Food in Hong Kong: What We Ate

We spent four full days eating in visiting Hong Kong (plus a full day in Macau and two partial days in HK) and made our normal attempts to document it. We also spent a day in Macau and will include the food we ate there in a post dedicated to Macau. That day we did still get breakfast in Hong Kong and a snack later and those will be included in this post. While the public transport system is great in Hong Kong, we wanted to see a lot so we walked around 10+ miles each full day. Plenty to work up an appetite.

Planning Our Food in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a decent place for foodies and there were things we both wanted to try so I did plan a few meals and snacks in Hong Kong just to ensure that we would get to try some of the food we wanted to (like dim sum, egg waffles, and mochi). Most of it worked out, and unfortunately, a couple of things didn’t (like a fresh tofu place). The rest was left fairly open. We probably didn’t need to plan for those things but with just under a week there, we didn’t want to risk missing them.

Fun fact: Hong Kong is home to the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the world. It’s also 6th in the world in terms of the number of stars. Most of the food at the cheapest one wasn’t for me but I wanted to make sure Kyle went so when I was looking at places, the fact that the particular Airbnb we ended up choosing was within relatively close walking distance of this place was a factor in the decision. But guess what? Kyle didn’t even go there because he said he couldn’t find it. I sent him out one night when I had my food and he just wandered around. Guess he needs my help.

Anyway, Hong Kong is known to be an expensive city, but the food in Hong Kong doesn’t have to be. It’s not as cheap as say, Myanmar or Vietnam, but definitely can be less than you’d expect for this megacity.

What’s In This Post

I’ve divided the post up into the following sections to make it easier for other veg people to more easily find food that is suitable for them:

• Meals
  • Mixed Meals (meals where I ate vegetarian and Kyle didn’t)
  • Veg Only Meals (these were at exclusively vegetarian restaurants in Hong Kong)
  • Meat-Centered (meat only meals where Kyle dined solo)
• Desserts, Snacks, and Drinks
  • Meat Snacks
  • Sweet Snacks
  • Fries
• Other Food
• Our Overall Experience
  • Things to know about eating out in Hong Kong

We’ve really debated if we should do separate posts for vegetarian vs non-vegetarian different places rather than include everything all together. So far we’ve just been doing everything together. Feel free to provide feedback, though!

All in all, as is the case almost everywhere, I did not find it difficult to find vegetarian food in Hong Kong (though planning probably helped). I would guess that most of what I ate was also vegan as dairy and eggs are not as commonplace in the food there with one exception being the egg waffles which do have egg. This trip was unique in that we had a few more dining experiences without each other which is otherwise rare.

Meals in Hong Kong

Food in Hong: Mixed Meals (Veg and Non-Veg)

Congee Wonderland

Our Experience

Congee Wonderland was our first meal and first breakfast food in Hong Kong. While I wasn’t sure if I would have congee while we were there because I wasn’t seeing many places with vegetarian congees (sometimes plain, but it didn’t seem that appealing), I thought it was a dish Kyle should try as it is popular breakfast food in Hong Kong. I saw Congee Wonderland had other options (aside from congee) so it would be good for him but also work for me either way. It was also very close to our place. 

Once we arrived, the waiter was fast. He brought us the menu and it wasn’t long before he was ready to take our orders so we quickly made our choices. I already had an idea from looking online while we were waiting for it to open so fortunately, I was pretty ready. After we ordered, the waiter directed us to the drawer on our table where they keep the chopsticks and silverware which I thought was pretty convenient. They also brought out the food really quickly (within a few minutes).

What We Ate

Kyle, of course, tried congee. He chose a minced beef congee. He definitely wasn’t too excited about the idea of getting it initially, but he does like to try new things and it turns out he really likes it! For those of you not familiar with congee (like us before we were looking into Hong Kong), it’s basically like a rice porridge. Even if you think that doesn’t sound very good, give it a try, maybe you will be surprised too. 

I ordered two things – some savory donuts (youtiao) and steamed vegetable rice rolls which had lots of mushrooms and different vegetables inside. Really, I should have just ordered one of them because it was all more filling than I thought. Kyle tried some of each and also liked them.

Cost

Total: $7.04 (55 Hong Kong Dollars)

• • The congee was 20 HKD ($2.55)
  • The rolls were 19 HKD ($2.43)
  • The deep-fried twisted dough sticks were 9 ($1.15)

The subsection adds up to 48 HKD ($6.13) but I think we tipped or there was a service charge. 

