Fish Balls to Egg Puffs, Eat Through the Streets
We find the city's super snacks.
Put on those walking shoes and a loose pair of trousers: Joanne Lee seeks out Hong Kong’s very best snack food streets.
Electric Road, Tin Hau
Packed with restaurants, Tin Hau’s Electric Road is well worth a hungry wander. Go Taiwanese with an egg wrap from S-Yoco (96 Electric Rd., Tin Hau, 6402-6976). This traditional Taiwanese breakfast is a snack that wraps ingredients such as corn, cheese and pork floss in a thin layer of egg. Alternatively, go all-out on a burger in a wholemeal bun. At Eggs Bakery (蛋香烘焙) (Shop A4, 254-280 Electric Rd., Tin Hau), egg puffs are made to order and served hot and crispy. Similarly fresh are the Hong Kong-style buns and egg tarts at Violet Cake Shop (94A Electric Rd., Tin Hau). They come straight out of the ovens in the back of the shop to be deposited on the counter in front of the line of customers. Grab whatever’s just come out: Warm, rich and buttery, it’s a total treat.
Nullah Road, Prince Edward
Not far from Dundas Street, Nullah Road collects foodies aplenty. Most of the stalls on this strip sell classic Hong Kong street food like fish balls and siu mai, but there’s plenty of choice as well. Swing by Delicious Food (Shop 10, 30-32 Nullah Rd., Prince Edward, 2142-7468) for some of their signature deep-fried large intestine, before heading to Three Potatoes (Shop 5, 30-32A Nullah Rd., Prince Edward, 6432-0118) which does what the name suggests and serves up spud treats of all kinds, from baked potatoes to chips, potato cakes and rosti.
Ah yuk tofu pudding (Photo: HK Yummy via Flickr)
Fau Tsoi Street, Yuen Long
Yuen Long isn’t all about poon choi feasts. Grilled food lovers should head straight to Skewer King (Shop 11D, 2 Fau Choi St., Yuen Long, 2470-6688), where you can find grilled… everything, really. Order chicken and beef, pork, seafood and vegetables, all dipped in the shop’s spicy satay sauce. Mark the end of your street snack journey with a bowl of tofu fa pudding from Ah Yuk Tofu Pudding (亞玉豆腐花) (Shop 12, 2 Fau Tsoi St., Yuen Long, 2664-9622). The dessert house makes a special version made with black soybeans.
Dundas Street, Mong Kok
There’s always something new to try on Mong Kok’s most famous snack street. On top of traditional Hong Kong snacks, the road is crammed full of innovative street food. Fei Jie (Shop 4A, 55 Dundas St., Mong Kok, 9191-7683)—which means “Fat Sister”— is a must-visit for popular Hong Kong snacks such as chicken kidneys and pig’s intestines, with plenty of sweet sauce and mustard drizzled on top. Meanwhile, Korean enthusiasts will be satisfied by Bbokki (55 Dundas St., Mong Kok, 9470-2945) which sells traditional Korean street snacks, such as spicy ddeokbokki rice cakes.
An egg puff from Eggs Bakery in Tin Hau (Photo: Emily Chiu)
Pei Ho Street, Sham Shui Po
Sham Shui Po’s not just good for bargains: It’s also awesome for food. Pei Ho Street is stuffed full of delicious snack stalls. Kung Wo Dou Bun Chong (118 Pei Ho St., Sham Shui Po, 2386-6871) is a time-honored store that’s specialized in beancurd since time immemorial. Make sure to go for the pan-fried stuffed tofu, as well as the sweet tofu fa pudding—topped of course with ginger syrup and red sugar. Just a few steps away is Kwan Kee Store (Shop 10, 115-117 Fuk Wah St., Sham Shui Po, 2360-0328), another old-timer serving up Hong Kong classics. Of particular note is their put chai gou bowl pudding.
Ma Tau Wai Road, To Kwa Wan
To Kwa Wan is full of hidden gems, and Ma Tau Wai Road is one of the top places to look. On top of stalls serving up grilled skewers of all kinds, Honor Street Food Stall (187B Ma Tau Wai Rd., To Kwa Wan) is full of variety. Their fish balls are large and excellent, and also on offer are hot dogs covered in melted cheese and assorted meats—but mostly melted cheese. Cross the road to Shun Hing Lung (182 Ma Tau Wai Rd, To Kwa Wan, 2356-1211) for classic Chinese desserts, including their famous red bean put chai gou bowl pudding, sago pudding and traditional cha gwor tea cakes.
