6 AMAZING LOCAL FOOD PLACES in Hong Kong 🇭🇰 (and exactly WHERE to find them)

Yeah, that's way better in Hong Kong. I once swore I'd never make food content. Hong Kong changed that. So much of the culture of Hong Kong is the culture of food. It's reflected in the speed of the service, the mixing of cuisines, the oftentimes confusing customs, and the world-class level of cooking. It's fast, elite, and a way of life. In this video, we're gonna show six local places to eat in Hong Kong, some select dishes they're known for, what it all costs, and some interesting stuff about the restaurants in the area. I'll be working with Angel Lau, who's a Hong Kong native and a professionally certified guide. Let's go. Odds are, if you're visiting Hong Kong and you care at all about food, you've probably got dim sum somewhere on your list. After 10 days in Hong Kong, I'd shamedly admit I still hadn't tried it. And right out of the gates, Angel was determined to change that. So we're here at Lin Hun Kwai, which is both an important place for Angel and as authentic as the experience gets. Why this place and not another place? Because this is the most traditional place that you can buy in Hong Kong. For dim sum? For dim sum. It has the rare quality of being both hugely popular and very much still a local haunt. Within seconds, you'll be directed to a table, probably seated with other customers. Right away, a server will come by and ask for your preference of tea, which is beautifully stored here in these waiter stands. You've got a choice between jasmine, pu-erh, which is fermented, and oolong. There's an etiquette here, as it's served in a gaiwan, which is a traditional method of brewing Chinese tea. Do it at the same time? Yeah. Okay. Good, yeah? Yeah. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. All right. The restaurant is known for classic Cantonese dishes, like duck, steamed pastries, dumplings, pork, and things of that sort. Today, we're ordering whatever Angel can hunt down. So here's how it works. When you sit down, you're given an order card. So this is our ordering card. Right here, you can see, like, different columns. It represents different price range. As the trolleys come out of the kitchen, it's fair game on the floor. If you see something you want, you can immediately lock it down. The servers will come by your table with the trolleys, but there's no guarantee that all the dishes will still be there. You sometimes literally have to run to the carts to get what you want. You never quite know what the next trolley's gonna be, so it makes it fun and absolutely a challenge. The flip side of the chaos is the food is unequivocally fresh. It just simply doesn't have the time to even get lukewarm. There's too much demand. First time. All throughout the meal, Angel was hunting down her favorite foods. No idea how happy I am. Like, oh my God. Like this, lotus seed paste with sago pudding. Oh my God. So this is the lotus seed paste, and you can see the sago with the custard. Yeah. Bon appetit. It's so much lighter than it looks. This location in Sheung Wan has two stories. Pro tip, the kitchen is on the second floor, so get there early and aim for floor two. See, we have six things. Let's see how much it is. And for the final tally, around $29 American for all of that amazing food. Later on on the same day, Angel and I head across Victoria Bay to Temple Street in Kowloon. The area is known for a famous night market, as a gateway to some nighttime fun, we'll put it. Don't walk on the sidewalk. Yeah. Why? There's so many ladies, like very sexy ladies, like standing there, look at me. I, yeah, got you. And some incredible local foods. We're here at Hing Kee Restaurant, which is one of those places that you just instantly know is gonna be absolutely freaking great. It's got the look, the sounds, and the total vibe. This is Angel's happy meal dance. Yeah, when you're about to have good food or you had a good meal. For the record, I don't have a happy meal dance. This is one of those restaurants that, in the U.S., for all our worthy determination, we will never be able to replicate. It's too real, too unpolished, and in America, they'd be so self-aware of how rebellious the whole thing was. All along Temple Street, you'll find very local restaurants. For this one, the specialty they're making is claypot rice, which is what we're gonna try today. If you've never heard of claypot rice, that's okay. I hadn't either. But if after this video, you don't immediately make a point to try it, that's on you. But first, this relatively unassuming bowl of greens. Just grab whatever. Try the piece of fish, maybe. Okay. Together. Yeah. It's like salty, a little chewy, a little bit of crunch, but it's really, really edible. Like, it's not weird. I am not joking. This immaculate bowl of green and salty and crunch is now in my personal pantheon of favorite foods. Where, oh, where can I find this in the U.S.? This is, no joke, one of the best things I've eaten all year. This is insanely good. I hope it looks good. And now, the star of the show. Look at that. If that isn't everything you've ever wanted to eat in one pot, I don't know what to tell you. Usually, we will, like, cover it up for a while. Just wait for how long? Two minutes. That's it. Okay. Comfort food. 100%. Yes. It's only a matter of time before somebody invents a fast food version of this. And it's just, they're gonna become a billionaire overnight. Oddly, I thought, they brought us the bill and asked us to pay about halfway through the meal. Turns out, that's all by design. They're just kind of encouraging people to not hang out here, basically. Okay, this was amazing. And the frog was amazing, too. But I swear to God, I could eat that every day. How we feeling? Full? How about you? Full. Are you ready for dessert? I didn't realize we were having