Hong Kong Street Foods You Have to Try While in the City

Hong Kong is a mecca for street food, with pop-up stalls around ever busy street corner billowing savoury and sweet smells out into the open air. With its bustling markets and diverse cuisine, it's a must-visit destination for food lovers.

Whether you're a local or a visitor, here's a list of the best street food snacks and dishes that you must try while travelling in Hong Kong.

1. Egg Waffles (Gai Dan Zai)

A classic Hong Kong street food, egg waffles are made with a light, fluffy batter that is cooked in a special waffle iron. The result is a crispy and sweet snack that is perfect for a mid-shopping treat, choose to fill your Egg Waffle with peanut butter and condensed milk, or keep it simple with some salted butter.

2. Fish Balls and Curry Fish Balls (Yu Dan)

Fish balls are a ubiquitous street food in Hong Kong. These deep-fried, bite-sized balls are usually made with fish paste, and are usually served with a spicy dipping sauce and soy sauce. A variation of the traditional fish balls, curry fish balls are made with a curry paste and served with a big dollop of curry roux. Fish balls are often served in a small Styrofoam cup with a sharp stick to poke and skewer the balls with.

3. Rice Rolls (Cheong fun)

Rice rolls are made with a thin sheet of rice noodles that are rolled up with a variety of fillings such as pork, beef, or vegetables. They are usually served with a sweet and savoury sauce and soy sauce. You can also ask street vendors to dress it up with hot sauce for extra oomph.

4. Beef Offal (Ngau zaap)

The characteristic sounds of snipping scissors in the street comes from the slicing of tasty beef offal. Beef offal is made up of various cow organs, from intestines, to belly. The ingredients are stewed in a savoury broth and cut to order straight from the vat. The dish is usually accompanied with (soybean sauce and stewed turnips.

5. Three Stuffed Treasures (San Bo)

Fried foods is a must-have when visiting food stall streets. Commonly known to Hong Kongers as ‘three treasures’ pieces of eggplant, tofu, and bell pepper are stuffed to the brim with fish paste and then fried. Usually served with soy sauce, these treasures are simple yet hearty.

6. Egg Tarts (Dan Taat)

Egg tarts are a classic Hong Kong dessert. They are made with a flaky or short-cake style pastry to hold the creamy sweet egg-custard filling. You can find egg tarts in dim sum restaurants, bakeries, or Hong Kong style cafes (Cha Chaan Teng).

7. Bagged Cold Noodles

A palm sized bag of chilled noodles is the perfect snack to have when exploring the Mong Kok neighbourhood. Customize your chilled noodles with a slew of cold ingredients including ham, corn, fried chickpeas, cucumber, beansprouts, and more. A healthy amount of raw garlic, oyster sauce, and sesame oil ties the whole dish together, which makes for a surprisingly addictive slurping snack.

8. Siu Mai

Siu mai is a cornerstone in dim sum, but street food variations are made of a pork-fish mixture and wrapped in a yellow flour-based wrapper unlike their restaurant counterparts which contain shrimp. Typically served with soy sauce and chilli oil, your trip to Hong Kong is incomplete without trying both versions of siu mai

9. Pineapple Buns (Bo Lo Bao)

Pineapple buns are a popular snack in Hong Kong. They are made with a sweet dough that is topped with a crunchy sugar and butter topping. Sometimes filled a slice of butter, red bean paste, custard cream, barbequed pork, sometimes even luncheon meat, the distinctive pineapple bun is a versatile snack that swings savoury and sweet.

10. Yuen Yeung Tea

Popular drinks in Hong Kong Cha Chaan Teng’s include Yeun Yeung, a mix of coffee and Hong Kong-style milk tea. The mixture is three parts coffee and seven parts tea, served hot or cold based on your preference.

How many of these have you already ticked off from your Hong Kong bucket list? For more of the latest events in Hong Kong, check out The Beat Asia’s directory here.