Honest to goodness, Hong Kong food is largely bland. And I hate it, most times.
I come from a tropical country whose history is influenced by Westerners rapt with seasoning and condiments. So, my food choices.
Hong Kong food normally tastes like stew, a simple mixture of a solid food ingredient cooked in liquid. The aroma? An indistinctive steam of water. No onions, salt, and pepper creating a palatable combination.
But with less sodium their food, too, is apparently healthier.
Despite the rather insipid eats they also have food which tastes internationally competitive.
Despite the rather insipid eats they also have food which tastes internationally competitive.
Must Eat
Street Food
The Korean Grilled Squid is an appetizing try. My three travel companions and I took the ones in Ocean Park.
What convinced us to buy? The ambrosial smell of a squid meat marinated in soy sauce and what-magic-ingredient included. It's very inviting.
The squid looks cut flatly in half after grilling. The brown-purplish color will tell you it's ready to eat.
It tastes like tender piece of chicken. Its semi-soft meat stretches like shreds of mozzarella cheese in every bite.
The name isn't very suggestive of Hong Kong, but it's sold all over Ocean Park, Disneyland, and Hong Kong Food Districts for roughly HK$30 each.
:: Traveler's Note: Korean Grilled Squid is a popular snack for people of all ages in Korea. It's portable and cheap protein, and can be eaten like popcorn, enjoyed as an anju paired with drinks. [Source: Koreanfood (dot) about (dot) com (slash) fishandseafoodrecipes] ::
Budget Eats
If you're traveling on a slightly narrow budget but still want to eat good food at a reasonable price, try the ready-to-eat meals in Hong Kong. They cost around HK$9 to HK$15 in most convenient stores.
They come in pork, chicken, and seafood. You can also choose from those served with rice and those served solely as edible veges.
There's no other food like home-cooked meals but these meal packages taste almost equally the same. I tried those with rice drenched in tomato sauce, topped with chunks of chicken and enormous slices of onions, garlic, and carrots. It's like tripe soup except that it is white meat that fudges as I chew. Some flavors have a sweet-sour blend while others taste a bit tangy.
Most Hong Kong locals prefer these meals for its convenience. So why not a traveler?
The meals are in laminated or zipper pouch food packaging and are readily cooked for 5 to 10 minutes using the microwave at the convenient stores.
Utensils are provided, too.
Dining
If you'd like to go for a casual but more decent type of dining in an upscale setting, try to have a buffet dinner at Cafe TOO in Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong.
Cafe TOO offers ten cooking theatres that feature different cooking styles. Unlike other restaurants in Shangri-La, Cafe TOO is a casual buffet type of dining. A co-op for international cuisines-- French, Japanese, Thai, and others. Options are abundant and the choice is yours.
They cook for tongues hungry of sumptuous food.
Our table was near the dessert kitchen. We had a seemingly absolute affair with ice cream in macadamia and strawberry flavors, ganache cake, and Japanese manju.
We also went for French Wagyu steaks that extensively tasted like flesh swamped in sesame oil, and Japanese Sushi that tasted like a fresh gang of seafood meat and vegetables wrapped in moist rice.
This chocolate cake had me almost drooling.
The faint breeze of Thai curries and Indian sauce served with Naan bread fill the air at one side of the restaurant. And what I hear are part chefs cooking, diners talking, spoons thumping on glass wares, and part good sense of burpiliciousness in my stomach that makes me want more.
I also tried Oshikuro, a traditional Japanese dessert made of red bean soup, rice cake, and chestnut. I, so far, have never tasted a dessert as inebriating as that in my life. But that's just in Cafe TOO.
Oshikuro's delicious look and not-so delicious aftertaste was in a way fun for an experience.
Most of the food are all in all, fit for a king.
Bizarre
If you also want to try something strange and off-menu, Hong Kong has snake soup in Ser Wong Fun, stinky tofu, turtle jelly, 1000- year old eggs, and bugs on sticks. Their taste is by their name implied.
