Oh yes! I love good food! It is a true pleasure even if I don’t consider myself a foodie. Maybe because I don’t eat out that often (and I’m a finicky eater). I love finding good places to eat when I travel. I don’t have a criteria on how to find good places to eat. Sometimes I do it by seeing if a place is crowded (and checking the menu posted outside). Other times I have asked staff at my hostel or hotel. I get info from online too. And of course, I use TripAdvisor. I have heard some people say that the latter is not always an indicator of how good or authentic a place is. I disagree – especially in Hong Kong. I found one place via TripAdvisor that are known for their pineapple buns. Since it was so busy I was seated with a local couple and ended up learning a bit about life there. I had a good breakfast and even better conversation with locals. Sounds authentic to me.
So where were my favourite places? Check it out:
Kai Kee Noodles – G/F., 15C Carnarvon Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
I wanted to try noodles for breakfast but didn’t know where in my neighbourhood to go. I had walked past one place that looked busy but the menu didn’t entirely appeal to me. So I checked Trip Advisor and this place came up. A small yet busy place with no real decor (in fact not fancy at all) though the food was good. The waitress recommended the shrimp dumplings with noodles. She said it was Hong Kong style. They did not disappoint. So tasty. The serving size was good and the price was right. I also ordered hot milk tea. It was a bit bitter but manageable. I went back on my last day and tried the noodles with fried pork. It was good but the shrimp dumplings were much better.
TAP The Ale Project – G/F, No. 15 Hak Po St, Mong Kok, Hong Kong, China
I found out about this place from an article by The Culture Trip naming some places to find craft beer in Hong Kong. It was a happenin’ place. I was seated at a long community table and ended up chatting with some ex-pats from Italy and Scotland. They suggested the Coriander Burger. This burger was AMAZING. I like burgers but don’t love them but I loved this burger. Wanna know why? Because it was cooked medium rare or just a bit more – so juicy and flavourful! The meat was slightly pink, came on a fresh bun with cheese, a garlic mayo sauce and deep fried cilantro (coriander)! Deep fried cilantro! Who’d of thought that would add to the overall experience. And add that I had a great hoppy Heroes Beer Company’s Cereusly IPA and it was one of the best meals I had in Hong Kong! I do recommend this place (if well-cooked burgers are your thing then maybe order something else or ask them to cook it longer). And the service was great. They checked in on me and made some beer suggestions too as I also had a flight of beers.
One Dim Sum – Shop 1 & 2, G/F, No. 15 Playing Field Road, Prince Edward, Hong Kong, China
After spending the morning in Mong Kok perusing the Goldfish, Bird, and Flower Markets I was hangry….uh hungry. The crowds in the street market were getting to me and I knew I needed to get some food in my belly. I didn’t know where to go so I used TripAdvisor again. The first place that popped up was One Dim Sum which I had marked previously as a place to try. It was close so I made my way there. As the reviews stated, there was a line up, however since I was dining solo I only waited about 15 minutes. I know dim sum is often a group affair but I was going for it anyway! I’m glad I did. It was so good and I was so stuffed. Even chatted a bit with the father and young son seated across from me.
Kam Wah Cafe – 47 Bute Street, Mong Kok, Hong Kong, China
Another place I found on TripAdvisor. I was heading to Mong Kok to check out the markets mentioned above. I wanted to try another place for breakfast so I did a search and this place popped up. Many reviews suggested going here for their pineapple buns. I though might as well and made my way there. It was busy and honestly I was a bit intimidated at first. I looked around for a seat but nothing so a waitress (rather brusquely) ushered me to a corner booth with couple sitting across from me. We smiled politely and I perused the menu (which was in both English and Cantonese). I eventually asked them about the buns. They spoke English very well and they agreed that the pineapple buns were very good. They flagged down the waitress and ordered for me. We had a good conversation and I learned a bit about Hong Kong. The bun was good as was the hot milk tea.
N1 Coffee & Co – Shop G, No. 34 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
My first food place on this trip. Again I used TripAdvisor. It was in my neighbourhood even though I walked past it a few times since I’m horrible at directions and I was jet lagged. The decor of this place was so cute. I just loved it. Order at the counter and they bring it to you. It was later in the morning so I opted for a sandwich to go with my tea. The ingredients were fresh and the tea was good quality.
I can’t finish this post without mentioning some of the bars/pubs that had some amazing local craft beer. Both of the places below I learned about from the Culture Trip article I mention above.
The Roundhouse Taproom – No. 62 Peel St, Central, Hong Kong, China
How can I not like a place that carries at local BC beer?! Actually Roundhouse has a decent variety of local and imported craft beers. This time around I tried a Japanese craft beer.
Kowloon Taproom – No. 24 – 38 Ashley Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
The bonus part of this pub is that it was only about a 5 – 10 minute walk from my hostel. In addition to have a great selection of local beers it was accessible too. I went 3 times!! I liked the atmosphere as it was rather chill. The food was standard pub fare and the service was good. I miss it.
All photos taken and owned by Eeva Valiharju / Wanders The World
Wanders The World 