Here is the 10 best Hong Kong food to try in 2022

Hong Kong is said to be one of the best cities in the world to visit when it comes to wanting to try different types of cuisine. The best Hong Kong food to try, of all cuisines, is obviously Hong Kong-style food, which has been heavily influenced by traditional Cantonese cuisine, British food culture, as well as other Asian cuisines. 

There are just as many places to eat in Hong Kong as there are many different foods to try, but the best ones are typically available at the cha chaang teng (tea restaurant), where they serve the best local food in Hong Kong, readily available for any time of the day – breakfast, lunch, dinner, you name it! 

Alternatively, if you are the kind of person that loves street food, you are in luck because Hong Kong also has an amazing street food culture. Found throughout the city, especially in the areas of Mong Kok, Causeway Bay, Yuen Long, and Tsuen Wan, street food in Hong Kong went from being banned during the 1950s to 1960s due to hygiene purposes, to eventually becoming a part of international recognition for the country. Hong Kong street food is the stuff of legend to the global foodie community.

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With a bustling international food scene, Hong Kong now offers everything from its street-side stalls, from curry fishballs to dumplings to egg tarts, it’s no reason why they were ranked first in the top 10 street-food cities by the online travel advisor Cheapflights.com in 2013.

Well, enough of all the talk! With all the amazing restaurants and street stalls with food that would literally take your breath away with each bite, here’s our list of the top 10 must-try foods in Hong Kong that will make you fully embrace the rich food culture of the country. 

The Top 10 Must-Try Hong Kong food

1. Dim Sum
2. Pineapple Bun and Butter
3. Hong Kong Style French Toast 
4. Hong Kong Style Breakfast
5. Curry Fishballs
6. Scrambled Eggs and Barbecue Pork Rice
7. Hong Kong Style Egg Tart 
8. Tofu Pudding
9. Egg Waffles
10. Hong Kong Milk Tea

The History of Hong Kong food culture

The cuisine of Hong Kong traces back to its founding as a British colonial outpost in 1841. Hong Kong’s society, at that time, consisted of a variety of people from different social classes – upper-class Westerners, working-class Chinese coolies, middle-class Chinese merchants, as well as farmers and fishermen, and cuisine was rather basic as compared to the cuisine of Canton (otherwise known as Guangzhou). 

By the 1920s, the need for meals to entertain these Westerners became increasingly important as the colony developed, and Chinese restaurants were founded in the late 19th century as part of branches of renowned restaurants in Canton, offering sophisticated meals that had traditional Chinese meal courses – eight main courses and eight entrees. The influence of Canton on Hong Kong eventually had chefs adopt the Guandong cooking style, as they spent years in Canton, to ensure that the food culture did not lag behind the Chinese cuisine leader. 

Fast forward to today, and the country now includes numerous world-renowned restaurants, like Tim Ho Wan and Tung Lok. With its Western and Chinese influences, Hong Kong cuisine has now allowed Hong Kongers to have a more cosmopolitan taste, as they are able to appreciate specific European and Asian cuisines through the food. 

Here’s our list of the top 10 Hong Kong food dishes to try.

Dim Sum (點心)

The most prominent food that you HAVE to try when you are in Hong Kong would be dim sum. The name refers to the small savoury and sweet items that are served during the meal known as yum cha, which means to drink tea, a social gathering typically held in the morning through brunch and lunch. 

In traditional dim sum eateries, bamboo steamers filled with three or four pieces of delightful goodness, like har gao (steamed dumplings with shrimp) and siu mai (a mix of shrimp and pork cupped in a dumpling wrapper), are served on trolleys and should be eaten hot with your friends and family. 

Pineapple Bun and Butter (菠蘿包)

Touted as one of Hong Kong’s most iconic baked goods is the pineapple bun. Contrary to popular belief, the name of this baked good did not come about because it tastes like pineapple, but rather because it resembles the crackly appearance of one! 

