Best of All, it’s in Hong Kong!

Indeed it is, especially when it comes to its cuisine, especially during your family vacation. Hong Kong truly is a place where all foodies can gorge on something or the other to their liking.

No matter which country you live in, if you’re traveling abroad with your family, then a dinner table or a breakfast table is where we all come together for delicacies galore. A large family meal whether it’s at a large table at a dim sum restaurant on a weekend morning or enjoying dinner in a local restaurant it’s always an hour spent in togetherness. Be it grandparents, parents, children and even kids, everyone loves food in Hong Kong.

While I may not yet have taken a journey across the “Pearl of the Orient”, I’ve heard many a tales of a place, which reflects the impressive nightscape of the city’s light decorations on the skyscrapers along both sides of the Victoria Harbor.

One to beautifully enjoy, sitting in one of the finest dining places across Asia’s world city. The closest I could come to eating Hong Kong cuisine was in Lau Pa Sat, somewhere in Singapore where you’ll find a bunch of cuisines across South East Asia, come together under one roof.

That’s when I realized the chow in Hong Kong must be tried after all! So here’s a list of cuisine that I would call a mighty delight, especially when one’s down in Hong Kong!

The famous Tai Cheong Bakery

If you’re into baked food and particularly fond of egg tarts, then this is the place, even though there’s going to be quite the crowd here, the egg tarts here are worth the queue! Tai Cheong Bakery located around Lyndhurst Terrace in Central, is a must visit for all its baked delicacies. Not to forget for its very eggy-flavoured custard.

Deliciously notorious Pineapple bun of the Kam Wah Café

Although the cafe is small, just like any typical char chan tengs in Hong Kong so do not be taken aback by the cramped surroundings and the need to share a table. Cause the food here according to many is worth everything.

Traditionally, a pineapple bun contained no pineapple and earned its name because its chequered top resembles the skin of a pineapple. The top half of the bun is made from cookie-type dough, while the bottom is made from Chinese-style bread dough, which tends to be softer and sweeter than Western bread. To eat it like a local, make a slit in the middle and insert a thick slice of cold butter for instant guilty pleasure. This is known as ‘bo lo yau’ (‘pineapple oil’). Kam Wah Café, churns out a batch every 10 minutes in the morning — a testament to their popularity. It’s located in Bute Street, close to Prince Edward MTR station, Kowloon.

Fishballs for the Sea Food lover in you

Whether it’s late night street food or great restaurants, delicious food is never hard to find in Hong Kong. But some places in Hong Kong, are only known for their special kind of cuisine especially better than fancy restaurants, from what I hear. One such eating spot in Hong Kong is Tai Po. It is located in the New Territories, around 40 minutes by MTR from Central, but it is well worth the visit because it has some of the most delicious food in Hong Kong from what I’ve read.

Almost every one in Hong Kong has a favorite fish ball vendor. Bouncy and fluffy, the best Hong Kong-style fish balls are made with freshly ground fish paste, hand-beaten and slammed to springy perfection. Best enjoyed on a stick with spicy curry sauce, or over rice noodle soup in a specialty restaurant. Hong Kee and Yum Kee, both of which have over 40 years’ history, with fish ball noodles being the only item on their menu. Closest to Tai Po, Market station on the MTR.

Delicious Dim Sums to melt your heart away.

A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, they say. This dish literally does!

A popular family get-together meal, dim sum means ‘touch your heart’ and with as many as 150 items on a restaurant menu, and 2,000 in the entire range, it is a challenge to not find something you love.

There are snack-sized portions of pan-fried, deep-fried, and baked foods served in bamboo containers designed to be eaten communally and washed down with tea. Hence, going for dim sum is known as yum cha, which literally means ‘drinking tea’.

The unique culinary art dim sum originated with the Cantonese in southern China, who over the centuries transformed yum cha from a relaxing respite to a loud and happy dining experience. In Hong Kong, and in most cities and towns in Guangdong province, many restaurants start serving dim sum as early as five in the morning. It is a tradition for the elderly to gather to eat dim sum after morning exercises. For many in southern China, yum cha is treated as a weekend family day. More traditional dim sum restaurants typically serve dim sum until mid-afternoon. However, in modern society, it has become commonplace for restaurants to serve dim sum at dinner; various dim sum items are even sold as take-out for students and office workers on the go.

If you’re in Hong Kong then, one must visit Lin Heung Tea House, a century-old joint that’s among the few left that still uses dim sum trolleys. Closer to Wellington Street, it’s again located in Central, Hong Kong Island.

Nothing beats Pizza with a view, especially with your family!

So of course, if you are out of India, with your family, then there’s always that moment when you want to try something closer to home. Okay, maybe not Indian food, but we always try to get something that your taste buds are generally used to. For a lot of us in the family, a Pizza always does the trick! And it’s a hassle free ordeal for the vegetarians in the family. So what if you could top it off with a beautiful view of the harbor?

Yeah, Pizza Express near the Ocean Terminal on Canton Road is your place to go to for sure. Decent pizza, great view, amazing food, what more do you want? If you go in the evening, then make sure you grab a window seat for yourself around 7.00 PM to catch the light show up close. And more importantly, the kids will love this place especially the desserts!

Oh and not to mention, this summer, Hong Kong celebrates 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and to celebrate this special offers are available to all Hong Kong visitors from 1st April, 2017 onwards. I guess, that’s why they say, this summer, Best of All, it’s in Hong Kong! 😉

Have you been to Hong Kong yet? Have you tried their cuisine yet? Any other items, a must eat? Tell me in comments! 

Disclaimer: This post has been written in collaboration with Hong Kong Tourism Board.