dessert, but yeah, let's go get dessert. I'm gonna be honest. I didn't plan for this next place. In fact, I didn't even know we were going. And yes, I think it's sort of a questionable idea, being this full already. But what the heck, let's go. So what if I don't sleep tonight from intestinal discomfort? This is Kai Kai Dessert, located about a 10-minute walk south from Hing Kee, right into the heart of Jordan. By now, you're probably seeing a theme. Hong Kong restaurants, if they're good, attract crowds. Side note here. When in Hong Kong, get comfortable ordering on QR codes on your phone. It's how many of the restaurants operate, and frankly, it's kind of cool. Highly recommend to do this, the rice ball. The rice dumpling inside is black sesame filling. Done. Kai Kai Dessert is known for traditional Chinese sweet soups. And when I say known, I mean well-known. Ginger soup is a little bit spicy, right? Yeah. Yes. It almost tastes like something you would eat when you have a cold or something. The broth, no joke, is almost medicinal. But if you're a glutton for punishment in the name of burning sensations in your mouth and throat, you'll love it. I know I am. It was really, really good. Even that you're full after dinner, you're still able to eat that, right? Yeah, no problem. Although I did see in the photos you took that I have like an extra tire around my midsection. When was the last time you came here? Our last tour. Wait, was that like two days ago? Last week. Okay. All right, one more bite. All right, let's get out. We literally just beat a massive rush. Every single day is like this. That's right, because you come like five times a week, right? Yeah. Well, you look great. With all this walking. Yeah, that's what it is. For the record, I'm just waiting for Angel to get here. It's like 11 in the morning. And this totally caught me off guard. It looks a lot like New York City. The next morning, we're in Causeway Bay, en route to what's called a cooked food center. They're kind of like indoor hawker stalls. There are a number of these places throughout Hong Kong. And if you didn't know where to go, I kind of feel like you would miss them completely. But once you're inside, oh man, they're an exciting food wonderland. This is the Cook Food Center in Happy Valley. Basically invisible from the street, but massively popular inside. This place has a special significance for Angel, who's been coming here with her family since she was a kid. Every time I come in here, I'm so happy. Why? They didn't change. Like, they still design the vibe, people. Like, every time I come, I will look at the boss for a while to hope that this is not the last time you see him. That's really sweet. Because you don't know that if he's gone, so who's gonna take over the restaurant? Even though it's hopping and filled with people, it just didn't feel like a tourist destination. It has an incredibly local vibe. Angel's asking me why I like to drink hot tea when it's 100 degrees outside and humid, right? What did you compare me to? Chinese middle-aged lady like me. That's what I am. Photographer, jewelry maker, tour guide, professional ball buster. Ball buster? This may not look that exciting, especially compared to some of the other dishes in this video, but let me tell you what. You wanna eat local in Hong Kong, this sort of breakfast should be at the top of your list. Believe it or not, eating with a spoon is the local and traditional way to do it, a convention that dates back most probably to the early times of British colonial influence. Satay beef. Yes. Macaroni. Yes. And what is this deal? Cabbage. Who'd eat that every morning? Milk tea, beef, and soup, done. Sign me up. They're so nice. After slamming down two bowls of macaroni and beef soup as if carbs don't really exist, a short walk through the lovely neighborhood of Happy Valley brings us to Chung Hing Coffee Shop, a chill environment and with some excellent pastries and real deal milk tea. Where's the milk tea? Milk tea is this one. Yeah, this is one checkpoint that you find good restaurant in Hong Kong. If they have such a long history, that must be good in some way. It's worth a try. I'm into the decor of this place. The art deco tiles, glass block windows, the booths and autographs on the wall. This is the sort of place that you really feel the international vibes of Hong Kong. Oh my God, they got that. They got like lemon with coffee. Have you ever tried coffee with Coca-Cola? No. Coffee with Sprite? Oh my God. I'm gonna have to pass, Angel. No, they are really good. We're keeping it simple here. Milk tea, pineapple buns and egg tart. About as Hong Kong as it gets. It's your happy dance. It's a happy food dance. Because when I have this, look at it. That's like a solid piece of butter. I've been hearing about this legendary pineapple bun from all angles since setting foot in Hong Kong. Most of the restaurant, they will like warm up the bun. So the bun is warm, but with the icing butter so you can feel the contrast of temperature. So we have cold and hot. Cold and hot. And also a pineapple bun doesn't have pineapple in it. Why do they call it a pineapple bun? Because it looks like a pineapple surface. Like the skin. Oh, just because of the surface. Yes, just the surface. Okay, it's really good, but it also tastes exactly the way it was. Like a sweet bun with just a huge piece of butter. This, on the other hand, is where it's at. The Hong Kong egg tart. Whoa, look at that. By the way, the egg tarts in Hong Kong are a little different than the pastel de nata you'll find in Macau. Bon appetit. They're eggier, less sweet, and don't have that caramelized top. That being said, they're absolutely phenomenal. Just look at that. That is just gorgeous. Outdoor eating is just a way of life here for the rich and not so rich. Financiers to blue collar workers. Everyone