Eating ONLY HONG KONG FAST FOOD for 24 Hours (Ranking Every Chain) 🇭🇰🍚

Hello, everyone! We are now in Hong Kong. We are here in Hong Kong, the place I call home. So if you grew up here, chances are you've definitely eaten at a Maxim, Fairwood, or Café de Coral. And for those who don't know, these three chains are basically the McDonald's of Hong Kong. And before you come at me and go like, oh my god, why the hell would you recommend these places? You're a ---- tour guide. No one can ever deny that these three chains are absolute institutions in Hong Kong. While they might not be serving the best food here in the city, they're undeniably household names that fed generations of Hong Kongers. They've always been the cafeteria for the working class. It's decently affordable, fast, and pretty much everywhere. But things have been changing. Hong Kong right now is in the middle of an F&B crisis with old staples like Taipan Bakery shutting down. Some people say these chains just aren't what they used to be. Prices keep climbing while quality doesn't always quite match up. So in this video, I'm going to be eating breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner all in one day. Yes, you heard that right. That would be 12 meals at these three chains. From classic peanut butter french toast to their famous baked rice, we're going to find out which chain still rules them all. Or you know, just watch this for science or for nostalgia's sake. And if you guys like videos like this and want to see more food tours here in Hong Kong or in Asia, please give me a thumbs up. I would really appreciate that. And yeah, let's get chong! So first off, we are here at Meisam MX, also known as Maxim's. This chain has been around since the 1950s and over time it grew from a sit-down restaurant into one of Hong Kong's biggest F&B groups. So on the breakfast menu, you'll usually find western breakfast items like fish fillet, eggs. There's also Hong Kong-style breakfast like macaroni and soup and Chinese-style breakfast dishes like congee, roast meats, and dim sum. So Maxim's is actually pretty well known for their dim sum because they also operate other Chinese restaurants. So I'm going to get their signature lo mai gai set. I also got my favorite hot lemon tea to go with it. So right here, we have the lo mai gai which is wrapped in this lotus leaf and inside you'll get sticky rice, chicken wing, char siu, mushroom, and lap cheong which is this Chinese sausage. I'm gonna go ahead and try the rice first. So even though I'm not getting that heavy leaf fragrance that I'm first unwrapping this whole thing, I'm so glad that the lotus leaf fragrance does come through from the first bite. The rice here is decently sticky but I think the quality of the grains could be even better. Right now, it's kind of mushed together and it's really densely packed. Also, I think the temperature of the lo mai gai could be even hotter. I miss seeing that steam as you're unwrapping it. Now I'm gonna try the chicken wing and the rest of the fillings. This is a pretty good chicken wing, not gonna lie. The chicken is decently tender and then the mushroom is also nicely moist. It has a nice earthiness to it and that lap cheong also gives it that salty sweet punch that ties it all together. What really shines for me about this dish though is definitely the marinade. That's what I've always loved about having lo mai gai at Maxim's. It just has like a good balance of umami, rich, sweet savoriness and it just goes so well with the aromatic earthy flavors from the lotus leaf rice. Overall, judging the price, the quality, as well as the portions, I would give this a 6.8 out of 10. I do think the carbs or ratio protein could be improved even further but not bad in my books. I was expecting a lot worse. And I'm gonna try some of that hot lemon tea. This hits the spot for me. This is basically your standard Ceylon lemon tea. Nothing too special in Hong Kong but compared to the stuff we have in Bay Area, this is miles better just in terms of the tea strength, the tea flavor and also they don't skimp on the lemons. That's what I really appreciate. I'm seeing like three thick slices in there at least so you're getting that nice balance of acidity and also the tea flavor. Not bad. So right now we're here at Fairwood. This chain has been around since the 1970s and they're super well known by their extremely blinding orange logo. For breakfast, their menu definitely leans more western and Hong Kong style breakfast. There's like pan-fried chicken fillet, fish fillet and some Chinese dishes like rice noodles and congee. So fun fact is I almost had this every day back when I was working in Hong Kong because there was one nearby my office and my go-to order was scrambled eggs, luncheon meat aka spam with radish cake and that's what we're gonna get today for old time's sake. I'm also gonna try their fish fillet today because that seems to be a really popular item here for breakfast and I added the strawberry croissant on the side because why the **** not. