Hong Kong is a food trip haven and a good venue for hunting down the best spots where locals love to eat. It’s also a place full of tourist traps and expensive hotel breakfasts for travelers who are daunted by the plethora of options and are clueless about where to go.
It’s best to go where locals go because you are sure that you get to eat yummy, affordable food that comes with a unique experience. If you want to go for a safe option that will guarantee you a good overview of the delicacies you can find in Hong Kong, and at the same time, the authenticity of what you are tasting a food tour could also be an option. Scanning what is available online, we found Withlocals. It seems an interesting concept, of private tours guided by locals, and next time we will be in HK we will try it. it may be worth it checking!
If you are more adventurous a self-made itinerary might be a better option.
We recently had our Business Mastermind with our BizMindShare group over the weekend in Hongkong, so here’s a simple itinerary on how to organize your own Eat-Like-a-Local Food Trip in Hong Kong.
Related Blog Posts:
• Hong Kong: Family Fun in the City! (Travel Guide)
• Hong Kong: Family Fun in the Outlying Islands of HK! (Travel Guide)
HONG KONG BREAKFAST
Instead of eating breakfast in a hotel that could cost you HK$141+, why not go where HK locals go like Lan Fong Yuen 蘭芳園 for less than HK$50?
I loved their macaroni soup version served with egg and sausages. Loved their famous HK Milk tea, too.
Don’t forget to order their signature butter French toast that you cut into squares to enjoy with your coffee.
Visit the Lan Fong Yuen 蘭芳園 original store at Gage St., Central or their cleaner Sheung Wan branch at the Shun Tak Centre.
ROAST GOOSE LUNCH
The best roast goose in Hong Kong is Yat Lok with long lines as social proof and a Michelin Star as gourmet approval.
I loved eating elbow to elbow with locals and foodies craving for this Hong Kong roast goose favorite.
Yat Lok Menu: Chef Recommendation and Side | Roasted Goose Set Menu | Pork & Chicken Set Menu | Meat Combinations Set Menu | Meal Combinations | Roasted Goose Travel-safe Package | Roasted Goose, BBQ Pork, Roasted Pork, Steamed Chicken Whole/ Half
The goose skin was crisp, with roasted meat flavor and a good layer of fat underneath.
You can order the set meal of Roasted Goose Drumstick with Rice Noodle (HK$118) or, if there are 3 or more you, get the roasted goose half (HK$310) and side dish of rice noodle with soup (HK$18).
Visit Yat Lok 樂燒鵝 for lunch along Stanley St., Central, Hong Kong Island.
LAMMA ISLAND HIKE
My personal favorite was hiking around Lamma Island and being rewarded with an awesome seafood meal at night.
Lamma Island is the third largest island in Hong Kong with two main areas: Yung Shue Wan, with its multi-cultural scene that makes it the preferred home of creative spirits, and Sok Kwu Wan, a fishing village known for its seafood restaurants.
Make sure to take the 3.15 pm or 4.30 pm 30-minute boat trip from Central Ferry Cruise Terminal 4 to Yung Shue Wan port (HK$16-22 only per person).
Start to explore the Yung Shue Wan Main Street with its rustic coastal village vibe and rows of craft stores, artisan boutiques, tourist shops and quaint cafes.
The pop-up and neighborhood indie shops extend all the way to the 2-hour hiking route to Sok Kwu Wan.
You can take a break from all that hiking with some craft beer or a soybean taho snack and soy milk in this quaint shack.
Halfway through is Hung Shing Yeh Beach which is a bit surreal because you can breathe here, like an escape from the urban jungle of Hong Kong.
This is the perfect view of the Hong Kong sunset with the enormous Lamma Power Plant silhouette as backdrop.
Continue the hike—crossing the hills of Lamma Island and passing by the effects of the recent strong typhoon that devastated Hong Kong—as the moon rises on the horizon.
Once you see the Sok Kwu Wan fishing village from a distance, you’ll say to yourself that this is worth it and that it calls for a dinner celebration.
LAMMA RAINBOW DINNER
Go to Lamma Rainbow for the best seafood meal you’ll ever have in Hong Kong.