Where to Find It

G/F, 175 King’s Rd, Fortress Hill, Hong Kong

Sun Hing Congee

Our Experience

This was our breakfast the second day before we ventured over to Macau for the day. The time difference had us up early and this was a good option nearby (opening at 5:30 while others didn’t open until later). We thought about returning to the first place because it was good but decided to try somewhere new instead.

What We Ate

Kyle ordered congee again. This time he got Minced Beef and Pork Belly. YUM. That’s a sarcastic yum for me but he liked it. Though I guess he was hoping for the “pork belly” to be bacon when in reality it was pig stomach.

Anyway, I didn’t really know what the food items were so I tried to order those savory donuts again because I really liked them, along with a piece of cake. We tried to quickly Google some menu items but it still wasn’t completely clear. The names of the items I ordered were Catononese Sponge Cake, and Sweet Cake which I thought was the donuts because it said 3 pieces in parentheses and the other donut I ordered the previous morning had something like 8.

It turns out both of the things I ordered were cake which sounds obvious now. So I basically got four pieces of cake (looks like two giant pieces, though). One piece would have kind of been too much so once again, I should have ordered only one. Typically we do aim to order less and then get more if we are hungry so I’m not sure why I was going wild here. I think I expected portion sizes to be much smaller due to the price. They were good, though. And yes, I am eating cake with chopsticks — a fun new experience. 

Cost

Total: $5.24 (41 HKD) (for all the cake and congee together) but I don’t have the breakdown.

Where to Find It

Hong Kong, North Point, Electric Rd, 308號號地下

DimDimSum

Our Experience

One food in Hong Kong I knew we had to try and I mean we – I wanted to try it as well because I’d never had it, was dim sum. It’s a food many people love and it’s a classic in Hong Kong. So what is Dim Sum? As long as I’ve known about it, I’ve thought of it as a little soup dumpling but basically, it’s just a smaller-sized food in a steamer basket (it could be fried or baked). 

I chose DimDimSum for a couple of reasons. (1) It has vegetarian dim sum options. (2) DimDimSum was voted one of the top 101 places to eat in the world in 2012. I’m really not sure the correct way to write the name of the restaurant, though as I’ve seen it Dim Dim Sum, DimDim Sum, and DimDimSum. It’s quite a popular place and so it’s not uncommon to find a line. We came at basically peak lunchtime and did encounter a wait but it was not very long. I think they told us 20 or 30 minutes and it turned out to be less. During that time we were outside we were able to look over the menu and decide what we wanted.

Seating is family-style there. To our right, there were two locals (we think) at our table (dining separately). To our left, there was a group mixed of people from Hong Kong, and what were clearly Americans (but perhaps had Hong Kong ancestry due to their multilingual abilities and appearance). They spoke to us sometimes. Once seated, the waiter handed us a sheet which includes the menu on it. Next to the items you want, you simply put how many you want and hand them the menu. It is convenient, but hopefully, they recycle. 

Surprisingly they gave us a little more time here than at the breakfast congee places. Maybe because it is likely more frequented by tourists and they don’t want to rush people. 

What We Ate

To drink we were given some kind of tea. I believe it is traditional to serve tea with dim sum so this makes sense. I had the steamed vegetarian dumplings: crystal dumplings which came with three pieces (I had already eaten one in the pic below). Kyle had a BBQ pork bao (came with three) and an imitation shark fin soup dumpling (would never get the real thing obviously). While we were eating we saw some other people get stuffed peppers and wow did those look good. If we had seen them before we ordered we might have asked about them  (they had seafood so I guess I wouldn’t have eaten them if that was necessary, but for sure if they didn’t have the seafood). 

Cost

Total: $10.36 (81 HKD) with the barbeque pork buns and veggie dumplings being in the $2-$2.50 range and Kyle’s other thing being a little over $4. We were also charged for the tea which came with it (8 HKD, or $1.02) 

Where to Find It

We went to the Jordan location at Hong Kong, Jordan, 佐敦文匯街28號文景樓地下 but there are other locations in Hong Kong in Wan Chai and Mong Kok (and possibly more).

Food in Hong Kong: Vegetarian Restaurants

Soo Veggie

Our Experience

I scoped out this place in advance as it was pretty close to us and all veg. All of their food is vegetarian, and some of it is vegan. I went here twice. Kyle dined with me the first time. The second time he chose to dine at another place. There are only a few small tables and some bar space so it can’t fit a ton of people but it works. 