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I've been to Fairwood at least three times since I've been back in Hong Kong so I can attest that the quality is kind of inconsistent at each joint and it seems like the scrambled egg right here is not as runny as it used to be. Yeah, it's definitely on the drier side. Personally, I just prefer them to be more runny. I like it when it's a bit jammy. I like them juicy, you know. What I can appreciate is definitely the flavor in here. It's really really buttery and it's perfectly seasoned. It's not overly salty. It still has that right creaminess to it and scrambled eggs wise, it's still miles better than the ones I've had in the States where it's super rubbery and dry. But yeah, I wish the quality of the scrambled eggs here were more consistent because on a good day, it's really really good. For what I'm getting today, I'm giving it a 5 out of 10. Now I'm gonna try the luncheon meat. Oh yeah. There's just something unique about Chinese spam. I think maybe the fat content is like higher or something like that. It's way better than the American spam brand. It's not overly salty. It's just really really savory and umami and perfectly balanced with that seasoning. They probably pan-fried this because I also get like a slightly crispy exterior and for its amazing balance of salt and savoriness, I would give this an 8 out of 10. And now I'm gonna try the fish fillet. Oh wow. I just love how it's so nicely golden and crispy on the outside. You can definitely hear that crunch. The fish is also so soft and tender and juicy and moist inside. It's nicely flaky. Honestly, perfectly cooked. I don't know how they do it. Flavor-wise, the fish is nicely salted. The crust, it kind of has like a savory sweetness to it. And when you pair it with the tartar sauce, it just adds this nice acidic creaminess that pairs so well with the fish fillet. I'm giving this an 8.5 out of 10. And now let's try the radish cake. This is so good. Maybe I'm just super biased here, but I think the radish cake at Fairwood far trumps the other joints. It's pan-fried, so you're getting those nice crispy edges, but what makes this stand out compared to the rest is definitely the filling. It's really delicate in flavor and you're getting those huge radish chunks in there. A lot of places, they do it in such a starchy powdery way, but it doesn't feel this way at all at Fairwood. With this, it's giving more of a melt-in-your-mouth texture because of the soft radish filling. You're definitely getting that sweet savoriness from that radish flavor. It's so prominent in here. Maybe they could use a little bit more lap cheong, but I'm not huge on having a ton of meat in my radish cake, so I don't mind that as much. I would give this an 8 out of 10. And finally, here we have the strawberry croissant. I do wonder how this came about on the menu because it's just such a random thing to have out of all things. But let's give it a try. Okay, interesting. I'm not sure if I like this. It's kind of on the soggy side. I don't think this is kind of like a real croissant per se. It's definitely more like a soft bread. I mean, it does have layers inside, but it doesn't have that crust or flakiness from a traditional croissant. Flavoring, it's just kind of weird because I'm getting a lot of that buttery croissant flavor, but also that faint of strawberry touch. But it's also artificial tasting. So I don't think this is for me at all. It's kind of a weird situation. And now we're here at Cafe de Coral. This is the biggest of the three chains. Founded in the late 1960s, it's truly the cafeteria of Hong Kong in a sense that you'll find one in almost every neighborhood or any major mall. Their breakfast menu is pretty basic and really similar to Fairwood in the sense that they have a heavy focus on western-style dishes like eggs and meat sides. They also have some Hong Kong-style dishes like macaroni, fried noodles, and silver pin noodles. Apparently, their signature breakfast here is the Manuka Honey Chicken Steak, which comes with a side of toast as well as a side of preserved vegetables noodle soup. Gonna try the toast first. It's pretty standard. I like that it's kind of thick. It's nicely toasted. And I appreciate that the butter here is actually salted. And here we have the Honey Chicken Steak. So first of all, I really like that they're using dark meat. The meat itself is actually pretty juicy. It's really tender. But that said, I'm not really getting that honey flavoring in there. I was hoping for that floral sweetness. Overall, flavor-wise, it just tastes kind of like a roast chicken. It's pretty savory. It's not overly salted. But again, I was kind of expecting like a honey flavor since that's how they're advertising it to be. So I'm a little bit disappointed about that. Overall, I would give this maybe a 5 out of 10. I really wish I could taste more of that honey flavor. And finally, we have the Preserved Vegetables Shredded Pork Rice Noodles. I think I'm gonna try the broth first. The broth is pretty clear. And I really like that salty, tangy kick from the preserved vegetables. I'm gonna try it with the noodles and toppings now. Overall, this is kind of like a standard, mediocre rice noodle dish. Nothing too special about it. The rice noodles, they're kind of nicely bouncy. Pork strips in there is also quite meaty. It's also tender. But that said, I don't think there's a lot of other additional flavoring. It's really just pork and saltiness. The dish is heavily relying on the preserved vegetables to kind of give it that umami, salty flavor. I would give this maybe a 4.5 out of 10. And we're back at Maxim for lunch. Because I'm filming this on a public holiday, it's like super packed with people. So compared to their breakfast or lunch menu, usually features some kind of monthly promotion. Looks like for this month, it's some devil angel chicken cutlet thing. The rest of the menu leans heavy on Hong Kong rice plates, roast meats, and a mix of Chinese and Southeast Asian comfort food like curries and soup. So we're gonna try their Boneless Hainan Chicken Set since that's a pretty popular item here at Maxim's. It's just one of those dishes that's had a permanent spot on the menu. And it comes with a bunch of side sauces, cucumber salad, as well as the chicken rice. And I also