How to eat like a local in Hong Kong

 Hong Kong’s epicurean culture beckons even visitors to become gourmands for a while. Dining out is the accepted form of taking yourself and your friends out in Hong Kong. And, given its vast cultural influence both from the East and West, Hong Kong offers a delectable selection of dishes to delight even the most sceptical food critic.

Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), Hong Kong Harbour Night 2019-06-11, CC BY-SA 4.0

Try different breakfast dishes

Breakfasts are one of the best aspects of globetrotting. When in Hong Kong try to eat breakfast at different places and try different dishes. You could try Hong Kong-style French toast one day and the savoury, creamy instant noodles with satay on another day. Pineapple buns and congee with fried dough sticks are other popular breakfast options. Whether you grab breakfast at a Wan Chai hotel or go to a street vendor, Hong Kong’s early morning repasts are comforting. Some accommodation options such as Dorsett Wan Chai Hong Kong offer free breakfast.

Share a platter of Dim Sum

Dim sum is an essential Hong Kong experience. The fluffy, steaming dumplings are meant to be shared amongst friends or family. They serve the dim sum on bamboo steamers. When you order, ask for a variety of dumplings from pork (ssiu mai), barbeque pork (char siu bao) and prawn (har gow).  The way to enjoy dim sum is to nibble those scrumptious bites slowly.

Let barbeque meat melt in your mouth

How does a honey glazed, crunchy suckling pig sound? What about some pork belly and flavourful duck and goose. Barbeque meats in Hong Kong come in all sorts of flavours and textures. Pork barbeque is rather popular in Hong Kong.

Try some Fish balls swimming in curry

This is an iconic snack found in Hong Kong. While it is mostly made out of flour, fish balls are tinted balls of springy texture that are served on spicy curry. You might get the fish balls on bamboo sticks or in takeaway bowls.

Try some crispy wonton noodles

Served in a mild and delicately laced soup, wonton noodles are generally topped with prawn-filled wonton dumplings. Some add pork to the dumplings. Once you get your wonton noodle dish, bite into the crunchy, lacy strands and let the hints of garlic and chives make your mouth water.

Try some seasonal hairy crab

You can find this peculiar dish in Hong Kong from October to November. These miniature crabs pack flavour and are colourful. They taste like the finest egg yolk. Usually, you can find hairy crabs in your fish sauce or pasta dishes.

Try some creamy egg tarts

Egg tarts are creamy, sweet and delightful. These golden-crusted butter cookies are filled with sweet custard. Egg tarts crumble in your mouth, enticing all your taste buds. While the style of the crust of these sweet treats is much debated amongst food lovers, they are best tasted right out of the oven, piping hot and crunchy.

Try a pineapple bun

Don’t let the name fool you. Pineapple buns are only that in shape. They resemble spiky pineapples but are made with a mixture of flour, eggs, lard and sugar. Once baked these goodies turn a golden brown and become satisfyingly crumbly. You could add a layer of butter to the pineapple buns before taking a truly satiating, crumbling bite oozing with creamy sweetness.

Drink some Hong Kong-style milk tea

Milk tea in Hong Kong is incomparable. You become a true citizen of Hong Kong once you start craving this brew. They first brew some black tea leaves and then add condensed milk into them to make milk tea. There is a certain smoothness to the texture of milk tea that you find in creamy beverages. Depending on your taste, drink it hot or cold.