What We Ate

I ordered the same thing both times – the spaghetti with mixed vegetables in tomato sauce. Not the most local thing but I was really feeling it, especially the tomato sauce so maybe I needed some nutrient in that. The vegetables may have been local, I’m not sure. I think I had eggplant, carrot, pepper, etc. 

Kyle ordered the pumpkin soup the time he went and I tried it and we both agreed it was really good. I even debated adding it to my meal the second time or having it instead.

Cost

The first time total was $6.39 (50 HKD) for the spaghetti and soup. The second time it was later and my spaghetti was $6.13. I think we got some kind of lunch special the first time by getting both of them due to the time of day.

Where to Find It

Hong Kong, North Point, Electric Rd, 254-280號A座 Wah Hoi Mansion, 6號舖

Po Lin Monastery Restaurant

Our Experience

I planned for us to potentially eat here when we’d be on Lantau and once there, we decided yes. The food is all a la carte and they have it set up behind glass. You just point out what you want and they’ll put it on a tray for you. You can also opt for the VIP experience which you can see more of here. I think that the VIP experience is technically the restaurant, while we went to the “snack station” but we weren’t quite hungry enough for the other. I thought this place was vegan but many people I see now just say vegetarian but I am not sure what items are not vegan. 

What We Ate

On our first go-around, Kyle opted for this plate of some different things. What they were, I’m not really sure. Kind of like imitation meat. I decided to start with two spring rolls and try some of his and see how I felt. We also got a mango drink. After starting on a roll and trying a little of Kyle’s, I decided I wanted a bigger meal and went to get a plate of noodles with vegetables (many different kinds of mushrooms and some other vegetables). 

The mixed seitan plate (what Kyle had – it was something like that) had some interesting textures and flavors. I just had a tiny piece of some of them and decided most of them were not for me due to their resemblance to meat. Kyle pretty much liked them all at the individual level, preferring some to others, though he also felt like it was a lot to eat of sort of similar items. The spring rolls and mango drink were really good and my fried noodle with mushrooms plate filled me up and was good. Kyle tried a little of that for something different.

Cost

• Total: $10.36 (81HKD)
  • Fake meat plate $4.48 (35 HKD)
  • Mango drink thing $3.84 (30 HKD) 
  • 2 spring rolls $2.05 (16 HKD) 
• Second total: $3.84 (30 HKD) for the noodles with vegetables/mushrooms

Where to Find It

In Ngong Ping on Lantau Island, not too far from Tian Tan Buddha.

Chi Lin Vegetarian 

Our Experience

Whenever you search for say, “vegetarian restaurants in Hong Kong” or something like that, this Chi Lin likely pops up. We saw lots of rave reviews about the restaurant and so wrote it down as a potential stop if needed, but we were erring on the side of not going because it was more expensive than we usually would spend on a meal. I planned other potential restaurants and snacks for before it but we had some issues (the market food court was closed, we weren’t sure we find the right tofu place, etc.) so while we had a snack that morning, we didn’t pass something else we wanted and so we were very hungry by the time we got to the garden.

At that point it made sense to eat there. It turned out prices were more expensive than we’d seen online (there is a minimum amount you must spend per person) but if we didn’t eat we would be too hungry to enjoy the garden as much and the restaurant looked like such an interesting experience that we decided to splurge.

I read you should make reservations if you really want to go, but we got lucky. Of course I would recommend booking in advance if eating here is a priority for you. There were people and a wait when we went but interestingly, the people who went up before us were told they would need to wait but we were seated immediately so that was cool for us. Maybe the number in the party was different, we can’t remember now. Anyway, the dining area is nice. I had a waterfall right behind me and Kyle looked at the waterfall (which went over the restaurant) from his seat.

What We Ate

I believe Kyle got “today’s set” and I got some other set. His food started with soup. And then they brought out rice, vegetables, and so on. His meal ended with a little bit of dragonfruit for dessert. Mine did not include a soup but we both tried everything the other person got.

The food was very interesting which was one thing that drew us to it anyway. There were a variety of different textures and flavors. I believe everything is locally sourced as well. I thought the beets were delicious and I had not had them in such a way before. They were almost creamy and I’m not sure how. Because Kyle isn’t very into beets, that meant I ate most of them and with so much, by the end, I couldn’t quite finish that amount of beets. We didn’t take a photo of the menu so don’t know exactly what we got but there were words like “bean curds”, fungus, etc. It was quite a bit of food but didn’t leave you feeling bad from eating too much as it is healthy.

