I just got back from Hong Kong, and wow what a great city! I had been once before, but this time I came a bit more prepared. I had done some decent food research, and as chance would have it, had lots of customers the previous week from Hong Kong who suggested places to try. I also brought along my secret weapon: a native Chinese speaker. Read on to find out about our Hong Kong food tour.
Our Hong Kong Food Tour
Sichuan Noodles
First stop on our Hong Kong food tour was a Sichuan-style noodle shop. This place came recommended by a guy named Chris, a Hong Kong-based food writer. He was coming to Da Nang to write a piece on the local cuisine for Destinasian Magazine (including my food tour, sweet!) and recommended this noodle place. I won’t repeat what he has already written, but if you are familiar with Chinese food, you know that Sichuan food is spicy. I love spice, but I nearly met my match here. Amazing noodles, from a shop that looks like this
with a spice level that is forehead-sweat-inducing, but in a good way. This might have been my favorite thing I ate in Hong Kong. The flavors are great, the wontons were fresh and tasty, and it’s just awesome. Check out the chili oil floating on the top of the broth. And that face!
Chinese Quan Nhau
In Vietnam a quán nhậu is your quintessential street drinking spot, and certainly at the top of my list of “Things That Make Vietnam Awesome”. Quán just means ‘small restaurant’ and nhậu is basically ‘drinking and talking shit with your friends’. Vietnamese people nhậu a lot. On our Hong Kong trip, this place is about as close as we got to a quán nhậu. Greasy fried food, lively atmosphere and plenty of beer. First up on the menu, a Chinese classic, the fried oyster pancake. Crispy with a slightly-spicy sauce hidden underneath (why not on top?).
Next was fried noodles that I couldn’t get enough of. It reminded me of Chinese takeout, but in a really good way: beef, flat noodles & bean sprouts, cooked in (I imagine) a searing hot wok with lots of soy sauce and MSG. Yes!
Last to hit the table was the raison d’etre of this fine establishment, rice baked in a clay pot. As I learned from Judy, Elin’s friend and HK local, here’s a couple of steps if you really wanna do this the right way.
- Quickly but carefully lift the lid.
- Crack a raw egg into the pot.
- Replace the lid.
- Wait a few minutes.
- Enjoy!
Milk for Breakfast
Elin is a big milk drinker, so when she found out there’s a place in Hong Kong that’s famous specifically for it’s milk, of course we had to go. Famous indeed; check out the line just to get into the place:
It’s your basic breakfast spot, with French toast, fried eggs and… Mac & Cheese soup???
Needed a bit of chili sauce but it went down alright. Call me a traditionalist but I still prefer the cheesier, less watery version. Oh and they have these really good breakfast sandwiches, with ham, cheese, egg and pickles. Basic, but hits the spot.
Right behind where we were sitting, there is a separate area of the kitchen that’s just for the milk. It’s slowly cooking in this giant vat; when someone places an order (which is about every 5 seconds), the guy ladles some milk out into a bowl and then puts it in this covered steamer. The milk comes out almost the texture of a soft, creamy tofu.
It’s sweet and frothy, and actually pretty tasty, but the whole thing is just a bit too much for me. I like my milk cold, in a glass, hold the bubbles, thanks.
Dim Sum
No Hong Kong food tour is complete without the obligatory dim sum meal. Lucky for us we had it about 5 different times. This one was just down the street from where we were staying on Queen’s Road West, and it was fantastic. You know a place is good when they’re not open that long; they make all their money for the day before 11 am. Of course it was crowded, but thankfully there was no round-the-block queue.
Up top you got savory rice rolls, on the right is the chunky pork, down in front are shrimp dumplings and on the left are the steamed pork buns. You can actually find this kind in Vietnam too, but this Dim Sum place blows away anything I’ve ever found elsewhere. Check out the goopy pork bun delicious-ness:
After an amazing 6 days, our Hong Kong food tour sadly had to end. I can’t wait to get back to Hong Kong to track down some more tasty eats. Meanwhile, if you find yourself in Da Nang and would like to check out my Da Nang food tour, you can book here.