in Hong Kong, it seems, eventually ends up at a place like this. Hello. Hi. Open air kitchen, plastic stools, and comfort food. As fresh as it gets. Located just a few blocks from our last jaunt in Jordan is Wing Fat Seafood. Though it's a relatively large outdoor restaurant with customers coming from all over the world, at its core, it's what's known as a dai pai dong, or an open air food stall. It's casual, super fun, and the food is outstanding. All right, so what are we having? Roast pigeon. I'm really excited about the pigeon because I saw it a couple days ago and I was told it was amazing. And tonight, to cap it all off, we're getting a royal spread. This all came out in like three minutes. Yes. I'm not joking. That was by far the fastest serious meal I've ever had delivered to a table. That's amazing. Yeah. Wow. Basic clam with black bean sauce. Chinese broccoli. Yeah, Chinese broccoli. Duck fish. With a spice sauce. That is... Wow. That's so good. It'll taste good. Wow, that is, that is like phenomenal. With the ginger. Yeah. It's very refreshing. 100%. It's pigeon time. Pigeon time. It like tastes a little bit like duck, a little bit like chicken. It's like in between. Yes. And the skin, the skin is like perfect. It's like a lacquer or something. It's beautiful. All right, so this is the duck fish. Yeah. All right, I'm gonna try this bad boy. Oh my God. How is it? That's so smooth. Yeah. It's like creamy. Yeah. It just like disappears in your mouth. Yo Angel, what's your favorite? Pigeon. It's good. Yeah, I gotta agree. Pigeon. It's all good, but that is insane. We don't restrict our staff to drink during operating hour. It's like they also deserve some like relaxed time. As long as they don't get drunk, it's fine for me. Because they're really, they're working really hard. This is Eric Chow, a second generation owner whose parents immigrated from mainland China and founded this restaurant. We treat our customer as a customer. We treat them as our friends. So imagine your friends come to your place to eat, what are you gonna serve them? How are you gonna prepare your food? Yeah, you're right. I don't really feel like a customer here. I feel like everybody's been helping me filming. Everyone's been helping me ordering. It really feels like kind of like a family atmosphere. Your place is having a lot of success, but other places are going away. What's the difference? Why are places going away like this? It seems crowded, it seems like a fun environment. The one factor is the government. They don't want this kind of place exist for too long. Because in a way, it's quite a hassle for them. It's quite a lot of trouble to them because they receive quite a lot of complaint about noises or different things. Okay. So for them, it's not that easy to manage this kind of place or they just don't want to put their thought on it. And then, which kind of sad because some of our customers here, maybe they're from the labor grade. You know what I mean? People working construction site, people doing ordinary labor job, they come here to eat. And at the same time, you see attorney, doctors, they just don't have the mentality of like, oh man, I'm going to a fancy restaurant. Everyone is treated as equal as possible because here, classes doesn't matter. Thank you. Cheers, man. Thank you for having us. Cheers, man. So to be from Hong Kong is to be something special, something unique. Yeah, I mean, if you ask me, as a kid that born after the 90s, that I'm the 90s kid. So, well, I would say our childhood experience the best time of all, I would say, yeah. Just like, you know, when we were kids, it's way more diverse than that. Like, for example, when I'm in school, my classmate, I would say all the skin color with me as well. Like black kid, white kid, brown kids, no matter where you're from, no matter your religions, just like in our very young age, our teacher in primary school will already teach you there is a lot of different people on the planet. There's a lot of different religion on the planet. It's okay to be different. It's okay. Just have to respect it, you know what I mean? Yeah, so that's what our value lies. But like, obviously now, I don't see that anymore. At least not that much. It's different now. Thank you for everything, man. That's a great face. Dude, that is an absolute steal. $3.30 for all of that food. That's like $40 American. Come here. This is my favorite moment in Hong Kong. Can I ask you a question? What is your favorite meal of this video? The one we just had, clearly. The one we just had? That was amazing. Yeah. Sitting on stools, eating seafood, talking with the owner, him bringing over beers. When I think of Hong Kong, that's what I want. Which dish is your favorite? Favorite dish overall. Favorite dish, yeah. Just a big frickin' mug of milk tea. Milk tea again. I'm serious, I love it that much. That's a milk tea guy. Milk tea guy. Okay, so this is actually a very special day. Tell the camera what happened today. So I passed my tour guide license today. The examination was passed. And finally I got the official license. The pass rate is 20%. And then I took three times. And the first time I got pass. And you literally found out this afternoon? Yes, three hours ago. That is something to say. Yay! Mission complete. All this restaurant that I took you to, they are all related to my childhood or my experience about Hong Kong. So I can show you the Hong Kong that I know from the back of time because Hong Kong changed a lot. Yeah. Thank you. You're welcome. Hey guys, thanks so much for watching. If you like this video, liking, commenting, and subscribing goes a long way towards helping this channel. Big thank you to Angel. If you wanna hire her while you're visiting Hong Kong, she has all sorts of tours available. I'll put a link in the description below. See you next time.