To drink, the meal came with tea.

Cost

I no longer remember what the minimum spend per person was but I believe it was around 120 HKD per person. I think the exact amount differs by time of day and day of the week. This place accepted card so we paid via card and the total came out to $35.16.

Where to Find It

The restaurant is within Nan Lian Garden (address: Nan Lian Garden, 龍門樓地下至二樓, 60號 Fung Tak Rd). We actually thought it was a different building at first so look/ask around and you’ll find it.

Food in Hong Kong: Meat-centered places

Hunan House

Our Experience

Kyle went here twice, both times in the evening. The staff here spoke English and it was not too packed so he even got a table to himself the first time. The second time was a little later and a little more crowded so he shared a table with a high school couple.

It is basically a construct your own soup place: you pick your noodle, your broth, and then the fillings, and any extras. He received his food about ten minutes after ordering both times.

What We Ate

One time he got a hot and sour pork soup. The second time he ordered the Szechuan chicken soup. The waitress told him it was really spicy and asked if he was sure he wanted it. He said yes but they seemed unsure and brought him out something which was not Szechuan chicken. He isn’t sure what it was, but it did seem like he got extra tofu skin, he said.

Cost

The total both times was 34 Hong Kong Dollars, or $4.34. 

Where to Find It

On King’s Road, under the footbridge next to the Gong Cha Tea, across from Fortress tower (it doesn’t show up on Google Maps).

Dor Ho Restaurant

Our Experience

Kyle really wanted to try goose on this trip. It was something he hadn’t tried before and thought this would be a good opportunity. The restaurant was really busy when Kyle walked in. He ordered the special and it arrived pretty quickly. Shortly after receiving his food, an elderly man sat down at his table and got the same thing as him. For the most part, there was no exchange except the mutual acknowledgment of how good the food was. This was one of his favorite meals of the trip.

What We Ate

Kyle ordered the goose special which was advertised as goose and rice. It turned out it came with goose sausage, barbequed goose, roasted goose, a goose egg, and more. He said there was something like seven different styles of preparation of goose on the plate. It also came with sweet and sour sauce and bok choy. His meal also came with a drink and he got a lemon sweet tea. Kyle feels they undersold themselves on what they were offering and each thing on the plate was distinctly different. It filled him up.

Cost

The total was 76 Hong Kong Dollars, or $9.72 (USD). 

Where to Find It

On the corner of Electric Road and Fuk Yuen.

Desserts, Snacks, and Drinks in Hong Kong

Food in Hong Kong: Meat Snacks (Kyle)

Fish Ball 

Our Experience

Hong Kong is known for fish balls. We were planning for Kyle to get some at some point and so while we were hungry up at Victoria’s Peak, we decided it was a fine time for him to try it as a snack.

What We Ate

Kyle ordered a cup with two fish balls. He said it has an incredibly strong fishy taste. This is not really his flavor and while it was alright, he would not get it again because it was too strong for his preference while also not being distinctly any certain fish. He would also have preferred the fish balls be smaller to make them easier to eat (they were about 2-2.5 inches in diameter). The texture was rubbery almost like it had bounce to it. He said the texture was most similar to Swedish meatballs. It was a pretty unique food and he thinks it is worth trying, though.

It also came with a sauce which was spicy and soy-sauce based.

Cost

Because Victoria Peak is very touristy, we probably could have found it a little cheaper elsewhere but he was hungry and wanted to try it so it worked out this way. For two spicy fish balls, the cost was $3.58 (28 HKD). 

Where to Find It

This was up at Victoria Peak, basically at a snack bar.

Hot Star Large Fried Chicken

Our Experience

Kyle visited this place twice also, both times in the evenings. One time he ran out to get it and the other time he went and got it while I was waiting for my egg waffle to be done. This is actually a chain in Hong Kong and is a take-away stand without seating. You just go up, order, get your chicken, and go.

What We Ate

The first time he got Szechuan chicken drumsticks and wings and the second time he chose pounded chicken breast. He said it was good — hot and quick.

Cost

First time total: $3.20 (25 HKD). Second time total: $2.81 (22 HKD)

Where to Find It

We went to the location at 185 King’s Rd, North Point, Hong Kong but there are others as well.

