- From local-style French toast to the hugely popular egg tart, here is a list of the hole in the wall spots you can’t miss
- Outdoor food stalls are a staple of the city’s food scene and offer delicious and affordable comfort food
Where do you go for your favourite Hong Kong comfort foods? Photo: SCMPAs a boarding school student in the United States, I constantly miss the food in Hong Kong. So whenever I return, I make a beeline for all my old haunts. Let me be clear: these restaurants are not fancy affairs. Nevertheless, their food is delicious, affordable and the definition of comfort food.
For all of you students who, like me, find solace in food, here are five local and wallet-friendly spots to satisfy your cravings.
Honolulu Coffee Shop
Honolulu Coffee Shop in Wan Chai is just one of Hong Kong’s famous cha chaan tengs. Although they serve typical city items such as local-style French toast, the eatery also offers a variety of breads and cakes. They are best known for their egg tarts, which, they claim, contain 192 layers of crust. The combination of silky custard and flaky crust makes for a perfect snack any time of the day. For the full experience, pair your egg tart with a cup of hot milk tea. Bliss.
Address: G/F, 176-178 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai
Price range: <HK$100
What’s in an egg tart? Check out an easy recipe for making daan tat at home
Sang Kee
Contrary to popular belief, congee – or rice porridge – is more than just a bland meal you eat when you’re sick. Boasting many varieties and toppings, congee has the power to heal all kinds of ailments, from colds to heartbreak, sadness, and hunger. Sang Kee Congee Shop in Sheung Wan offers many types of this soul-soothing staple, but it specialises in congee made with grass carp. Portions are generously sized, thick and warming, gentle and subtly seasoned: in short, the perfect meal for a rainy day.
Address: 7 Burd Street, Sheung Wan
Price range: <HK$100
Sing Heung Yuen
Dai pai dong, or outdoor food stalls, are a staple of the Hong Kong dining scene. This classic dai pai dong in Central is renowned for its tangy tomato soup instant noodles and crispy buns topped with lashings of lemon and honey. The preserved vegetable and pork rice noodles, however, are criminally underrated. For best results, pair your feast with a cup of lemon Ribena. Be warned that this spot is immensely popular with locals and tourists alike, so schedule your visit accordingly.
Address: 2 Mee Lun Street, Central
Price range: <HK$50
A nutritionist’s take on curry fish balls and siu mai
Mammy Pancake
If you don’t like gai daan jai, are you even a Hongkonger? The egg waffle has long disappeared from street carts, but the Mammy Pancake chain (not technically a restaurant, but we’ll let it slide) does an excellent job of keeping this beloved food alive. Choose from flavours like chocolate chip, lemon, pork floss or original and eat your prize immediately. This treat is crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and – most importantly – not too sweet.
Various locations.
Price range: <HK$50
Tai Ping Koon
This landmark restaurant is a source of nostalgia for many Hongkongers. First opened in Sheung Wan in 1938, Tai Ping Koon operates four restaurants across the city. They specialise in “soy sauce Western” cuisine, a blend of Chinese ingredients with Western influences that developed throughout Hong Kong’s colonial period. To save some money, go for their lunch specials, which clock in at under HK$100. I recommend the stir-fried beef rice noodles in Swiss soy sauce – but don’t miss the flavour-packed oxtail soup, which comes with a soft, slightly sweet bun on the side.
Various locations.
Price range: HK$100-200
At the end of the day, food is as much about memories as it is about taste. What’s your favourite place to eat?