Budget-Friendly Food Tour: The Best Street Food in Mong Kok Under HK$100

Mong Kok, located on the Kowloon side, is one of the busiest commercial centres in Hong Kong and is famous for its affordable prices and vibrant, youthful nightlife. Mong Kok can be full of excitement when it comes to tasting the signature food of Hong Kong. With the high cost of living in Hong Kong, The Beat Asia set out to find out if it was possible to fill our stomachs with street food from the stalls and shops of Mong Kok, all for just under HK$100.

Stinky Tofu

We started our food journey with one of the most controversial snacks in Hong Kong – Stinky Tofu. Some people find its strong odour unappealing, but others love it for its unique taste. The Hong Kong-style stinky tofu is typically deep-fried and served on a skewer with a variation of sauces. The stinky odour comes from the fermented milk and vegetables used to marinate the tofu, but it is also the reason for its rich flavours.

As a first-timer tasting stinky tofu, it was terrifying to take the first bite. However, by covering up my nose, the crispiness took away its pungency, and all I could taste was the sour yet fragrant tofu. The stinky tofu definitely tasted better than it smelled. Don’t forget to add sweet and sour chilli sauce to it, as it takes the deep-fried delicacy to another level.

Where: Wai Wai Snack, No.2Y, Tat Lee Building, Sai Yeung Choi Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon

How much: HK$15/One skewer

Fried Pig Intestines

Street food in Asia can sometimes be nasty to think of, and fried intestines can be a big no for many tourists. The fried pork intestine was terrifying yet intriguing enough to try at least once. We decided to try it out from the same snack shop where we got the stinky tofu.

The fried intestines were surprisingly delicious, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, with a strong odour of pig that didn't really taste stinky. The taste comes from the saltiness of the marinade and the mustard added to the skewer. It wasn't my personal favourite, but it was worth a try.

Where: Wai Wai Snack, No.2Y, Tat Lee Building, Sai Yeung Choi Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon

How much: HK$17/One skewer

Fish Balls and Siu Mai

The staple duo of Hong Kong street food is undoubtedly Fish Balls and Siu Mai. This culinary masterpiece is the perfect pairing to fill your stomach without breaking the bank. Siu Mai is originally a luxurious delicate dish only available in lavish dim sum places in the old days.

However, hawkers started to mimic the recipe and created an “economical” version. Stuffed with a filling of pork, fish, and mainly flour, and wrapped in a yellow-coloured dumpling skin, the chewiness of this item sure takes your taste buds on a home run. Paired with fish balls, which are usually cooked for days in a curry sauce, it perfectly blends with the fishy flavour that the fish ball originally had.

Where: Lung Jun Snack, 43 Dundas Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon

How much: HK$12/Five of Each

Coconut Milk

Hong Kong can get very hot and humid in the summer, and what is better than a cold and refreshing drink after a sweaty day out? I never thought that a bottle of coconut milk could help quench my thirst this much.

One small cup of iced coconut milk here is only HK$22, and they use fresh off-the-tree coconut juice mixed with milk, without any artificial flavouring. The organic flavour of the drink takes it away when compared to other sugary cold drinks offered along the street, definitely a must-try.

Where: King of Coconut, Shop3 - 5, 43H Dundas Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon

How much: HK$22/Small Cup

Squid Skewers

After the drink, we continued our food journey on the streets of Mong Kok and came across the Michelin-star snack hawker – Fei Jeh, which is famous for its cold braised intestines, squid, and many other delicious bites. For budgeting reasons, we only got to try the squid skewer, but it was surprisingly delicious.

The octopus is braised in soy sauce and Chinese spices for days and kept in the fridge. The skewers were served cold, which was very suitable for our appetite. Adding the shop’s signature mustard to the skewer adds extra excitement to the snack. The blend of sweet and savoury with the spice from the mustard creates an unforgettable tasting experience for us first-timers.

Where: Fei Jeh Snack Shop, Shop 4A, 55 Dundas Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon

How much: HK$15/One Skewer

Bubble Egg Waffle

We had only HK$19 left for a delicious dessert to wrap up our meal. When it comes to a sweet snack in Hong Kong, the Bubble Egg Waffle is undoubtedly the best choice in town. A few blocks ahead of Fei Jeh, stands the famous Mammy Pancake. It costs HK$20 for the original flavour, which is already the cheapest on the menu. We decided to go over budget by HK$1 for this famous snack, and it did not disappoint.

The Bubble Egg Waffle is freshly baked, making it extremely crispy on the outside, while the inside is fluffy and rich with the taste of its custard. There are options to add a scoop of ice cream to the waffle if you have more money to spend, but the egg waffle shines just by itself.

Where: Mammy Pancake, 33 Soy Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon

How much: HK$20