Fluffy and sweet, and with a golden crackly crust, you can choose to eat it as it is or be like other Hong Kongers that like to eat it with a big slab of butter in between the bread. With this food item being so iconic, you can find it on any menu at any cha chaang teng across Hong Kong during the mornings and afternoons. 

Hong Kong Style French Toast (港式西多士)

Here’s one more major Hong Kong favourite: french toast! But it’s nothing like the french toast that’s dipped in egg and fried in a skillet – think it much more complicated but much more delicious! 

With white bread and a mound of butter, the bread is often layered in peanut butter before being deep fried and topped up further with syrup and more butter. It’s a dessert that clearly yells, “eat first, gym later!”

Hong Kong Style Breakfast (港式公仔面)

An inexpensive and quick breakfast option, the Hong Kong Style Breakfast consists of a bowl of instant noodles, with a sunny-side-up egg and a few pieces of crispy spam. 

Even if you are not a big fan of processed food, consider ordering this to understand how such a simple dish like this has been able to endure the times, even as much more diverse and unique dishes have been introduced to Hong Kongers! 

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Curry Fishballs (魚蛋)

A classic street food snack, you would usually smell this food before seeing street food vendors selling them, as they are often found with their carts of fishballs, which would be floating in a delicious curry sauce. 

They are often sold on wooden skewers or in a styrofoam bowl, and customers can choose whether to top their snack off with soy sauce, chilli oil, or chilli paste. 

Scrambled Eggs and Barbecue Pork Rice (叉燒滑蛋飯)

Hong Kong cuisine generally uses eggs as one of their main ingredients in cooking, and this meal of scrambled eggs and barbecue pork with rice is often considered to be the comfort food of Hong Kongers. 

With the barbecue pork cooked to be tender and juicy, you get a whole lot of savoury and sweetness as well – with the honey in the barbecue sauce. That sounds like heaven to us, does it seem that way for you too? 

Hong Kong Style Egg Tart (蛋撻)

Approaching the desserts, the Hong Kong Style Egg Tart is the one dessert we have to introduce to our readers because it is simply that good! Originally invented at a monastery in Lisbon, Portugal, egg tarts were spread to Hong Kong after chefs learnt more about the trade in Guangzhou. 

Hong Kong’s egg tarts have been altered from the original Portuguese egg tarts, with each bakery and restaurant making its own versions of egg tarts and buttery crusts to go with the egg pudding in the centre.

Tofu Pudding (豆腐花)

Tofu is really much more diverse than we think, and while Westerners often think of tofu being a food meant for vegetarians, Hong Kong proves otherwise. 

Soft tofu pudding, otherwise known as douhua, is extremely soft and silky, similar to a really fine pudding. They are usually served as desserts at dim sum restaurants, as a way to cleanse your palette after a heavy meal of shrimp dumplings and pork ribs. 

Egg Waffles (雞蛋仔)

Egg waffles are another example of the Western influence being embedded into the culinary favourites of Hong Kong. Made with many eggs, flour, and sugar, these waffles are cooked on a hot griddle which is usually in full view of all passerbys. 

As one of the more popular Hong Kong street food sweet snacks, you are more likely to smell these egg waffles before you actually see them as well. And trust us, the smell is amazing! 

Hong Kong Milk Tea (香港奶茶)

Had to make an exception for an all-time favourite amongst Hong Kongers! Though milk tea is not exactly a food, it has been a massive part of the Hong Kong food culture and deserves a spot on this list. 

Hong Kong-style milk tea is most definitely different from the milk teas that have taken the world by storm, and that’s because of the flavour profile of the former. Black tea leaves are drained with a sackcloth bag, making the tea much smoother and richer. To balance out the tea flavour, you then add the perfect amount of evaporated milk, and enjoy the drink hot or cold at any time of day!

Do you have any recommendations for Hong Kong food dishes that we didn’t add in this article? Leave us a comment and we’ll make sure to add it in our next list.