got their monthly special drink, which would be the kumquat jasmine tea. Gonna try the chicken first. I really like that fragrant gelatinous skin. It's so flavorful. It's like full of that oily fragrance that I would love from a Hainan chicken. That said, meat-wise, it's definitely on the tougher, chewier side. It could be more tender. I wish it was more silky smooth. I think the cut feels on the leaner side. But that skin really makes up for the flaws because it's adding that fattiness to the whole chicken. And I also really appreciate that there's three kinds of sauces here. For some reason, in North America, the sweet soy sauce is not that popular. I don't really find it all that much at all Hainan chicken places. That sweet soy sauce here adds a really nice savory depth, while the garlic chili has this nice kick and brightness to it. Though I must say, it's a bit too mild for me. I wish it was a bit spicier. My favorite here is definitely the ginger scallion. It's really fragrant. It's slightly salty. It's really aromatic overall and it adds this nice earthiness that pairs really well with the chicken. Now I'm gonna try some of the rice. It's pretty fragrant. I'm tasting some chicken oil as well as garlic. The garlic is definitely more prominent in here. I also like that it's not super, super oily and greasy. It doesn't feel that way at all as you put it in your mouth. The chicken aroma in there is definitely what makes it really nice to eat. But I must say, the rice is on the drier side. Now I'm gonna try some of the pickles. Oh yeah, the pickles here are so good. I just love how it adds this nice brightness and acidity. Super refreshing and it really helps cut through all that richness from the chicken and the rice. Overall, I think this is a pretty solid lunch option. It's not cheap compared to the prices in Singapore, of course. And also, if you're a Hainan chicken snob, I don't think this will blow your mind. It's not necessarily the most sophisticated rendition of Hainan chicken. But if you're just looking for something that's quick, consistent, I think you can rely on this. And now I'm gonna try the kumquat jasmine tea. It's really sweet. I feel like there's a separation of the tea, the kumquat, and the syrup. I think this drink would have been perfect if I got it with no sugar or at least less sugar. Because right now, all I'm tasting is a lot of syrup. If I ignore the sugar though, I do think the kumquat adds this really nice citrusy brightness to the jasmine tea. It's such a great pairing. And the tea quality is quite nice. But since it's really sugary right now, this is a... This is a 6.5 out of 10. I wish I could just take out the sugar. And now we're right here at Fairwood. Honestly, after a while, a lot of the menus look kind of the same. They all offer similar things like curries and Hainan chicken. Fairwood also have really traditional dishes. Right now, it looks like they're doing a promotion here for a modern take of Hong Kong-style classics. Pretty interesting. But my goal here is to actually try their bread and butter signature. So we're gonna get the spaghetti bolognese. I got an iced Ovaltine drink to pair with it. And before you judge me for ordering this dish, spaghetti bolognese is actually a really iconic dish in 豉油西餐, meaning soy sauce western cuisine. It's the kind of fusion food that you would find at Hong Kong-style cafes. And the flavor of this dish is totally different than the ones in Italy. For Hong Kong-style spaghetti bolognese, we add soy sauce and maybe some chilies and spices in there. So this dish is super nostalgic for me because I used to eat this every Thursday and Saturday night when I took art classes after work. It was the only joint that was open at night and there wasn't much around that neighborhood. So I feel I just have to try it again today. Alright, enough talking. Here we have the spaghetti bolognese. Look at this dish right here. Underneath is their classic spaghetti pasta and then it's topped with this meat sauce that is slightly spicy. Alright, let's give it a try. Oh yeah. The sauce here is incredible and just how I remembered it to be. There's something about it. It's just so nostalgic for me. I think it's the fact that they add a lot of spices in that bolognese sauce. That's what really gives it that complexity when it comes to the flavoring. The tomatoes in there is extremely bright. It feels fresh and it just adds this incredible brightness to the dish. And what makes it really special and probably adds extra flavor is they actually stir-fry the meat before they put it in the sauce. So you're getting this nice smoky flavor. And they actually advertise this dish to be a tad bit spicy and that's what I love about it. It makes it super appetizing to eat and when you pair it with the sweet and tangy tomatoes, it's such a perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and savory. Although I do think it could be even spicier. When it comes to the spaghetti texture, it's definitely not your classic al dente. Although there is still a bit of a chew, it still has some firmness to it. It's a little doughy, a little firm. I mean, I'm definitely biased here because of the nostalgic factor. But just from the flavors alone, I think I would give it a 9 out of 10. It just really, really delivers when it comes to the Hong Kong style kind of meat bolognese sauce. So good. So the dish that we just had was really savory and it's slightly spicy. So it's perfect to pair with this Ovaltine drink right here. In case you don't know what it is, Ovaltine is basically a chocolate malty drink that is originally from Switzerland. For some reason, it made its way to Hong Kong and it