Must Eat in Hong Kong...

To me, Hong Kong have always been branded as a food paradise. Maybe due the brainwashing from years of watching TVB series. The Hong Kong people I see on TV are always eating from yummy noodles, dimsum, roast goose/duck/pork, tea and not forgetting the desserts....yum yum yum.

This is my 3rd trip to Hong Kong, first trip I was in my teens....don't really remember what I did (except being screamed by a lady selling bags when I was browsing at Ladies Street - that's how "great" service levels were in Hong Kong during the 90's). 3 years ago, I was back in Hong Kong but this time for work. I was so tied up with work, I did not even really know where I was, hmmm did I stay in Kowloon or Hong Kong Island??

This Hong Kong getaway was a surprise plan for my dear Hubby-D who was coming back from the States in December - a belated anniversary gift and an early birthday gift all combined in ONE. :) Smart eh!!?? Guess what I got from him from the States? - An iphone - hurray!! and a beautiful Coach bag! Lucky me!

Ok back to the Hong Kong trip. We had a wonderful time. We stayed in beautiful Excelsior at Causeway Bay with a spectacular view of the Harbour. Thanks to "my lovely neighbour" for the help in getting a good rate for the hotel. Just to be clear...it is still expensive (RM700++ per nite) even after the discount but then for that room and the amazing view, it was a great deal for Hong Kong standard.

View from our room

I must say the food were just yum yum yummy. We were lucky cos my sis-in-law Peng joined us for the trip and she has a good friend in Hong Kong. It is always great to know a close friend in a foreign country, they can recommend the best places to go and importantly the best food to go for. This will reduce the trial and error of trying out not so appetizing food. Thanks Michelle and Marco for your hospitality!!

For this posting, I will list down the MUST EAT FOOD in Hong Kong. Hopefully it helps those who are planning a trip to Hong Kong.

1. Wan Tan Mee (Shrimp dumpling noodles soup)

This I can safely say is super yummy. Don't worry, just drop by any noodle shop in any corner of HK, the quality won't run far. The Hong Kong "wan tan mee" is definitely different from the Malaysian version. I still don't understand why such a big difference but then again who cares.... as long as both are yummy and has it's own uniqueness. The Hong Kong version is in soup and with large shrimp dumplings. The Malaysia version is dry with dark soy sauce and with BBQ pork and comes with tiny pork dumplings in soup for the side.

For me, what makes the Hong Kong wan tan mee so yummy is not the dumplings or the soup but it is the noodles. The texture is just so different. There is a "springy" life to the noodles. Some say it taste like delicious rubberband! :) Ooops wrong association! Too unappetizing to be associated with rubberbands. Michelle told us that the flour used in Hong Kong is better quality and obviously different technique in making it thus creating such a springy texture.

Alright, whatever they put in there... I hope it is a good thing but all I can say is that it is super yummy!

2) Char Leung (pronounced in Cantonese)

Oh mind! I raked my brains to find the best way to describe this dish. Here goes..Steamed Rice noodle rolls with deep fried strip of dough. It is the combination of "Chee Cheung Fun" (flat rice noodle rolls) and "Yaw Char Kway" (Deep fried flour dough).

I frankly don't find this dish in Malaysia or at least I have not eaten it in Malaysia. My friends told me it is available in some Chinese restaurants. I actually first eaten it in USA. When both me and Hubby-D first put the Hong Kong "char leung" in our mouths ....hmmm..hmmm..hmmm no words to describe. The "yaw char kway" was super crunchy and the skin of the rice noodles was tender and smooth combined with the saltiness of the soy sauce. Ohh!! It was marvelous!

Infact, we liked it so much that we went back to the same shop the morning before we left and ordered one for our tummies before we headed home. The watch-out is that this dish is best consumed immediately after they make it. If they have made it earlier and put it in the hot steamer (for the next customers), the crispy dough would be a little soggy and that would make a huge difference between a great "char leung" and a not so great "char leung"!

3) Porridge, Congee

Ever so often in any TVB series, they would have congee for breakfast or supper whether at home or they pack back to the house. In Hong Kong, you can get congee anytime of the day. It is made fresh with whatever ingredient you desire....pork, chicken, fish, pork stomach, pork blood, pork liver, century egg, etc etc. Why I like Hong Kong style congee? It is the way they cook the rice....it is so soft, so blended and watery. Yeah...! I like the watery soft congee and not the "teochew" type whereby each strand of rice is still visible.

4) Roasted Goose ("Siu Ngor Pei")

I think Roasted Goose is probably "the" must have dish in Hong Kong. Not many places have this and I must say that Hong Kong is most popular for this dish. Check out my next posting on where is the place to go for the best and most popular Roast Goose.

5) Desserts

After this trip, I now understand why the Hong Kong people always have dessert after their meals. That is because there is so many varieties and it is all super yummy. And to me, someone who don't have a sweet touch and not a fan of sweet dessert. But, I was super impressed with the many different varieties.

Yoong Chi Kam Loe (Chilled Mango Puree with Sago and Pomelo)

Ohhh! Look at the thick and creamy Black Sesame Dessert.

This is Tong Yuen but the special part is the skin is not made of glutinous rice flour but made from sago. This version is so light and yummy! Trust me ...a must try!

6) Nai Cha (Milk Tea)

Now, you can't leave Hong Kong without having a milk tea. This is Hong Kong's version of Teh Tarik (pulled tea). Have a drink....for the smooth texture of Hong Kong's milk tea.

What do you think? There are lot more food - egg tarts, "smelly" tofu, pineapple bun, and all the dim sum you have. I will be posting more yummy food of my Hong Kong Trip. Stay tuned.