The world on your plate in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is renowned as Asia’s World City. However, the city can easily wear another moniker of Asia’s Food City. Hongkongers are extremely passionate about food and eateries of every type and genre populate the city. If that’s not all, HongKongers are also well aware of major global culinary trends and embrace them with great gusto. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, farm to table, Hong Kong offers them all and more.
If you had only 48 hours to spend in Hong Kong how would you plan your culinary adventures? Our team at Engel & Völkers has put together a list of their favorite eateries that qualify as must-visit spots for any foodie on a visit to our fair city.
A taste of yum cha
When one thinks of Chinese food, dim sum inevitably comes to mind and in Hong Kong the art of yum cha or quaffing Chinese tea with steamed or fried small eats is serious business. The city abounds with numerous excellent dim sum eateries. Perennial favorites include Maxim’s Palace City Hall, a restaurant that offers the old-world dim sum experience with push carts arriving at your table. The carts offer a selection of traditional dim sum treats like Shu Mai, Har Gow, Char Siu Bao and many more.
Tim Ho Wan, a homegrown Hong Kong renowned as the world’s least expensive Michelin-starred dim sum eatery is another hot favorite. The restaurant chain that has now grown beyond Hong Kong is much-loved for its delectable, innovative treats such as baked char siu buns, vermicelli rolls stuffed with pig’s liver and turnip cake.
At the other end of the scale is Mott 32, a relatively new restaurant that occupies a cavernous space in the basement of the flagship Standard Chartered Building on Des Voeux Road. Mott 32 serves dim sum crafted with quality ingredients from around the world such as Spanish Iberico ham, Kurobuta Pork, South Australian lobster and more.
Savor Roast Goose
Roast Goose served with rice or rice vermicelli is a favored dish in all of southern China. So it’s hardly surprising that the iconic dish featuring seasoned geese roasted over charcoal fire has a cult-like following in Hong Kong. A popular lunchtime treat, Hong Kongers are always on the lookout for the perfect roast goose meal. Crowd-pleasing haunts include the tourist-heavy Yung Kee long-established eatery on Wellington Street and the no-frills family-owned Yat Lok Restaurant on Stanley Street. Worth a mention is the trendy Ho Lee Fook on Elgin Street, which features a wall of gold-hued waving Japanese beckoning cats or Maneki-neko as décor and has Taiwanese-Canadian chef Jowett Yu at its helm.
Take comfort at a Cha Chaan Teng
If South-east Asia is famed for its street and hawker food offerings, Hong Kong has its Cha Chaan tengs. Cha Chaan Tengs are old-world diners where Hong Kongers gather to chat and eat Hong Kong style comfort foods. Cha Chaan teng menus have indigenous Hong Kong eats like Pineapple Buns (Bo Lo Baau), Hong Kong-style Milk Tea called pantyhose or silk stocking tea because it is brewed in a tea sock that resembles a stocking, egg tarts and more. The city’s best-known Cha Chaan Tengs include branches of Tsui Wah restaurant and the Australian Dairy Company.
Sip a cuppa or two
Another long-entrenched Hong Kong tradition is the Afternoon Tea Set, which is in fact a legacy of the British era in Hong Kong. Afternoon tea sets are available at fine luxury hotels and various restaurants in Hong Kong. For a true-blue Hong Kong afternoon tea set experience with a bevy of finger sandwiches, scones and petit fours, head to the grand dame of Hong Kong hotels, the sumptuous Peninsula. Honorable mentions include restaurants with a view such as Café Grey at the Upper House hotel or the Lobby Lounge at the Intercontinental Hong Kong.Bites from around the world
The food scene in Hong Kong is not limited only to Cantonese fare and local regional cuisines, in fact you can sample a smorgasbord of global cuisines around the city.
For gourmet French fare, try restaurants like Amber at the Landmark or Caprice at the Four Seasons. If you fancy Italian with savoir-faire, try 81/2 Otto eMezzo Bombana or then get a taste of NYC at Carbone in LKF.
For the juiciest burgers seek outlets of the Butchers Club Deli or then take a bite of a New York slice at a Motorino’s. Walk down a dark alley in Central to arrive at the always-buzzing Brickhouse for tacos, tostadas and other authentic Mexican fare while heading to Yardbird on Bridges Street for a bouquet full of Japanese yakitori.
The rest of Asia is well represented in Hong Kong. Wander into outlets like Chili Club and Chachawan for delicious Thai cuisine or explore a Nha Trang outlet or Chom Chom to sample a taste of Vietnam. Peruse Bombay Dreams or Guru for food from the subcontinent or then venture into Mamasan or Tri at the Pulse in Repulse Bay to relish the flavors of Bali.
Stop by Kennedy Town to take in stunning sea views and discover new tastes at the stylish Mexican fusion restaurant, Chino or delight in the fresh seafood offerings of eateries like Kinsale, Pierside or Fish and Chick.
The sheer variety and diversity of dining options available in Hong Kong is sure to enchant and invigorate your taste buds. So enjoy feasting on your trip and abandon worries about your waistline until you get home.
At Engel & Völkers Hong Kong, our multilingual team of experienced and professional agents seeks to be your friend, philosopher and guide as you navigate the city's buoyant and rapidly changing real estate landscape. With an active online and offline presence in 34 countries around the globe and an impeccable reputation to match, you would be well to partner with Engel & Völkers for all your domestic and overseas real estate needs.