You select your live seafood from the aquarium and specify the quantity and how you want it cooked. Budget about HK$250/head.
Lamma Rainbow Menu: Fish, Prawns, Lobsters | Squilla, Clams, Scallops, Abalone | Crab, Cuttle Fish, Soup, Noodle & Rice | Miscellaneous Dishes | Special Recommendation 2-8 people | Special Recommendation 10-12 People
Terrazas Reserva Malbec (HK$180)
Lamma Rainbow Wine Menu: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 17
Seaweed & Seafood Soup (HK$80 – Small, HK$160 – Medium)
Start with a Cantonese soup to stimulate your appetite.
Fried Clams with Black Bean and Chili Sauce (HK$60 – Small, HK$160 – Medium)
Order the clams which are easy to cook. Enjoy them while you wait for the main seafood dishes.
Steamed Prawns with Garlic Sauce (HK$200 – Small, HK$400 – Medium)
The freshest prawns, steamed and generously topped with garlic.
Fried Green Kale (HK$68)
Make sure to order a hearty serving of kale to have a complete healthy meal.
Fisherfolk’s Chili Crab (HK$400 – Medium)
You can order it just steamed, with butter or like our favorite, chili crab.
Steamed Lobsters with Garlic (HK$250/lobster)
Nothing beats fresh lobsters that are just steamed and savoring them with garlic.
The waiters were efficient and helpful, but they didn’t speak any English.
Steamed Garoupa (HK$380)
The main highlight of the meal was steamed Garoupa!
Fried Salted Fish and Diced Chicken Rice (HK$80 – Small, HK$160 – Medium)
We usually don’t eat rice anymore, but we couldn’t resist the salted fish fried rice.
Don’t miss to take the 8:45pm VIP (free) boat cruise back to Central Station.
Check out Ferry Schedule Exclusive for Lamma Rainbow Guests
24H DIMSUM
For Hong Kong dimsum, check out the 24H Sheung Hei Dimsum, a Michelin-bib recommended restaurant in the last metro stop at Kennedy Station.
They are best known for their Clay Pot Rice which is only available from 6pm to 10pm, but they also have a set lunch available from 11am to 3pm.
Sheung Hei Ala Carte Menu: Dimsum | Promotion Dishes | Clay Pot Rice | Preserved Duck, Pork and Eel | Minced Pork | Sweet & Sour Dish | Sweet & Sour Dish 2 | Xo Xo Sauce Dish | Vegetarian Dishes | Deep Fried with Garlic Sauce & Vermicelli | Steamed Dish | Steamed Dish 2 | Soup & Drinks
You can check dimsum from their menu with prices at HK$17, HK$19, HK$21, HK$25 and HK$29 per basket + HK$5/person for tea & sauce. Budget about HK$115/person.
We loved the classics—siomai, shrimp dumpling and xiao long bao.
Check out their Cantonese steamed sponge cake, steamed turnip cake and jelly cake.
Their fried best sellers were Pan Fried Green Pepper Filled with Mixed Fish & Pork and Deep-fried Spring Rolls.
The oohs and ahhs never stopped after the steaming dimsum basket arrived.
Our personal favorite was the steamed beef belly with black pepper.
My wife would have loved to have her favorites of spare ribs with tausi, machang and chicken feet.
Don’t settle for anything less than the best food in Hong Kong. Just follow where the locals go to eat!
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Disclosure: We paid for all our meals during our recent Hong Kong Mastermind. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions and insights
P.S. Take the HK Tram (HK$2.60/adult) and sit on the 2nd floor when you are going or coming from Sheung Hei in Kennedy Town. Remember you can pay via coins or your octopus card when you are going down from the Tram (not when you are entering).
Hello, we will be leaving soon for hk particularly in tsim tsa tsui area, can you suggest yo us where we could take our breakfast, lumch and dinner? just like a local, my husband fond of eating pancit canton chinese style cooking, he is opt to siomai too. Crispy fried chicken will do also. Thank you
I will go to Hong Kong next month and very excited about it. I’ll definitely try all those restos you’ve mentioned.