just became a very popular Hong Kong style cafe drink. All right, let's give it a try. Oh my god. This is such a good Ovaltine. Perfectly done. I just love how it's not watered down because a lot of Hong Kong cafes love to water this ---- down. And then all you taste is kind of like a separation between the water and the powder. It's less creamy. You don't really get much of that Ovaltine malty flavor. But that is definitely not the case here. The Ovaltine powder is nicely blended. Maybe they also added some condensed milk in there because I'm definitely tasting that creaminess. This does lean on the sweet side. And if you know anything about me, I really don't like sweet drinks at all. But I make an exception for this because it's just so good. It's just one of those childhood nostalgic drinks for me. Super, super satisfied right now. And finally, we're wrapping up our lunch segment here at Cafe de Coral. So for their lunch menu, there's a lot of different sets, including roast meats. They're also doing this promotion right now where there's like an eel chicken cutlet baked rice. You already know I'm gonna stick with their signature. So I'm gonna try their beef brisket curry for lunch today. And I also got their monthly special drink, which is the guava mango oolong tea. So here we have the Hong Kong style beef brisket curry made with coconut milk, curry powder, and there's potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, and beef stewed in there. I'm just gonna dig in with the brisket sauce and rice. I think the curry sauce could be even more complex and even more flavorful. Right now, the consistency is kind of like a gravy. I do get that mildly sweet coconut undertone in it, although I think it could be amped up even more. A bit more lemongrass in there would be nice as well. What I really like though is that the beef brisket here is kind of like fall apart tender. There is some gelatinous tendon part in there that I don't quite like, but it is usually pretty common with these kinds of curries. I think overall, in terms of Hong Kong style curry, it's giving more one note right now, but it does scratch the itch if you're really hungry and you want a ton of beef brisket because I do think portion-wise, there is quite a lot of protein in here. I would give this a 5 out of 10. And here we have the monthly special drink, which is a guava mango oolong tea. I actually asked for less sweet just in case they put a ---- ton of syrup in there. Let's give it a try. Okay, so it looks like the balls underneath here is some kind of agar jelly. It's kind of like mango flavor agar jelly and they're really chewy, really bouncy. It's definitely giving that boing-boing factor. Flavor-wise, it's really tropical. You're definitely getting a ton of that brightness from the mangoes and the guava. I think more sour flavors would have given it a better balance. And when paired with oolong, I do think it adds this nice floral toasty depth to the whole drink. It kind of keeps it from being way too sweet. Overall, it's still pretty refreshing and it's not a bad drink. I would give this a 5 out of 10. And for now, that's pretty much it. I'm gonna go home and take a nap because I can feel my eyes just like getting slantier as we are filming. I'll see you guys later. Right now, we're here at Maxim and it seems like for afternoon tea, there's pineapple buns, roast meats, Taiwanese bowls, noodles, fried chicken wings. So I actually heard that Maxim has the best French toast out of the three chains. So we're gonna try that. And they've also been promoting this duck ---- oolong lemon tea and it looks hella good. I know that's been a super trendy item here lately. So here we have the French toast. It comes with butter and syrup. I already put the butter on top so it looks nicer. I'm gonna get the syrup on there and cut it up. As you first bite into it, you can definitely taste the buttery and rich flavors of the French toast. I think what really makes this French toast stand out is the crunchy peanut butter filling. There's a good amount of peanut butter in there and it's kind of like chunky and nutty. That's what gives it that nice peanut butter fragrance. But that said, I do wish it was crispier. It could use more of that crunch. I feel like the bread has to be eggier and softer in order for it to be a better Hong Kong French toast. And that's kind of what I'm missing from this one right here. Because without that moisture and egg wash inside of the bread, it just becomes like a really dry situation. And right now, I just feel like my whole mouth is kind of sticky. I think for the price, you could definitely find better French toast elsewhere at like smaller cha chaan teng. I would give this a 4.5 out of 10. And now let's try the duck ---- oolong lemon tea. In case you're worried about the name, duck ---- oolong is actually a nickname for a type of oolong strand. This strand became super popular in the recent years. You might even find it in like Chinatown SF. I guess this is Maxim's way of jumping into trends. Mmm. Wow. I think this is the best drink we've had so far from this whole tour. It's so, so refreshing. And I love that it's not too sweet. The tea fragrance really comes through. You can definitely taste that oolong flavor in there. It's really floral. It's got this deep nutty flavor, toasted flavor to it as well. And that lemon citrusy lime flavor, it's really nicely balanced with the sweet. Again, it's not overly sweet, which is why I really love it. Overall, this tea just tastes so fresh. It's got an incredible balance of that fruity flavor. And the tea is not overpowering. It's perfectly steep. Very well done. I would highly, highly