Joanna James
Hong Kong is known worldwide for its diverse cuisines and eat-out culture. With restaurants and food markets around every corner, here are some dishes that you simply must keep an eye out for.
If you don't know already, Chinese people love their pork. Chinese cuisine features various pork preparations, but when in Hong Kong, it doesn't get much better than Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs. Actually, this item is now a staple at Chinese restaurants all over the world. The beautiful reddish-orange glaze contributes the perfect level of tanginess to the barbequed ribs, which are cooked until the meat is just about ready to fall off the bone.
Dumplings are the face of Dim Sum. Dim Sum is a style of Cantonese cuisine that focuses on serving a variety of bite-size morsels, most of which come steamed and are stuffed with fillings. They can be sweet or savoury. One of Hong Kong's best sellers is the Char Siew Bao or steamed barbequed pork dumpling. If you go to a dim sum style restaurant, make sure to try one of these. You may also stumble across these at bakeries. It's a testament to just how popular this dish is with the people of Hong Kong. In fact, if you're staying at one of the island's many hotels like Park Hotel Hong Kong, you may just find this dish right under your very own nose at the dinner buffet. Most Tsim Sha Tsui restaurants, buffet style or a la carte, tend to offer this item on their menus; the same holds true for eateries across the country.
If you've been to Korea, you'll already know how crazy people can get about snacking on deep-fried chicken feet. Believe it or not, Chicken Feet, or Phoenix Claws as Hong Kongers like to call them, is a popular dish in many parts of the Orient. In Hong Kong, the chicken feet are first fried and then steamed in a container made of bamboo (the kind you are served dumplings in at Dim Sum restaurants). One of the reasons for the popularity of this dish may be the nutritional value that it holds. Chicken feet, similar to pork hock and lamb feet, contain a lot of calcium and collagen, making them great for bone and skin health. So the next time you get worried over possible wrinkles in the mirror, go out and buy yourself some Phoenix Claws!
Fish balls are a quintessential part of Hong Kong's cuisine. It is estimated that Hong Kongers consume close to 4 million of these every day. When it comes to fish balls, the main thing to know is that there are two kinds; the cooked or ready-made kind, and the uncooked kind which is best cooked right before consumption. The former variety can be found at your average street food stall. It consists of bits of fried fish that have been moulded together to form a spherical shape and is served with sweet and spicy sauces. The other kind of fish balls can be bought frozen or uncooked and is used in broths and soups. You might come across them at one of the many hot pot eateries in Hong Kong. Just lower them into the boiling broth moments before you're ready to eat them. They don't take long to cook and pack an umami punch to boot!
To end on a sweet note, one of Hong Kong's iconic baked goods is Pineapple Bread. Named thusly because of the repeating diamond-shaped pattern on its crust, this sweet bread actually has little else to do with the exotic tropical fruit that is its namesake. The bread is believed to have originated in Hong Kong and its recipe is quite a simple one. The usual flour, egg, lard and sugar mix is all that goes into it. This treat is best eaten piping hot, straight from the oven of one of the country's many bakeries.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
