Egg waffles and cart noodles get street cred: Hong Kong and Macau street food joins Michelin guide for the first time
To complement the guide to fine dining in Hong Kong and Macau, here are Michelin's local stars of the street
Roll over fancy restaurants - Hong Kong's delicious street food is getting its place in the Michelin Guide, with 23 street outlets listed in the latest edition.
The list, compiled by Hong Kong-based Chinese inspectors, includes such places as Kai Kai in Jordan, known for its sweet soups, like glutinous rice dumplings in ginger soup, and Lee Keung Kee in North Point, famous for its egg waffles.
There's also some ethnic variety, with Thai and Indonesian food, as well as Kelly's Cape Bop on Johnston Road offering Korean fried chicken and or spicy soft rice cake, and all kinds of baked potatoes at Three Potatoes.
"There are thousands of street food vendors in Hong Kong and over time we noticed where we found particularly good food and put them on our list," explained Michael Ellis, international director of the Michelin Guide.
"Street food is a part of many countries' culture, especially in Asia, and we found that as time goes on, street food gets better and better. Street vendors are actually opening shops, places where you know where to go," he said.
However, there was one surprise on the street food list - American burger joint Butchers Club, which sells hamburgers starting at HK$100.
"To me it's like a hastily assembled list. Butcher's Club - only gweilos know that place," said local food blogger Gary Suen. "The other places on the list - not many locals even know these places. If the Michelin Guide is making this list for out-of-towners to visit, they are not really relevant."
However, food writer Chan Chun-wai thought the new list was a way to improve the guide.
"It paves the way for other Asian countries like Singapore and Malaysia to spread the word about their local specialities. Maybe with time they can adjust the list," he said.
The latest Michelin Guide includes one new three-star restaurant - T'ang Court at The Langham Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui.
See Bernice Chan talk to the Michelin Guide's Michael Ellis as he tucks into some local delicacies
There were 14 two-star Michelin restaurants this year, with two new entries for Hong Kong - Ah Yat or Yeung Koon-yat's Forum in Causeway Bay and Ming Court at the Cordis Hotel, formerly Langham Place in Mong Kok.
Of the 51 one-star Michelin restaurants, six new ones were included. They include Philippe Orrico's new restaurant On located on On Lan Street in Central, Ta Vie helmed by Japanese chef and owner Hideaki Sato, and Serge et le Phoque in Wan Chai.
"It's so exciting!" exclaimed Serge et le Phoque co-owner Charles Pelletier. "We didn't expect this at all. We got a call around 12.30pm telling us to come because we got a star."
Hong Kong outlets
Block 18 Doggie’s Noodle
27A Ning Po Street, Jordan, tel: 9360 6644
Fried pork fat noodles
Butchers Club
2 Landale Street, Wan Chai, tel: 2552 8281
Burgers and duck fat fries
Canaan Thai Snack
72 Java Road, North Point
Thai rice noodles and snacks
Cheung Hing Kee
13 Chuen Lung Street, Tsuen Wan, tel: 6109 5735
Shanghainese pork buns, rice vermicelli soup
Chin Sik
49 Shiu Wo Street, Tsuen Wan, tel: 2492 2831
Cart noodles
Fat Boy
3 Hau Fook Street, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 6255 3872
Octopus and duck’s stomach marinated in soy sauce
Hop Yik Tai
121 Lam Street, Sham Shui Po, tel: 2720 0239
Rice rolls, fish balls, braised radish
Joyful Dessert House
74 Hak Po Street, Mong Kok, tel: 2856 1886
Western desserts, pineapple sherbet, mango Napoleon
Kai Kai
121-123 Parkes Street, Jordan, tel: 2384 3862
Glutinous rice dumpings in ginger sweet soup, stewed papaya with rock sugar
Kei Tsui
135 Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok, tel: 2394 1727
Cantonese puddings and pastries, walnut cookies
Kelly’s Cape Bop
57 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2529 9984
Korean fried chicken, tteokbokki, kimbap
Keung Kee
382 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2572 5207
Glutinous rice with Chinese sausage, rice rolls, sweet soup
Kung Wo Tofu
118 Pei Ho Street, Sham Shui Po, tel: 2386 6871
Tofu pudding, pan-fried tofu snacks, home-made soy milk
Kwan Kee Store
115-117 Fuk Wa Street, Sham Shui Po, tel: 2360 0328
Chinese rice pudding, black sesame rolls
Lan Ying
92-84 Fuk Lo Tsun Road, Kowloon City, tel: 2382 8133
Satay, nasi goreng
Lei Keung Kee
492 King’s Road, North Point, tel: 2590 9726
Egg waffles
Mak Kee
21-23 Fort Street, North Point, tel: 2887 7851
Pan-fried dumplings, xiaolongbao, fish balls
Mammy Pancake
8-12 Carnarvon Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Egg waffles
Soupreme
20 Beech Street, Tai Kok Tsui, tel: 3565 0115
Cantonese double-boiled soups
Three Potatoes
Shop 5, 6/F, 30-32A Nullah Road, Mong Kok, tel: 6432 0118/9852 1600
Baked potatoes, French fries, potato hash
Wah Yuan
G/F, 38 Shung Ling Street, San Po Kong, tel: 2322 3130
Cantonese sweet soup
Wing On
24 Tai Ho Road, Tsuen Wan
Cart noodles, chicken wing tips
Ying Kee
G/F, 10 Hong Keung Street, San Po Kong, tel: 2323 9519
Wonton noodles
Macau outlets
Aboong
129 Rua dos Mercadores, Macau
Chong Shing
11 Rua de Tome Pires, Macau
Dai Gwan
1 Rua do Monte, Macau
Fong Kei
14 Rua do Cunha, Taipa
Lei Ka Choi
Shop E-G028 Broadway Macau, Cotai
Lemon Cello
Trav. Se 11r/c, Macau
Lord Stow’s Bakery
1 Rua do Tassara, Coloane
Mok Yee Kei
9 Rua do Cunha, Taipa
Neng Meng Wang
Lai Hou Garden, Rua Coelho do Amaral, Macau
Sun Ying Kei
2B Rua da Alegria do Patane, Macau
Ving Kei
47 Rua da Tercena, Macau
Yi Shun
60 Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, Macau