Tong Kee Bao Dim 

Our Experience

After Dim Dim Sum we were walking to get an egg waffle for me for dessert and Kyle decided he was still a little hungry and could use a snack. When we passed this place, he thought it would be a good option. It was another walk up counter and they had the buns ready quickly.

What We Ate

Kyle thought that they would be small because of the price (common theme here) so he got two pork and cabbage baos. It turned out they were not small and so one would have been plenty but he ate both and got very full. He said they were very good — soft buns and juicy, moist, flavorful filling.

Cost

Total: $1.41 (11 HKD) for two 

Where to Find It

We don’t remember the exact location of the one we went to but there are multiple locations.

Food in Hong Kong: Sweet Snacks (Briana)

Hoover Bakery

Our Experience

I planned this place because I really wanted to get some mochi. I had read online the mango mochi at Hoover Bakery was supposed to be really good. The bakery has a history of over 40 years and also offers other bakery desserts. In advance, we also debated the idea of getting a pineapple bun which is a somewhat popular dessert in Hong Kong (I think) or an egg tart but we didn’t end up getting either of those.

We actually had some trouble finding this place but after going up and down a few streets, we did make it there.

What We Ate

When we arrived the lady who runs the place said the mochi was not ready to eat yet because it was just recently cooked but after our disappointed looks she relented and gave us a couple mango mochi, as requested. We also chose a coconut bun because Kyle loves coconut. The mochi was warm which I think isn’t the most traditional way to have it but hey at least we knew it was fresh! We also hadn’t had traditional mochi before (without ice cream). It was pretty good even this way. The bun was also good.

Cost

The total was $3.07 (24 HKD) for two mochi and one coconut bun. I believe the mochi was around 7 HKD ($0.89) each and the bun was 10 HKD ($1.28).

Where to Find It

136 Nga Tsin Wai Rd, Kowloon City, Hong Kong

Eggs Bakery

Our Experience

One of the top things I decided I had to try in Hong Kong was an egg waffle. I had been wanting one a long time and I noticed there were a couple places in San Jose which sold these (I think some boba places) but I was going to wait until we went to Hong Kong to finally try it. It was in Macau that I *actually* ended up trying one of these first but that was close enough for me. 

I actually did not find success in trying the two egg waffle places I wanted to try most, though – one being this guy on Tai O who just wasn’t there when we went even though the Internet told me he would be at that time, and the other being this place where they were just being too slow to serve so I went with my back up which I knew was around the corner.

This place was a different time, though. It was just down the road from where we were staying. We both wanted a night snack and I ordered this and sat near there and waited while Kyle went and got himself that chicken snack around the corner. While I waited, some guy (American, but Hong Kong grandparents) came and talked to me and we chatted about Hong Kong. The wait was actually a little on the long side but I didn’t mind as it was a nice evening in Hong Kong and I had a place to sit. 

What We Ate

An egg waffle, of course (chocolate chips). I think I would have liked it a little less crisp because that is just my preference (for example, I like my cookies underbaked) but it was good. 

Cost

Total: $2.81 (22 HKD)

Where to Find It

Shop A4, G/F, Wah Hoi Mansion, 254-280 Electric Road, North Point

Mammy Pancake 

Our Experience

Up there where I mentioned another place (it’s called North Point) was being slow and annoying – that’s when I went to Mammy Pancake. There was still a line but they were a little more on top of things. It was almost like North Point didn’t care about getting service. The only reason I wanted to go to the other one more was because I wanted a specific flavor. Mammy Pancake is Michelin recommended. 

What We Ate

Another chocolate chip egg waffle. I think this one was a little more suited to how I would want it cooked. Pretty good too. 

Cost

Total: $3.32 (26 HKD)

Where to Find It

8～12 Carnarvon Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui

 Sharetea! 

Our Experience

Yum. This is another one we just came upon when we wanted a snack. Boba is one of our favorite snacks and one of the only things we would occasionally get out in San Jose for the most part aside from donuts. We went up, ordered, and walked off with our drink to enjoy as we wandered to another activity. 

What We Ate

It was a tough choice but we went with the brown sugar flavor. We think this was one of the best bobas we’ve ever had. The flavor and everything just worked really well. We enjoyed it while walking in the rain. 

