1. Hong Kong-style roast goose
Roast goose is one of the signature dishes of Hong Kong cuisine (Image source: Collected)
Hong Kong cuisine always captivates tourists with its richness and distinctive flavors. Among countless delicious dishes, roast goose is considered a signature dish, contributing to Hong Kong's reputation on the world culinary map.
This famous roast goose dish originates from Guangdong and is prepared using traditional methods to preserve its authentic flavor. Carefully selected geese are marinated in rich spices and then roasted at high temperatures until the skin turns a beautiful, glossy reddish-brown and crispy, while the meat inside remains tender and juicy. When tasted, the rich, savory flavor combined with the infused spices creates an unforgettable culinary experience. Hong Kong people often exclaim "ho ho say!" to express their ultimate satisfaction upon tasting this exceptional dish.
2. Egg Tart
This egg tart is impressive with its rich, creamy flavor (Image source: Collected)
Egg tarts are a familiar and beloved dessert, appreciated for their delicious flavor and convenience. However, the Hong Kong version of egg tarts possesses a unique charm, a distinctive blend of Western and local traditions, offering a memorable experience on your culinary journey through Hong Kong.
What sets Hong Kong egg tarts apart is their crust, made from Chinese puff pastry dough. Thanks to meticulous preparation techniques, the crust is crispy, encasing a smooth, creamy egg custard filling. With each bite, you'll experience the delicate blend of egg richness, subtle sweetness, and the crispness of the crust, creating an explosion of irresistible flavors.
To fully enjoy it, you can pair the egg tart with a glass of warm milk. Warm milk not only balances the richness of the tart but also mellows the sweetness, allowing you to better appreciate the subtleties of this renowned dessert. This is definitely a signature dish you shouldn't miss when exploring Hong Kong's culinary scene.
3. Dim Sum
Dim Sum – dessert dishes in Hong Kong cuisine (Image source: Collected)
When it comes to Hong Kong cuisine, dim sum is always an unmissable icon. This dish is not simply food, but also represents the unique culinary culture of the Chinese people. In Hong Kong, dim sum is considered a vibrant art form, captivating diners with its richness, sophistication, and unforgettable flavors.
The highlight of Hong Kong dim sum is the meticulousness in every step of the preparation process. The wrappers are made from high-quality wheat flour, thin yet pliable, skillfully encasing the fillings. The fillings are incredibly diverse, including pork, chicken, beef, and fresh seafood such as shrimp, crab, and squid, mixed with vegetables and quail eggs. Each filling is carefully seasoned, bringing a rich and unique flavor to each dim sum.
Dimsum is not only delicious but also impressive in its visual appeal. These small, skillfully shaped dumplings offer a captivating visual experience. Dimsum is typically served in traditional bamboo steamers, which help retain its heat and distinctive aroma. This is an indispensable part of exploring Hong Kong's culinary scene.
4. Fish ball curry
Fish ball curry (Image source: Collected)
The next Hong Kong dish is fish ball curry. This unique combination of delicious fish balls and rich curry sauce creates a famous dish, loved by many tourists visiting Hong Kong's bustling markets. The fish balls here are usually made from a mixture of flour and finely ground fish, giving them an appealing chewy and crispy texture.
What makes this dish so appealing is the hot, creamy curry sauce that coats each fish ball, creating a wonderful blend of spicy and naturally sweet flavors. The characteristic golden color of the curry, combined with the white of the fish balls, creates a dish that is not only delicious but also visually appealing.
Curry fish balls are often served with various vegetables or bread, noodles, or white rice, depending on preference, helping to balance nutrition and enhance the appeal. This is one of the typical street food specialties, contributing to the rich and colorful culinary landscape of Hong Kong.
5. Hong Kong-style fish porridge
Fish porridge is a familiar dish, loved by many for its refreshing and easy-to-eat flavor. However, in Hong Kong cuisine, fish porridge takes on a very unique style, showcasing meticulousness and sophistication in every detail. The secret to its special flavor lies in the meticulous preparation. Chefs typically simmer the porridge with carefully prepared fish stomachs, creating a natural and pure sweetness. The simmering process lasts for many hours to fully extract the sweetness from the fish stomachs, resulting in a rich and unforgettable flavor.
Interestingly, and surprisingly for many diners, despite its name "fish porridge," the actual serving often includes pork, beef, beef meatballs, and fresh herbs. The blend of seemingly unrelated ingredients creates a harmonious and complete culinary experience. Herbs like scallions, cilantro, and parsley are sprinkled on top, enhancing the flavor and stimulating the diner's taste buds.
6. Seasoned Chicken Feet - Phoenix Talons
Do you love dishes that are both unique and rich in local flavor? If the answer is yes, you absolutely must try seasoned chicken feet – Phoenix Talons, a standout dish in Hong Kong cuisine and often served in traditional Hong Kong dim sum meals.
Carefully selected chicken feet are marinated in a delicious blend of spices, creating a harmonious balance of sweet and savory flavors with a hint of mild spiciness that stimulates the taste buds. When you enjoy them, you'll experience the tender meat combined with the chewy, crunchy texture of the tendons, providing a delightful and unforgettable culinary experience. In particular, the mild spiciness of the dish leaves many diners wanting more and more.
If you ever have the chance to visit Hong Kong, don't forget to try this delicious Hong Kong dish to fully experience the distinctive flavors of this Hong Kong specialty!
7. Dry Hot Pot (Poon Choi)
Poon Choi is an indispensable dish during the Lunar New Year in Hong Kong (Image source: Collected)
Poon Choi is one of the iconic symbols of Hong Kong cuisine, often featured during important holidays and festivals. Traditionally, enjoying this hot pot dish at the beginning of the new year is believed to bring good fortune and prosperity to the family throughout the year. What makes Poon Choi so appealing is the exquisite combination of many premium ingredients, symbolizing abundance and good luck. Familiar ingredients such as abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, tender beef, crispy squid, fatty pork skin, and fresh vegetables are carefully selected to ensure freshness and high quality.