Click here for more bizarre food guide.
:: Traveler's Note: Did you know that there is only one Jollibee Branch in Hong Kong that offers all-pinoy recipe? It's in G/B Eurotrade Center, 13-14 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong ::
Whether an international dish or an authentic Cantonese cuisine, the general rule in choosing food to eat on your travels is stated in Andrew Zimmern's law,
"If it looks good, eat it."
Photo Credits:
cherryeveryday (dot) com-2nd photo
groupon (dot) com (dot) au-9th photo
japan (hyphen) talk (dot) com-11th photo
References:
philippinecountry (dot) com
shangri (hyphen) la (dot) com (slash) hongkong
japan101 (dot) com
Street Food
The Korean Grilled Squid is an appetizing try. My three travel companions and I took the ones in Ocean Park.
What convinced us to buy? The ambrosial smell of a squid meat marinated in soy sauce and what-magic-ingredient included. It's very inviting.
The squid looks cut flatly in half after grilling. The brown-purplish color will tell you it's ready to eat.
It tastes like tender piece of chicken. Its semi-soft meat stretches like shreds of mozzarella cheese in every bite.
The name isn't very suggestive of Hong Kong, but it's sold all over Ocean Park, Disneyland, and Hong Kong Food Districts for roughly HK$30 each.
:: Traveler's Note: Korean Grilled Squid is a popular snack for people of all ages in Korea. It's portable and cheap protein, and can be eaten like popcorn, enjoyed as an anju paired with drinks. [Source: Koreanfood (dot) about (dot) com (slash) fishandseafoodrecipes] ::
Budget Eats
If you're traveling on a slightly narrow budget but still want to eat good food at a reasonable price, try the ready-to-eat meals in Hong Kong. They cost around HK$9 to HK$15 in most convenient stores.
 |
| eat-everywhere meal |
There's no other food like home-cooked meals but these meal packages taste almost equally the same. I tried those with rice drenched in tomato sauce, topped with chunks of chicken and enormous slices of onions, garlic, and carrots. It's like tripe soup except that it is white meat that fudges as I chew. Some flavors have a sweet-sour blend while others taste a bit tangy.
Most Hong Kong locals prefer these meals for its convenience. So why not a traveler?
The meals are in laminated or zipper pouch food packaging and are readily cooked for 5 to 10 minutes using the microwave at the convenient stores.
 |
| Microwavable meals from Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong |
Dining
If you'd like to go for a casual but more decent type of dining in an upscale setting, try to have a buffet dinner at Cafe TOO in Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong.
 |
| Cafe TOO Japanese Kitchen, Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong |
 |
| Asian Cuisine |
 |
| Chefs serving European Cuisine |
 |
| Cafe TOO sweets corner |
 |
| Japanese Sushi |
 |
| heavenly cake! |
I also tried Oshikuro, a traditional Japanese dessert made of red bean soup, rice cake, and chestnut. I, so far, have never tasted a dessert as inebriating as that in my life. But that's just in Cafe TOO.
Oshikuro's delicious look and not-so delicious aftertaste was in a way fun for an experience.
 |
| Japanese Oshikuro Dessert |
Bizarre
If you also want to try something strange and off-menu, Hong Kong has snake soup in Ser Wong Fun, stinky tofu, turtle jelly, 1000- year old eggs, and bugs on sticks. Their taste is by their name implied.
Click here for more bizarre food guide.
:: Traveler's Note: Did you know that there is only one Jollibee Branch in Hong Kong that offers all-pinoy recipe? It's in G/B Eurotrade Center, 13-14 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong ::
 |
| Island Shangri-La Hotel lobby |
"If it looks good, eat it."
Photo Credits:
cherryeveryday (dot) com-2nd photo
groupon (dot) com (dot) au-9th photo
japan (hyphen) talk (dot) com-11th photo
References:
philippinecountry (dot) com
shangri (hyphen) la (dot) com (slash) hongkong
japan101 (dot) com