Cost

I have $3.84 (30 HKD) written down for a tea. I don’t know if it is this tea but I don’t know what other tea it would be (except maybe Kyle getting tea and something else at the convenience store) so it’s probably this one. The only thing is that prices appear lower on the menu when I look online, but that was true with a lot of things. 

Where to Find It

There are multiple locations I guess but we went to one of them that is on Hong Kong Island closer to Victoria Peak.

Ming’s Cafe

Our Experience

After our hike at Dragon’s Back and some time at Shek O beach, it was time for something to eat. After checking out the area, we ended up choosing this place. We actually ordered food but I guess we didn’t communicate it clearly because the food never came. We waited with our drink for a while. The only reason we waited was because we saw how slow the service was here in general. After other people were served who came after us we went to pay for the smoothie and left (we didn’t want to end up waiting even longer for food even though we were hungry). 

Oh well, it was a nice day and it was outdoor seating (but underneath something for shade).

What We Ate

We shared a fresh coconut smoothie. It was good.

Cost

Sorry, another one where I’m not 100% certain it is for this, but pretty sure it is because I don’t have another match for it but not sure what else it would be. I have $5.11 (40 HKD) for “Smoothie King” which I remember being an autocorrect at the time (obviously we didn’t go to a Smoothie King there) but what is meant by king, I don’t know. It just seems more expensive than I remember so maybe it’s a complete typo for something else, but then again, I wouldn’t know what or where the appropriate price is written then. 

Where to Find It

Not far from Shek O Beach where all the restaurants are located. This one is in a corner sort of. 

Our Experience

We went into this gift shop whilewere wandering through the shopping area in Ngong Ping village on Lantau Island and waiting for the bus to come. We debated getting some other things but ended up just getting this snack from the shop. 

I don’t know if this is a local food or a food trend or what because we still don’t even really know what it was. If someone can tell us about this, please do. The pictures on the freezer showed fruits and said “all natural” or something like that. We thought it seemed good and refreshing. Kyle had been feeling a little sick earlier and I just felt like fruit so it worked out. The place is pretty cute and also has egg waffles and candy. 

What We Ate

Some kind of frozen fruit product which was rectangular and colorful. Flavors included mango, taro, strawberry, etc. All in all, we liked it. 

Cost

Total: $3.58 (28 HKD)

Where to Find It

Just down from the Ngong Ping Cable Car station (or if you’re taking the bus, at the end of the shopping street). 

Bakery by Circle K

Our Experience

After a long first full day in Hong Kong we were heading back to our place but wanted to have a little something so we stopped in a bakery near our place.

What We Ate

We got a large breadstick and a piece of cake. We didn’t like the breadstick. It looks good, but didn’t taste right to us. We were somewhat prepared for that due to some other experiences with bread in Asia, though. 

The chocolate cake, on the other hand, was tasty. That piece of cake was more expensive than the others we were looking at but it was the one Kyle really wanted. I felt bad because I ended up eating most of it but it was easier for him to go grab some more random food, especially since I was tired.

Cost

Total: $3.20 (25 HKD) bakery.

• • The breadstick was $1.41 (11 HKD)
  • The cake was $2.05 (16 HKD). 

Where to Find It

There are bakeries all over. This particular one was on City garden Road within the building with Circle K next to MaxiMall. 

Yamazaki Bakery

Our Experience

We were in the metro station and quite hungry so we looked around and decided to grab something from this bakery. I wasn’t super optimistic about these but they turned out to be great. Lots of desserts in Asia we have found taste strange to us or are not our thing but we’ve actually generally found success with donuts. (Like in Korea, for example).

What We Ate

Sugar donuts. Fresh and soft. 

Cost

They were around 7 HKD each, or $1.79 total.  

Where to Find It

This one specifically was in a metro station on the way to Lantau but there are multiple locations in Hong Kong. 

SMOKO

Our Experience

This was a little like a meal (breakfast) but I just decided to put it here. I was really in the mood for coffee and a bagel with cream cheese and it was close to where we stayed so Kyle said that it was fine for us to stop there even though he didn’t want anything there. There was just one woman in front of us and we were quickly attended to by the person working there. They warmed the bagel (I think it was like an everything bagel) for me – delicious (of course the coffee was warm and good, too). I sat at the limited dining area just outside for a little but then we decided to take it on the road.

What We Ate

I had a bagel with cream cheese. Good and filling breakfast actually. I don’t remember what kind of coffee we got but it was a special (perhaps for the day or week) so I think it wasn’t on the menu. I believe it was something like hazelnut. 

