Hong Kong is a city of great cuisine, traditional food art, discerning patrons. Simply put, it’s a food lover`s paradise and in this gastronomic world, breakfast tops the list. You can always find a crowd in numerous of its famed eateries, the largest footfall is during breakfast hours which definitely has lots of choices.
Food of Hong Kong is about absolute authenticity and tremendous innovations, with infinite possibilities.
Braised Beef Dim sum in broth
Ranging from the most recognizable and popular, instant noodles with fried eggs or luncheon meat on top, beef egg sandwiches, pineapple buns, toasts of infinite kinds to the ubiquitous egg tarts and milk tea, breakfast in Hong Kong is lots of delicious, lip smacking food at a price that`s mostly unthinkable in any other global cities!
Most breakfast bills would be below HK $50!
The traditional tea houses or locally called cha chaan tengs a little hard to identify though are ones to aim for!
They offer the best experiences for a breakfast both authentic and sumptuous.
Even before you step in, be prepared for mostly set menus but often these would be the dishes for which the customers come from another end of the island city.
Buns and chops infinite :
Okay! Hong Kongites love their buns. Buns had been inducted in local breakfast few centuries back and no locals seem to be unhappy about it. In fact, the barbequed pork buns and pineapple buns are the most sought after. If you like a little sweetness to start your day go for the pineapple bun if not then settle for the meaty ones. Make sure you go for the thick condensed milk or the tall glass of silky milk tea with these buns. In fact Michelin star eatery Tim Ho Wan, a brain child of Chef Mak has excelled in its barbequed pork bun to such a scale that any traveller to the city makes it a must eat at their Sham Shui Po outlet.
Cantonese fresh shrimp dim sum with rice sheet cover
Hong Kong loves its morning noodles. These noodles are soft instant ones peculiarly called doll noodles by the locals which come by in unbelievable variety of toppings. The more formal name is Gongzai noodles. The first brush with this flavourful breakfast dish would leave a mark on you.
I still have vivid memories of the light savoury brown broth in which my noodles came floating in, not runny, not thick just what I wanted with a poached egg on top whose yolk was strangely intact despite tossing and turning! This is the classic dish available in all tea houses and the ones that are famous would surely have ques running up to the table. If you are not the eggy kind, then you can go for shrimps, luncheon meat, minced pork or beef and even tofu as your topping !
The dim sums of Hong Kong are unbelievably delicious and had stood their taste of time.
Don`t get ruffled by the waiting crowd in the more famous dim sum spots.
Once inside make sure to order fast from the menu, as these eateries are often crowded and deal with huge volume of footfall.
Try the succulent steamed ones like the fresh shrimp dumplings which comes in steamed rice sheet cover or the braised beef dumplings. Then move on to the deep-fried varieties which are crispier and yet meltdown from the core. Choose from the meat and leak deep fried dumpling, pan-fried green pepper with fish or the teriyaki eggplant dim sum. The list is endless so keep trying.
Remember the traditional dumplings are served in baskets and the rule of the game is to savour them warm!
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