Hangry in Asia: Hong Kong

During my trip to Asia, I also went to Hong Kong for the very first time! It’s safe to say that I have fallen in love with it and cannot wait to be back. I was only there for 4 days which was definitely not enough time to explore HK’s dining scene. I’ve highlighted a few of my favorite eats, local and franchised.

Local HK Eats

Local eats: pineapple bun, egg tart, HK style milk tea

Kum Wah Cafe – located at 47 Bute Street in Mongkok

When I googled a place for traditional HK breakfast,  Kum Wah Cafe was the most popular result to pop up. After reading a few websites to see what they offered, it seemed that they were known for pineapple buns and I knew that I couldn’t leave HK without trying one. I took an Uber to the restaurant and stepped inside a tiny place filled with people. Tip: there is no such thing as personal space in HK. One of the waitresses pointed me to a table with someone already sitting down. Tip #2: you’ll probably end up sitting with strangers at these little local eateries. The menu on the tables and walls were all in Cantonese, which I can’t understand. The waitresses did not speak English either so I had to order by pointing to photos on my phone.

I tried a pineapple bun, egg tart, and HK style hot milk tea. If you’ve never heard of a pineapple bun, it’s a sweet bun that has a big slab of hot butter on the inside. There is no pineapple flavour whatsoever, the name of the bun reflects the golden, brown top of it. This bun was fresh and flaky, and the melted butter inside was delicious. The egg tart was fresh as well and I enjoyed how thick the egg custard was. Lastly, the HK style hot milk tea was the best I’ve had in my life. It’s different from the milk tea at bubble tea chains because it’s bitter and made with black tea leaves. This restaurant is a must-try in Hong Kong.

Local eats: dim sum

The best way to start off your day in Hong Kong is with dim sum! I don’t remember the particular restaurants I went to but dim sum can be found anywhere. My favorite things to order are: siu mai (ground pork & shrimp dumplings), har gow (shrimp dumplings), rice rolls, and congee. Don’t forget to enjoy some hot tea with your food, which seems to be the beverage of choice during meals.

Local eats: egg waffle

Ah. the famous Hong Kong egg waffle! Always buy it from a street vendor because it will be fresh and tasty. I made the mistake of buying one from a dessert shop in The Peak Galleria, which clearly caters to tourists. The egg waffle was hard and also expensive af since they topped it with ice cream and Pocky (almost $12 CAD!!). The second time I tried it was from a random street vendor in Causeway Bay for less than $2 CAD. It was the real deal.

Local eats: soups (not pictured)

I also recommend trying congee and noodle soup with wonton! I didn’t take photos or note the places I ate it at but it is legit in Hong Kong! You can easily find them at restaurants on the streets and also in the mall.

Franchised Restaurants

Din Tai Fung – various locations

Of course I had to stop by Din Tai Fung for their famous XLBs! If you’ve never heard of this restaurant, it’s a worldwide chain that specializes in xiaolongbao (XLB) which are steamed dumplings filled with soup and meat. It was my second time going to a Din Tai Fung, my first was in Singapore two years ago. I got their pork XLB and it was just as good as I had remembered! They also offer other Chinese dishes if you don’t feel like eating dumplings.

Tsuta – located at Tang Lung Street in Causeway Bay

Tsuta’s location in Japan was the first ramen shop in the world to receive a Michelin star. When I saw that there was a Hong Kong location, I had high expectations for it. They are well known for the truffle oil that they use in their broth. I tried their ajitama shoyu soba which consists of a thick slice of char siu, an egg, bamboo shoot, leek, and pureed truffle in truffle oil. The char siu had the right amount of thickness and fattiness, while there was no mistake with the egg. The truffle oil was flavorful but did not contain as much umami as I was hoping for. In-house noodles were springy and firm with each bite. On the side, I had ordered yaki gyoza which seemed to be a popular item among other diners. Surprisingly, I wasn’t a fan of them as the minced pork filling tasted a bit unflavourful to me, even when dipped into the special shoyu tare and Japanese vinaigrette. I’d say that Tsuta is worth a try but beware of the hype that surrounds it.

Side note: I got a bit lost trying to find the restaurant as it is located off the main road. It’s in a smaller road where a bunch of eateries are. The area itself is filled with tons of shopping so make sure you explore it well after you eat!

 Pepper Lunch – various locations

It was surprisingly my first time trying out Pepper Lunch! If you’ve never heard of this franchise, it originated from Japan and it’s known for DIY fast service meals. There are actually locations in Canada (Vancouver/Richmond) but none in Edmonton sadly. Your food is served on a hot sizzling plate where the meat hasn’t been cooked yet so you get to cook it yourself! They are well known for their beef dishes but also offer chicken, salmon, and seafood. I actually had it in Hong Kong then in Vietnam because I was craving it again. I ordered their curry beef pepper rice with cheese both times, which came with cooked rice, raw beef, unmelted cheese, onions, corn, and of course, pepper. It was very delicious and definitely did not taste too peppery! It was fun cooking my own food and I’d definitely recommend stopping by a location if you’re anywhere in Asia.

Dazzling Cafe – located in The One in Tsim Sha Tsui

I wanted to try Dazzling Cafe in HK to see how it compared with the one back home. It looked the exact same except this one was located inside a mall (The ONE). I got an iced green tea w/ cream cheese cap, truffle fries, and black chocolate honey toast. The verdict? Everything tastes better in Asia (except Mcdonald’s).

Lady M – located in Hong Kong International Airport

I didn’t get a chance to stop by an actual Lady M cafe but thankfully there’s one in the airport. It’s located in Terminal 1, where all the food and restaurants are. They have their own seating area or you can get the dessert & drinks for take out. Lady M is well known for its signature mille-crepe cakes. I tried the matcha one and let me tell you, each bite melted in my mouth. It was amazing. Please do me a favour and try a slice of cake from here if you happen to be landing at or passing by HK’s airport.

It’s been over a month since I left Hong Kong but I still miss it everyday. It’s safe to say that I left a part of myself (or my stomach) there. If you’re planning to travel to Hong Kong, get ready to eat, shop, and walk!