Eating and Drinking in Hong Kong

Yet another charming photo blog on the way for you.  I will admit that I haven't been nearly as adventurous in the eating department as I could have been since coming to Hong Kong.  But I've taken pictures of some of my favorites.  Nom Nom!

(Disclaimer, before you judge me - let me mention that the pictures and things below are generally NOT a part of my daily life.  If they were, they'd be far too commonplace for me to notice enough to take a photo.  These are the extremes)

Where Does Food Come From?

This is for reals how a lot of chicken gets delivered.  Right out in the open.  In the heat of the summer.  I try not to think about it.

Wet Market - asians swear that if you buy your seafood fresh (aka, still alive) it tastes better.  Hence wet markets where you can buy a very alive fish and take it home still flopping in the bag. 

Breakfast - the Most Important Meal of the Day

Chinese breakfast - noodles in soup with really yummy dried meat from Macau (okay, yes and a coffee)

Dragon Fruit - looks like a fruit from the Aliens on the outside, but is pretty awesome on the inside (this is a peeled and cut fruit)

Most of the time, Starbucks is my morning ritual.  All sorts of name problems - here's Winky.

I think this says Wisney, but I couldn't be sure...

And this Starbucks champ...Whi......eh, what the heck, W is good enough.

It took 6 months of going to the same Starbucks EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. But, alas finally, we made it.

Every, week, we have a mini staff meeting at the restaurant around the corner from my office.  It's called the "Jackpot".  My boss always orders this combo of food.  "Sai Doh See" (deep fried french toast with peanut butter inside and condensed milk on top) and "Yoon Yong" (Half Milk Tea Half Coffee).  It's shockingly bad for you, but he doesn't seem to have died yet. Thanks to Julie for modeling this marvelous combo.

And if you're craving some sweet Vermont maple syrup with your waffle, well, you're out of luck.  You get this - "with syrup".  I shudder to think about what the rest of it is, but after taste testing it, I think I've settled on brown high fructose corn syrup, light on the maple.

Lunch and Dinner

There is some food in HK that's better doused in sauce and downed with a beer.  Just to, you know, kill whatever might be lurking inside.  This is at the infamous "Mr. Wongs" in Mongkok.  This restaurant is known far and wide for its horrible food, terrible ambiance (tables are arranged in an alley) and all you can drink beer for for about $5USD per person.  This is a situation where it's better just to not ask what you're eating.

When winter comes, there's only one thing to do and that's to go for hot pot.  Communally cook various things tableside in broth.  Nothing will make you feel like a hardened killer more than skewering a possibly-still-alive shrimp and boiling it to death.  Clearly I was impressed by the experience.

"Xiao Long Xia" I have no idea what this is called in Cantonese, as I actually ate it in Beijing.  Basically, Crawfish in a SPICY OILY sauce.  You eat them with your hands.  (Thankfully, they provide gloves for the experience).  Burned my mouth off and was a lot of work to eat, but I'm glad I had the experience...once...

Snacks and Desserts

The most horrifying thing I've seen since coming to HK. Dog jerky.  Not for the dog, but... well, you get the point. I'll mention that it was bought in Mainland China, but still, eeeeeeeeeek.

No, this cake hasn't gone off, it's actually meant to be that color.  The first time someone tried to feed this to me, I thought they were punking me.  This, friends, is Pandan Cake.  It's pretty popular in SE Asia, specifically in Malaysia.  I can't say that I love it, but lots of people here do.  Try it once and see for yourself. 

Dessert.  Red bean pudding with cream and glutinous dumplings.  Not terrible, in fact.  The brown part of the dessert is hot and the white part is cool.  This kind of thing can be found at any local dessert shop.  I also ate durian shaved ice that night which was the most horrible food I have ever tasted in my life.  Red Beans are considered a dessert type of item here, so you'll see them in everything.  Bubble teas, starbucks drinks, stuffing for buns, etc.

Charcoal nuts.  They look pretty horrendous, but actually taste quite nice.  They have a mild flavor and don't taste charred or pooped out at all.  (Don't look so shocked, I know that's what you were thinking.) Jury's still out if they actually ARE charred or pooped out. These are from Taiwan, I think.

Alllll the Seaweed things.  Seaweed fries, Seaweed Seaweed, Seaweed Wings.

Green Tea Kit Kat.  Clearly Kit Kat is nailing the Asian market.  It doesn't taste too bad.

Ordering Food 

 

"The Cashew Fries The Shrimp"

"The salty fish & minced pork flesh fries the eggplant broken" AND "Red Ka Crisp Meat Parched Beans Angle"

Counting those calories?  Better go with the "Lightly Options"

"Stay Ostrich Meat"

Ever wonder what people in China say in lieu of this old exchange? "Finish your food, there are people in China who are starving!" Here's this clever solution, folks.  Wonder if you could institute it in your household?

How to be a Proper Hong Kong Person

Take pictures of ALL the food.  ALL the time. 

Un-categorizable

And finally, this.  Not what you want to see when you walk in a restaurant, eh?

Hopefully this little journey into the culinary oddities of Hong Kong has been informative.  If you ever find yourself in HK, try the food, it really IS delicious! 

Oh and also, 7 days from today, I will leave HK for good.  It doesn't feel real yet. 

More later this week.  Til then,

-The Adventurer