recommend this. I honestly wasn't expecting to get this caliber of a tea at a fast food chain. This is just as good as some of the duck ---- oolong teas I've had from boba chains here. And for this reason alone, I'm giving this a 9.7 out of 10. I think this might be the highest ranked item so far, but it deserves all the hype. Mmm. And now we're back at Fairwood. Looks like for their afternoon tea, their menu consists of club sandwiches, different kinds of noodle soups. What's jumping out to me is the local street food section they're promoting right here, with classics like 鮮釀三寶 fried stuffed eggplant, 鬍仔糕 red bean rice pudding. So when it comes to afternoon tea, Fairwood is most well known for their deep fried chicken leg that's marinated in spice and salt. Just look at that promotional picture. That's a sexy chicken right there. And that's what we're going to try today. The set also comes with a drink. I'm going to try their red bean milk tea. And I haven't had red bean rice pudding in a long time as well as 鮮釀三寶. So I'm going to try that as well. This is their signature fried chicken leg. Just look at how big this is. And I also love seeing that deep fried skin. Wow. I seriously get the hype. The skin, it's incredibly crispy. It's literally so crunchy. But what impresses me the most is definitely that seasoning. It's so savory, so flavorful. And that chicken, it's so moist in there. So tender as well. So speaking of the flavor, I know for a fact that the chicken here is actually marinated in spice and salt, which is basically five spice mixed with salt. And that's what gives it this savory, sweet, earthy flavor that you're getting here. You can really taste that. Honestly, at this price point, this is exceptional quality. And I must say this might be the best food item I've tasted so far. I'm giving this a 9.5 out of 10. That's how good it is. So good. And now we're going to try the 鮮釀三寶, which is basically a deep fried vegetable that's stuffed with some kind of fish meat and paste. It's a really popular Hong Kong street food. And I'm just really glad I can find it here on the menu. The one we have here, it consists of eggplant, Chinese sausage, as well as tofu. I'm going to try the eggplant first. That fish paste, it's so fragrant. I think there's like a mixture of some carrots in there. It's really, really savory. The fish paste, you can definitely taste that mild sweetness in it. And when paired with that pan fried eggplant, you're really getting that textural contrast there. It's like crispy on the outside and just so soft and melty and moist on the inside. I'm going to try the sausage now. Wow. That one's even better. It's like a lot more flavorful because the Chinese sausage comes as like pre-marinated. It's more similar to like an American hot dog sausage, but maybe with more spices and flavor in it. And finally, we have the red bean rice cake right here, bu zai gou. This is just a really nostalgic childhood street snack for me. I remember as a kid, I was so fascinated by how glossy and round this is. It kind of looks like a boobie, not going to lie. And it's also kind of like bouncy, you know? Anyway, let's give it a try. Okay. I think texture-wise, it's a bit starchier than I would like it to be. I prefer it to be a little bit more smoother in texture. I do appreciate that it's not overly sweet. The red bean adds just a hint of sweetness. And even though it is on the starchier side, I still like that there's a bit of a chew and a bounce to it. And honestly, for the price, I think this scratches the itch. It's not quite there, but it's not horrible. For nostalgia's sake, I'm giving this 4.5 out of 10. And here we have the red bean milk tea, which is basically their twist on the classic Hongbaobing red bean ice. The red beans make it really hard to suck, not gonna lie. I'm gonna give it another try. I would say it kind of works, although it is kind of on the sweeter side. The red beans here definitely overpowers the milk tea by a huge margin. That said, I really like the creaminess from the milk tea. And I do think the tea flavor, if it was even stronger, that would have been perfect when it comes to cutting through that sweetness of the red beans. Overall, this is not bad. I think the balance is a little bit off, but nothing that you can't fine-tune. I would give this a 6.5 out of 10. And finally, we're ending our afternoon segment again here at Café de Coral. Honestly, every time I come back to Hong Kong, I am shocked by how many people there are. It's just so crowded, so crazy. And not gonna lie, I wasn't expecting that many people. So far, every single chain that I've been to, there's like lines of people. Just so many people. People everywhere, all the time. For afternoon tea, it looks like their menu has hot dogs, chicken wings, roast meats. And for the monthly special, it looks like they're doing a ham and cheese french toast. I think most people like their honey-glazed chicken wings here. At least that's what my parents are familiar with, so we're gonna get that. I'm also gonna check out their monthly special, which would be the ham and cheese french toast. And I got a side of great Calpico soda to go with it. And here we have the chicken wings. It's so interesting that they put it on a huge stick, and it's really truly a whole-sized wing. I'm just gonna grab a bite. Oh yeah. This honey chicken right here is so much better than the honey chicken stick that we had for breakfast. Thousand times better. The chicken is so tender, it's so juicy. And that honey glaze, it's actually really prominent in here. It's got this nice buttery honey flavor. You can taste that floral sweetness in there. And if you know me, you