China, and they are often eaten with afternoon tea. The variety of desserts available in Hong Kong is endless, so you can sample many different cuisines in one day.
A typical Hong Kong breakfast starts with a bowl of congee, a dish of boiled white rice. In addition to congee, you can also try barbecued meats such as char siu, duck, or fish. For lunch, a typical meal is dim sum (steamed rice rolls), which are served during the daytime. Dinner is usually a mixture of stir-fried dishes and steamed or boiled rice with meat, or a main dish. Desserts are popular in Hong Kong and include baked egg custard tarts, deep-fried dough, and steamed hot buns with melted butter.
A Michelin-starred restaurant in Hong Kong, T’ang Court, offers gourmet Cantonese cuisine. Its red-carpeted dining room is decorated with velvet drapes and white-cloth tables, and features privacy for its patrons. The menu is varied, and the most popular dinner entrees include braised shark’s fin and sliced lobster. You can also order a set menu for pregnant women. If you’re feeling adventurous, you’ll want to try the famous dim-so.
Congee is a favorite dish in Hong Kong. It is made from rice and stewed for hours. Hong Kongers love to eat it for breakfast, but it’s delicious anytime. The rice soup is often topped with sauces and herbs, and served in places with the word “congee” in their name. In addition to congee, you can also enjoy the local version of rice noodles – steamed glutinous rice – in the city’s food market.
If you’re on a tight budget, you can opt for Subway Sandwiches. A six-inch sub costs about 21hkd, and Tuesdays are 2-for-1 subs! Or try a side-of-the-road noodle stall, which is often family-run. Side-of-the-road noodle stalls also serve affordable noodles, soups, rice dishes, dumplings, and more. Another cheap option for food in Hong Kong is McDonald’s, where you can get muffins and bagels.
If you are a fan of meat, you should try the chicken at Yue Kee. It has been around for over forty years, and the former U.S. Consul General of Hong Kong frequented the establishment. The chicken, which is sourced from Guangdong province, is a delicious treat with its crispy skin and tender interior. It smells just right, too, so you can’t go wrong.