Cost

$9.46 (74 HKD) for the bagel and coffee. Not the cheapest but not dissimilar to what I would expect in the U.S.

Where to Find It

Wang On Rd, North Point, Hong Kong

Food in Hong Kong: Fries

McDonald’s and Burger King

Our Experience

Why do we need a category for fries? I could have just briefly mentioned this at the end but we actually got fries three times: twice at McDonald’s and once at Burger King. So I made it a category. We love fries and view them as a good snack. We’re slightly addicted to potatoes in any form, though. Maybe me moreso. We definitely did not plan to get them in Hong Kong but FUN FACT — there are 235(!) McDonald’s in Hong Kong. So basically if you’re wandering around, and you’re hungry and want a quick snack, there’s probably one around. They just make it too convenient. That’s what happened to us anyway. 

What We Ate

Fries every time. One time at Mcdonald’s we went for some ice cream after the fries because we decided we were still hungry. Maybe I should have called it “American Fast Food Snacks”?

Cost

• $1.60 (12.5 HKD) for fries at McDonald’s
• $2.05 for fries at a different Mcdonald’s (maybe a different size) 
• $1.53 for two ice creams at McDonald’s 
• $3.07 (24 HKD) for fries at Burger King

If you are wondering why I list only the HKD for some, that means those were in cash and the only USD ones were paid on a card.

Where to Find It

McDonald’s are all over the place. There are less Burger Kings but I grabbed the fries (Kyle had fishballs) at The Peak.  

Food in Hong Kong: Other Stuff

This and That

There were a few other things but they just didn’t seem worth having entire sections about in this post.

These other things were:

• A mangosteen basil seed drink from a snack store (we had this brand in Tokyo and it was really good).
• Fruit for me, including an apple and banana from a convenience store.
• One ice cream type bar each from another convenience store.
• Food at the airport lounge (pictured above). (We get access to certain lounges through a credit card we have.)

Food in Hong Kong: Overall Experience

Things to Know About Eating in Hong Kong

1. Hong Kong is kind of a unique space for food. It has one of the largest concentrations of restaurants in the world. That means lots of options, though!
2. There is also a lot of turnover. Restaurants close down or change locations rather frequently, only to be replaced with something else. Don’t be surprised if you can’t find a place. At the same time, sometimes a place is just hard to find!
3. Space is expensive here. While some places have regular-sized dining rooms, often places are on the small end. If you have a large party and go to eat at a peak time, you may not be able to all be seated together. In some restaurants, you may not even all fit! If you are only one person or a couple, don’t be surprised if you’re seated at the same table with strangers.
4. On that note, because of the above, they typically like to get you in and out quickly so service is quick and I think they sort of expect you to be fast too. This isn’t Spain. We did notice some exceptions though and these tended to be places tourists probably frequent a little more.
5. In regards to tipping, some restaurants may have a compulsory service charge. From what I have read tipping at restaurants is not customary here in general but something like 10-15% may be more expected at higher-end places. In our case, the great majority of what we ate was food we got at stands/bakeries/etc. to go. The prices listed above reflect the totals which include any tips or service charges when relevant.

Don’t Want to Plan Your Food in Hong Kong?

While you’re likely to run across some good stuff randomly, for those who want to make sure they get a taste of Hong Kong without worrying about planning or finding places, you can also always try a food tour in Hong Kong. Here is a Hong Kong Island Food Tour which will get you dim sum, dumplings, goose, egg waffles, rice balls, and a dessert. There’s even a vegetarian food tour for my fellow vegetarians. We did not do these but just wanted to let others know!

A different fun food experience could be taking a class. We keep thinking about doing a cooking class different places but have yet to do one yet. There are a few different options in Hong Kong such as a Hong Kong Style Egg Tart Workshop or this Local Market Walking Tour and Chinese Cooking Class.

Make It At Home!

After tasting all these foods, if you’re like us you want to eat them at home. While not everything can be easily reproduced at home, there are a few items you can get that will try your hand at reproducing some of these amazing dishes.

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Bamboo Steamer – Great for making Dim Sum or steaming anything. Plus you can stack these so you can steam multiple items at once.

Tapioca Pearls – You don’t have to go to a Boba cafe to get your favorite milk tea with pearls, you can make them at home.

Egg Waffle Maker – The egg waffles are delicious, but the key to making them is that unique pan.

Food in Hong Kong: Pin it!