know I love a good sear on my meat. And here you can actually see that it's really nicely roasted. That caramelization of the skin just adds this incredible smokiness. The only critique that I have is it is on the oilier and greasier side, but that's really what you get when it comes to Hong Kong fast food. They do not shy away from all that oil. But judging from the texture and the flavor, it really is quite an incredible dish, given the price point. I would give this an 8.7 out of 10. And now we're gonna move on to the French toast. Gonna add some butter and syrup on top. Just from slicing this toast, I can actually smell the ham and cheese. Oh wow. I actually really like this. I know this is not necessarily your traditional Hong Kong French toast in the sense that it doesn't have like a peanut butter filling. The inside is really moist and tender. There's enough of an egg mixture in there. It's really buttery as you bite into it. Even without the ham and cheese filling, I can confidently say that this is a far superior French toast. It has a really crispy exterior and the inside is so soft. That melted cheese in there, it's ooey gooey. It's really nice. It's rich. It's creamy. And it kind of provides this tangy note that just goes so well with the savory ham. The ham and cheese execution here works really well. And for that, I'm gonna give this a 9 out of 10. And here we have another monthly special, which is the grape calpico soda. You can see some grape syrup underneath. And then there's also some boba-looking things. Let's give it a try. Oh wow. This is a lot better than I thought it would be because the grape syrup that they're using is actually Japanese grape, 巨峰提子. I don't actually know what the English name for it is. It's a special kind of Japanese grape that has like a deeper grape flavor. It's very distinctive. It almost kind of tastes like grape candy. I also love that it's not overly sweet because they added soda water on top of it. And the boba here is actually some kind of grape-flavored agar jelly, which I really like. It makes it really fun to drink. And it's really bouncy and chewy. I know this is supposed to be a calpico soda, aka like a Japanese yogurt drink. I'm not really getting as much of the yogurt in here, but I can definitely taste that acid from the soda, but also from the grape flavor. Overall, this is a really fun drink. I would give this a 7.8 out of 10. And we finally made it to dinner. We are here at Maxim's for the fourth time. Just looking at the menu, it looks like there's a lot of Hong Kong classics like this Angel Chicken Cutlet Rice and also some Shanghainese going on. What's really catching my eye though is the Hong Kong Steakhouse section. Honestly, it's been a long, long time since I've had a Hong Kong-style steak. So I'm really excited to try that. The combo comes with a ribeye steak, lobster bisque with pastry on top, as well as the jelly dessert. And per usual, I got a Coke to go with it because it just pairs so well with steak. So here we have the ribeye steak on a sizzling plate. It's supposed to be sizzling. I feel like the plate here is not as hot to do that, which is kind of a ding, not gonna lie. It comes with some side veggies, sprinkled cut fries, and of course, you can't have a proper Hong Kong steak without black pepper sauce. That's the sauce I chose. So the trick here is to pour it onto the steak as it's cooking on the sizzling plate. And usually, it should cause this smoke effect, but since it's not hot enough, we're not really getting that today. Gonna cut it up and see what it looks like in the inside. Looks like it's kind of medium well. I feel like I've been fooled by how well it cut because it's actually a pretty tough steak. It's kind of tasting like a meatloaf right now. I'm not really getting a lot of juice. I feel like it's just a really, really tough piece of meat. It doesn't really make sense to me because it's really easy to cut through, but it's really dry inside. I'm also not really seeing a nice sear on here, which I usually love with my steaks. Flavor-wise, I feel like the beefy flavors would come through even more, especially for a ribeye steak. I'm mostly getting the flavor from the black pepper sauce, which I think contains some garlic, a lot of black peppercorn, as well as some onions. It's kind of spicy, tangy, as well as earthy, and it usually pairs really well with steak, but I think in this instance, it's really all that I'm tasting right now. I don't think this is my favorite steak at all. I think when it comes to fast food steaks, Japan definitely does it a lot better. I also feel like at this price point, you can definitely find better steakhouses in Hong Kong. For the steak, I think I'm gonna give it a 3.8 out of 10. Now we're gonna try the lobster bisque. Gonna try some of the pastry first. It's super, super flaky and buttery, but I think it's actually too crispy to the point where it's kind of like dried out. I prefer it when there's like a slight chew to the dough. That's what I consider a good puff pastry, but right now it's kind of lacking that. Gonna try the lobster bisque. How do I put this? The soup here definitely has a lobster seafood flavor to it, but that said, I think it's definitely way too salty to the point where I feel like it's overwhelming all the other flavors. That's all I'm really tasting right now. In terms of the fillings for the soup, I'm also not getting a lot of ingredients. I think there's some small shrimp in here. It's kind of overcooked. And the soup consistency is also on the thinner side. I think overall it is a savory soup with a bit of a tang, but it's just way too salty for me right now. And for that reason, I