The Top Ten Must Try Street Foods of Hong Kong
One of the greatest joys of Hong Kong is its food offerings and street food is a local staple, and, a must try on a journey into the culture of Hong Kong.
The popular areas for street foods are Soy Street, Fa Yuen Street, Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Dundas Street which are all in Mongkok. Temple Street in Yai Ma Tei. Hau Fook Street in Tsim Sha Tsui. Graham Street in Central.
The Top Ten Street Foods in Hong Kong
Egg waffles – ‘gai dan zai’, often called eggettes, are hugely popular. A batter is made from flour, custard powder, eggs, and evaporated milk which is then placed into a dimpled waffle iron and after a minute or two, out comes a delicious crispy snack. They come in all sorts of flavors inc. coconut, taro, and even green tea. There are also savory versions served with chicken curry and sweet versions served with ice cream. Price starts around 16 HKD.
Steamed dumpling – ‘sui mai’ is a popular snack at Dim Sum restaurants is now also a popular street snack. Instead of being made from pork the street version is made from fish. It costs around 8 HKD.
Egg Tarts – ‘dan tat’ not dissimilar to the egg tarts that Macau is famous for these ones in HK are perhaps creamier and lighter but each shop seems to have its own style.
Rice rolls – ‘cheung fun’ are made from rice flour and water and what comes out after cooking is a sheet which is then rolled up. Its cut into small bite-size pieces and covered in hoisin sauce and a little sesame. Price about 10 HKD. This differs from the Cheung Fun you’ll find at Dim SUm restaurants which are generally filled with egg and pork or some other filling.
Fish Balls – ‘Gaa lei yu dan’ come on the skewer or in a small tub. A little chewy texture often with a Sichuan style spiciness, some are not spicy, and some have a curry flavor. About 9 HKD.
Fried Chesnuts – you’ll easily find street stalls with gas fired cauldrons tossing and roasting chestnuts all year round.
Pig Intestines – locally known as ‘Zaa Dai Cheung’. It’s a favorite with many and if you are a bacon lover than this is something you’ll surely want to try. The intestine is rolled and sliced, then placed on a skewer and fried until crispy on the outside. Most stalls will have a sour plum sauce to go with it. Price about 12 HKD.
Grilled Squid Tentacles – ‘Hau Yau Yu’ are fresh on display and cooked on order. They are usually coated with a lightly sweet sauce and then slapped onto the BBQ grill for a charring. Price about 18 HKD per skewer with each skewer maybe having around 7 tentacles making it a meaty snack.
Stinky Tofu – ‘Chau Dau Fu’ is that awful smelly stuff that your nose will forbid you from going near, yet, for some it is their most favorite snack. Basically, its tofu fermented again with added flavors including ginger and shrimp and then deep fried. Price around 12 HKD for a one-inch square piece.
Sugar Cane Juice – Natural raw sugar cane is pressed through a machine to extract the juice, some shops add extra sugar and some add extra flavoring such as osmanthus. Price about 15 HKD.