Unlike traditional hot pot dishes, Poon Choi is prepared by steaming to preserve the natural flavors and nutritional value of each ingredient. When you taste it, you'll clearly feel the natural sweetness of premium seafood, blended with the refreshing taste of vegetables, creating a perfect balance. More than just a delicious dish, Poon Choi also holds deep cultural value and is a source of pride for the people of Hong Kong. If you have the chance to explore Hong Kong, don't forget to try this renowned dish to better understand the culinary essence of the city.
8. Claypot Rice
Claypot Rice (Image source: Collected)
When it comes to Hong Kong street food, the dish that perfectly embodies sophistication in flavor and preparation is Claypot Rice. This is not only a familiar dish in the daily meals of locals, but also a culinary experience that any food lover should try when visiting Hong Kong.
One of the most famous places to enjoy this dish is Kwan Kee Claypot Rice in Sai Ying Pun – known as the "king of claypot rice" in Hong Kong. Kwan Kee maintains the tradition of cooking rice over charcoal – a classic technique that not only ensures even cooking but also creates a crispy crust and a distinctive smoky aroma that is hard to find anywhere else.
Each serving of Claypot Rice at Kwan Kee is a harmonious blend of sticky rice, a golden-brown crust at the bottom of the pot, and tempting toppings such as Chinese sausage, chicken, white eel, or raw egg, offering a culinary experience that is both rustic and rich in local character.
9. Noodle Cart - Hee Kart
Hong Kong street food noodle dish (Image source: Collected)
Hee Kart, a noodle cart, is an ideal stop for those who want to explore Hong Kong cuisine in their own way. Here, you can personally select and combine fresh ingredients to create a bowl of noodles that reflects your personal style.
Hee Kart impresses with its diverse menu of broths, ranging from the traditional sweet and savory chicken broth to the spicy and pungent flavors of Sichuan soup. In addition, the restaurant offers a variety of tempting toppings such as beef, fresh seafood, dumplings, mushrooms, and green vegetables, allowing you to flexibly combine them according to your preferences.
The Hee Kart experience is more than just a meal; it's an opportunity to create your own unique noodle dish amidst the vibrant atmosphere of Hong Kong's street food scene. It's definitely one of the dishes you shouldn't miss when visiting the city.
10. Stinky Tofu (Cau Dou Fu)
On the streets of Hong Kong, you'll easily find vendors selling crispy fried stinky tofu (Image source: Collected).
Just hearing the name alone makes many people wary and even want to turn back before trying this dish. However, behind that pungent exterior lies a unique, rich flavor that can easily become addictive from the first bite. The key to the distinctive smell of stinky tofu is the brine made from fermented vegetables, fermented for at least two years until the vegetables are fully fermented. This brine is then used to further ferment the tofu, creating its traditional aroma and flavor.
Depending on each stall's secret recipe, the flavor and aroma of the dish will vary. Some places have a mild, pleasant smell; while others have a strong, pungent odor that makes many people recoil. Nevertheless, if you're looking to explore Hong Kong's culinary scene, stinky tofu is definitely an experience not to be missed. This famous street food is deeply rooted in the local food culture and is often found in bustling markets like Mong Kok or Temple Street.
11. Hong Kong Black Sesame Dessert
Don't be fooled by the "dark" appearance of Hong Kong-style black sesame dessert! This dessert hides a sweet, rich flavor that warms both body and soul, especially on chilly days. Black sesame seeds are the main ingredient that creates the dessert's distinctive flavor. The sesame seeds are roasted until fragrant, ground into a fine powder, and cooked with broth, creating a delicate sweetness, a nutty taste, and a rich creaminess from the coconut milk.
Hong Kong-style black sesame sweet soup, served piping hot, is the perfect choice to ward off the winter chill. As you enjoy it, you'll feel the warmth spreading throughout your body, providing a wonderful sense of comfort and relaxation. This is a Hong Kong dish you'll crave when you're away from home.
12. Shrimp dumplings - Har Gow
Shrimp Ham – a Hong Kong specialty (Image source: Collected)
Shrimp dumplings – Har Gow – are a quintessential dish in Hong Kong cuisine, distinguished by their delicate flavor and eye-catching appearance. Whether prepared in the traditional steamed style or the modern deep-fried method, Har Gow easily captivates diners' taste buds from the first bite. This dim sum dish is considered a "shining gem" in the renowned dim sum culinary tradition, enchanting anyone who appreciates the sophistication of Eastern cuisine.
The thin, translucent wrapper perfectly encases a sweet, fresh shrimp filling, combined with the light richness of the broth and the delicate aroma of spices, creating an irresistible, harmonious whole. Enjoying Shrimp Dumplings with a cup of hot tea not only enhances the flavor but also balances the palate, providing a complete dining experience. This is definitely a dish not to be missed when exploring Hong Kong's street food, famous dim sum restaurants, or traditional eateries.
Hong Kong cuisine is a wonderful blend of tradition and innovation, offering unforgettable culinary experiences. If you have the chance to visit this vibrant city, don't forget to sample its distinctive dishes to fully appreciate its cultural beauty. The flavors of Hong Kong cuisine will surely make you want to return again and again.
Source: https://www.vietravel.com/vn/am-thuc-kham-pha/am-thuc-hong-kong-co-gi-hap-dan-top-10-mon-an-lam-nen-tinh-hoa-am-thuc-xu-cang-thom-v17543.aspx
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