am giving this a 2.8 out of 10. And finally, here we have the jelly dessert. It looks like a strawberry flavor. Let's give it a try. I think it's strawberry. It's definitely your classic artificial flavoring though. So that's why I'm not really sure. It's giving like a fruit punch flavor, like a generic fruit crunch. Texture-wise, it's not bad. It could use more gelatin, but that's just my personal preference. I would give this a 6 out of 10. I'm sad to say this, but I think the Coke is actually the best item that I had here for dinner. I can always trust Coke. And now we're at our second final stop at Fairwood. I am so tired. And after that heck of a dinner that I had at Maxim's, I hope this is better. So looking at their dinner menu, it looks like they're really featuring their signature curry. There's a whole lot of protein options when it comes to their curries. I'm also seeing some Japanese shabu-shabu as well as some Hong Kong classics. Sorry if I'm going to bore everybody with my dish choice here, but I think I'm going to go get the curry because that is really what they're famous for. It's literally their crown jewel, and I feel like I wouldn't do this episode any justice without ordering that. But to spice things up, I'm also going to get their sweet and sour pork because that is actually my parents' favorite dish here. So what makes Fairwood's curry really special is that apparently they put in like 30 different kinds of spices. I'm seeing some potatoes in there, some braised beef brisket, some tendon. It smells pretty good. And just from the looks of it, I can already tell it's creamier than the one I had at Cafe de Coral. Gonna mix it in with some rice. I don't know if they necessarily put 30 spices in here because it's not as flavorful as I thought it would be. That said, this is still a better curry than Cafe de Coral. The sauce here is definitely creamier and it's slightly more spicy. I also think the spices like turmeric and cumin, they're a little bit more prominent in here. Although again, I really feel like they could use even more spices. The beef brisket here is pretty tender, but it's still got a bit of that chew. More of a chew than the one at Cafe de Coral. I don't know. I feel like Cafe de Coral has better beef brisket and then this one has like a better sauce, but the sauce still is lacking the complexity of a curry that I'm looking for. It could use more coconut fragrance. It could just use more flavor in general. Or maybe I'm just really tired and sick of eating this kind of food. I think I'm gonna give this a 5.8 out of 10. And because curry is spicy, I decided to get another red bean ice. I think it's too sweet to my liking, but I do enjoy the creaminess from the milk. Flavor-wise, it's really, really similar to like the VitaSoy soy milk. And when paired with the red beans, it adds this nice nutty earthiness to it. I mean, this is a pretty standard drink. I just don't really like sweet stuff all that much. If they can tone down the syrup in the red beans, I think I would like this a lot better. But again, that's just my personal preference. I think I'm gonna give this a 4 out of 10. And finally, here we have my parents' go-to order here at Fairwood. This is the sweet and sour pork. It's stir-fried with some onions, pineapples, and peppers, and drenched in that sweet and sour glaze. I like that the pork is still decently crispy, even though it's like drenched in sauce. That's what surprised me. And also, the pork is really tender and still has a really nice moisture inside, despite being fried. I think personally, the sauce is a tad bit too sweet for me. I was hoping to have like a better balance of tangy and sweet. I'm gonna try it with the pineapple and peppers to see if it changes things. And got a bit of everything, including the rice. Let's give it a try. I think this is the way to do it. When you pair it with the onions and the pineapples, the peppers and the pork and the rice, everything is just a lot more balanced. What I really love about this bite is the sour tanginess from the pineapples. That's what adding that acid into the sweet sauce, and I think that is a much needed component. I'm also getting a nice crunch and juices from the veggies. This dish in general is way better than the curry that I just had, and I can see why this is my parents' favorite. I would give this a 6.8 out of 10. Oh my god. I am so excited to go to our final stop because let's just get it over with. And I love being in TST because I'm really blending in with all the tourists. You know, these whole rows of stores right here used to be super popular and filled with all these luxury brands. Wow, guys, we truly made it. We are finally here at our final stop at Café de Coral. I'm just so glad to finish this off because I'm so tired. I really need sleep, and honestly, I think I ate way too ******* much today. For those who have watched this video until this point, thank you so much for coming along this crazy-ass journey with me. I feel I have inhaled three days' worth of calories, and I don't know how I'm gonna bounce back mentally or physically. And honestly, I'm kind of full of regrets right now. This one is truly for the books, for science. So looking at their dinner menu here, I'm not really seeing a huge difference with the lunch stuff. There's like the ribeye steak. That's definitely new. And for the Hong Kongers out there that are watching this video, I feel like you can already guess what I'm about to order next. It would be truly illegal if I didn't try this on this tour. So what we're about to get is the legendary classic baked pork chop rice. This dish has been a household staple in Café de Coral for