Hong Kong = Happy Stomach

Since my parents don’t really like Chinese food, it was like pulling teeth to get them to go to a Chinese restaurant. To be fair though, greasy and deep fried Chinese buffet food in America isn’t spectacular and certainly isn’t an accurate representation of actual Chinese food. When I was in Hong Kong, I ate all the Chinese dishes I wanted!

Most of the restaurants I saw on the crowded and cramped streets on Hong Kong island were family-owned, hole-in-the-wall shops. People spoke English at every place I went, even if they didn’t have English menus.

The food I knew I needed to try was dim sum. Dim sum is small dishes for groups to share. It usually means dumplings, steamed vegetables, and sweets.

chiu chow style dumplings

I had never heard of Chiu Chow dumplings before visiting Hong Kong. These dumplings had nuts and maybe radish inside? I wasn’t sure what the exact ingredients were, but they were wonderful.

I also tried turnip cakes (the thing that looks like a hash brown), steamed bok choy, and shrimp wrapped up in deep fried tofu skins. All of it made me full and happy.

Shrimp Shu Mai, delicious!

I also had dim sum from a little stall at an indoor food market. You can’t go wrong with shrimp!

the famous egg tart and a milk tea from 7/11

Hong Kong is also full of bakeries, and I went to the same one for breakfast almost every morning. I loved the sausage pastries, egg tarts, and walnut bread.

sausage doughnut from a local bakery and some soy milk from McDonalds

I had iced milk tea with almost every meal. It was so cheap, how could I say no?

Milk tea, I lost count of how many glasses I had

I went to a temple on Lantau Island, which is part of the city of Hong Kong, and I don’t know what I ordered, but it was good so no harm done.

I’m not sure what this was but it tasted like custard

vegetarian deli at the temple

I noticed Japanese chain restaurants everywhere. You can find them in Korea, but it seemed like there was a Yoshinoya, sushi restaurant, or ramen place on every corner in Hong Kong.

MOS Burger, a Japanese burger chain

I could eat noodles every day for all three meals and Hong Kong did not disappoint me with its countless noodle shops.

noodles with bean sprouts, onions, shrimp dumplings, and fish cakes

fish dumplings and noodles

All the Chinese styles of cooking were represented in Hong Kong, but I saw Hainanese chicken rice the most. Hainan is an island off the southern coast of China.

Hainanese chicken rice

I went to Lamma island, a rural and quiet island only a thirty minute ferry ride from Hong Kong island, and unsurprisingly there were a dozen seafood restaurants right next to the ferry pier. I know fish and chips isn’t traditional Chinese food but since Hong Kong was a British territory, I think the choice was appropriate.