Best Food in Hong Kong
When it comes to food, Hong Kong is an absolute monster
We do a lot of food rankings. Not every country gets their own food ranking article, but Hong Kong isn’t ‘every country’.
Very few places in the world can offer such incredible world class food at such an affordable price. The food of HK is arguably the single biggest contributing factor to my adoration of this city. If you are traveling on a budget, this is some of the best food in Hong Kong.
Also, if you are looking for a more comprehensive guide for visiting HK, check out NomadsNation; Hong Kong on a Budget.
11) Chan Yip Dan (Eggs boiled in tea)
Honestly, I didn’t even necessarily love these, they were just too interesting and awesome not to put on the list. It was a bizarre concept to wrap my head around, but they tasted exactly as you would imagine. Hard boiled eggs with an enormous dose of black tea flavoring.
10) Roasted Duck
This dish was great, albeit slightly pricey at 77 HK ($10), but it was big and extremely filling. The duck was everything you’d want; crispy skin and fatty bites that were full of flavor. The noodles were great, soup delicious, and obviously the silver mug and accompanying milk tea were next level. Favorite part was the smokey-sweet-yet-savory black sauce at the top of the plate.
9) Chicken Cartilage
Twas my first time consuming the cartilage of a chicken and it was awesome. For a mere 8 HK ($1) you get this incredibly crispy snack. Some parts were slightly chewier than I maybe would have liked, but 90% of it was completely on point.
8) Pork Dumplings
These guys rocked, and at 8 HK ($1) for three of them it’s really hard to be upset or angry about anything in the world. This is a premiere example of just how cheap and delicious street food in HK is.
7) Dim Sum Platter
Fruit shaped and colored dim sum dumplings. I don’t mind a creative presentation, as long as there is flavor to match. And there absolutely was. This meal was at a fancier-ish restaurant, but I was walking by, noticed the marketed “Tea Time” deals, one of which was an 80 HK ($10) Dim Sum Platter. No further motivation was needed.
The two on the left were shrimp dumplings, the orange I had no idea what it was but it was amazing, and the green (my favorite) was a curry like flavor with pork and water chestnuts. It ended with the pork rolls in soy on the bottom right, which were a little bit on the mushy side but more than a bit on the delicious side.
6) Butter Chicken Curry/Rogan Josh at the Chungking Mansions
This was one of the best Indian meals I’ve ever had. Chungking Mansions is a hotspot for international travelers and immigrants, some of which are Indian, some of which own restaurants. The naan was great, but the rogan really took home the gold medal.
5) Kebab Wraps
Istanbul Express is a staple in the Tsim Sha Tsui neighborhood, and deservingly so. My buddy and I spilt these two dishes. The kebab wrap was everything you’d want, and the lamb koftes were unreal.
4) Wonton Shrimp Noodle Soup
The last four dishes on this list are entering the realm of food-insanity. Although not the most aesthetically striking dish on the list, these shrimp wontons were from another planet. It was a chilly day, so soup hit the spot. The broth was mild yet savory and the noodles had a perfect crunch to them. This restaurant didn’t even have an English menu. I just noticed the guy next to me sucking down this dish, pointed to him and ordered the same exact thing. One of the better decisions I’ve ever made.
3) Spicy Beef with Green Onions and Garlic
This beef dish had more flavor in it than I knew what to do with. Also, I’m a hardcore spicy-addict , and this dish hit every spicy fix that my body craves. This was my first dish back in HK, and it easily could have been the best.
2) Pork Belly Pot Vermicelli
I’d consider moving to Hong Kong just to have access to this bowl of noodles. In all seriousness, this bowl of noodles was borderline life changing. My only mistake was ordering it at a medium spice, because I definitely could’ve handled it spicier. Aside from that? Heaven in a bowl.
The broth was incredibly complex, harboring flavors of lime, hot spice and some sourness. The pork belly was tender, smokey and had a hint of something resembling BBQ. It was served boiling hot, and I think I devoured it in less than three minutes. Also, I knew I had ordered the right thing when a group of three locals came in a few minutes after me and all ordered the same thing. I can confidently say it’s the best 30 HK ($3.87) I’ve ever spent in my entire life.
1) Goubuli Pork Buns, Smoked Chicken with Rice, and Pork and Chive Dumpling
There can be only one, and upon first bite, I knew this would take the gold. This is a meal from Wang Fun, a Michelin Star restaurant on Wellington Street on HK Island. It was absolutely insane. The pork buns and smoked chicken were fantastic, but the crowning achievement was the pork/chive dumplings. With beer, the entire meal cost my friend and I 180 HK ($23) total, or 90 ($11.50) each. Attempting to explain how good they were would be laughable, so instead, just visit Wang Fun if you are ever in HK.