many, many decades. Like, literally, my parents grew up eating this. It's what Café de Coral is most well-known for to the point where they feature this dish in all of their advertisements. So here we have the guk ju pao fan. There's fried pork chop over fried rice, and then it's topped with sauce, tomatoes, pineapples, peas, corn, and cheese. It's almost like they threw in a whole salad bar in here. It smells so amazing. And honestly, this is the most nostalgic dish for me. I love a good baked rice. All right, I'm gonna try the sauce with the rice first. The sauce, it's what makes this whole rice so incredible. It just has the perfect balance of savory and sweetness. It's tangy, it's bright. I also love how there are huge chunks of pineapples and tomatoes in here. It really adds that nice sweet and sour base, which is really Hong Kong style. And the cheese just adds so much savory creaminess to the whole thing. And it just pairs so well with the tomatoes that it almost tastes like a Hong Kong-style pizza. But in a good way, trust me. The fried rice here is also solid. The rice is not mushy. Each grain is separated. I also really like how it's not too greasy, which I really appreciate. I'm also seeing some eggs in there, although I always think it could use more eggs. Now I'm gonna try their pork chop. Wow, just looking at the size of the pork chop, it's actually not bad. It's a pretty chunky piece. I'm gonna slice it up. It's really nicely tender. Wow, I really love how thick and nicely juicy it is. Even though it's been baked and dried, it's really nicely marinated. It has that garlic and Shaoxing wine flavor in there. I love how it's not overly salty. It's a really well-seasoned pork chop. That said, I do think the breading could be a bit crispier. That's what I'm kind of missing from this pork chop. But again, each establishment kind of does it differently. So maybe that's not what they intend it to be. Honestly, I don't know if it's because of the nostalgic factor, but this is a pretty good baked pork chop rice at the $59 price point. Of course, you can maybe find even better stuff at other smaller Hong Kong-style cafes, but this is a classic dish for a reason. And I really think they do the sauce here really well. They really knock the flavors out of the park here. And I just love the juicy tomatoes as well as the pineapples. Is it the most refined baked pork chop rice? No, but I think for the convenience and how quick it's being served, it's really worth it. I would give this an 8.2 out of 10. We're done! This pretty much wraps up our full day of adventure. Now let's talk about which chain deserves the top spot. For breakfast, Maxim's Lohmai Gai was my favorite, although Fairwood's fish fillet and spam is a really close second, with Cafe de Coral scoring last for their bland and uninspiring so-called honey chicken and rice noodles. For lunch, Fairwood's spaghetti bolognese was the best. While Maxim's Hainan chicken sauces were amazing, I'm not sure if I would go back for that, and Cafe de Coral's curry was honestly truly forgettable. For afternoon tea, Fairwood again takes the top spot with their deep-fried chicken leg, with Cafe de Coral as a very, very close second with their honey chicken wings, as well as their ham and cheese french toast. Maxim's french toast was honestly whatever, but that duck ---- oolong tea is next level, and I'll be thinking about that for a really long time. For dinner, Cafe de Coral's baked pork chop rice is a clear winner by a really big margin. Fairwood is a second for their passable sweet and sour pork, but seriously, what the hell happened to that curry? I think it's a shame. And then Maxim's steak dinner was a total abomination I had to stomach, and for the price, it was an absolute ripoff. So based on all the meals that I had today, I would declare Fairwood as the ultimate winner of today's food tour. The breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea items were all pretty solid. I would say Cafe de Coral and Maxim's are pretty similar, but I would put Cafe de Coral second because of their afternoon tea. So that puts Maxim's in the third place. And I just want to clarify that at the end of the day, it all comes down to knowing exactly what dishes to order at which chain in order to have a good experience. So again, this whole ranking is just based on all the dishes I had today. And before we say goodbye, I think it's really important to say that I don't really care if the food is mediocre or straight-up bad. You can laugh at me all you want for doing this challenge, but it meant a lot personally filming this. As Hong Kong is going through rapid changes economically, culturally, and socially, these chains have been a part of many Hong Kongers' experiences growing up. And hopefully, they will remain as an important part of our Hong Kong dining culture. And even though they might not be as good as they used to be, the nostalgic factor alone makes it worth it for me to continue eating at these places. I don't know. I just feel like it's part of my duty as a Hong Konger to bring attention to different walks of life from a culinary perspective, even if it's not necessarily the most delicious or the most glamorous. And yeah, if you've watched this till the end, thank you so much for coming on this crazy food tour with me. And please let me know down in the comments which dishes you think I should have tried or other Hong Kong spots you think I should visit next. And don't forget to like and subscribe if you want to see more food tours coming up in Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea. Thank you so much for watching, and I'll see you guys real soon. 我哋遲啲再見! Bye bye!