We returned from Japan last week, and for our journey from Osaka to Singapore, we flew with Cathay. We’ve always wanted to visit Hong Kong but never found enough time for a longer stay. So, we cleverly planned our return trip to include a half-day layover in Hong Kong, giving us the chance to enjoy some delicious food.
I shortlisted a few eateries to go (mostly street food and 茶餐厅).
So some administrative matters first, if you are planning something similar, when you arrive in Hong Kong international airport, you might want to deposit your luggage and travel light.
From the moment you exit the arrivial door, turn left and go all the way to the end. You will see this.
It’s chargeable at HKD14 per hour capped at HKD 165 daily.
Next, you will also need data roaming. There are a few vendors in the arrival hall level. Consider going for the physical sim as they have daily plan available. It will cost alot more to use e-sim which does not quite make sense for a few hours stay.
For the uninitiated, the easiest way to get to town is via their Airport Express. If you are very sure of your schedule, you can get the return ticket. However, we might be moving around a bit so we bought a one way ticket.
Our first stop is to Sham Shui Po 深水埗. Take the airport express to Tsing Yi station, change to Tung Chung (orange) line, change at Lai King onto Tsuen Wan (red) line, and exit and Sham Shui Po.
It’s not complicated and will take you less than 45 minutes to arrive. Once you arrive, depending on where you want to go, it will be via exit B or D.
Sham Shui Po offers a blend of authentic local culture, affordable shopping, and delicious food. Personally, the local markets and street stalls don’t interest me much, as they mainly cater to locals. However, if you want to experience the true vibe of Hong Kong, this district is a must-visit.
First Stop – 文记车仔面 (Man Kee Cart Noodle)
This eatery in Sham Shui Po is quite popular and even features in the Michelin Guide, which explains the constant queue of both locals and tourists.
The good news is that they have three shops side by side, so the queue moves quickly. We arrived around 3 PM on a Saturday and didn’t have to wait long to get in.
Cart noodles is the ability to customise your bowl with the wide variety of ingredients on offer. Popular choices include fish balls, beef brisket, pig’s blood curd (my favourite).
But be mindful that you need to make up your mind quickly and move along or you will be bellowed by the ‘friendly’ lady staff. This is a true Hong Kong experience!
I love the broth. It was rich and flavourful.
Remember to help yourself to the pickled raddish. It just makes the noodles taste so much better and adds a crunch to every mouthful.
Second Stop – 新香园 (Xin Xiang Yuan)
This is another well-known eatery in Sham Shui Po, famous for its beef and scrambled egg sandwich.
We first had it years ago and we fell in love with it.
The ice milk tea was on point. It was rich, creamy and slightly sweet. Very satisfying. However, we felt that the sandwich did not taste as awesome as before (or how we remembered it to be).
Try the boiled coke with lemon and ginger, a unique and comforting drink that originated in Hong Kong.
Third Stop – Kung Wo Beancurd Factory
This shop is a beloved local institution. Renowned for their silky smooth tofu pudding, crispy fried tofu and refreshing soy milk.
And they now have another shop extension to accommodate the overflowing patrons.
We got tucked at a small table in a dingy alleyway. But hey, that makes the entire experience more legit!
Just go for the tofu pudding, the rest of the items i feel are just average. Shovel in a healthy dose of brown sugar and you will be a very happy person.
This eatery is also listed on the Michelin Guide.
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Fourth Stop – Ki’s Roasted Goose Restaurant (棋哥烧鹅餐室)
We decided to move on from Sham Shui Po towards Central. It’s on the red line, from Sham Shui Po to Causeway Bay via transit at Admiralty station. It was easy.
No Hong Kong food trip is complete without tasting roast goose.
I discovered this place while researching on YouTube. A well-known former Hong Kong news anchor, now a YouTube celebrity, did a challenge comparing various famous roasted goose brands in Hong Kong. This restaurant came out on top in his opinion, so we decided to give it a try.
We ordered the regular portion. It’s good enough for 2 persons to share.
This shop, most of the patrons are locals. There’s no queue and we were able to get a seat easily.
The meat was juicy and flavourful. The skin was nicely roasted with a smokey finish. However, we found the meat too tough to chew.
Conclusion, we prefer Kam’s Roast’s version.
I am not sure if this is a one off incident. If you are a fan of this brand, maybe you can comment below on your experience.
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Fifth Stop – Hashtag B
From Causeway Bay, we took the MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui. The whole place was packed.
This bakery is now very popular due to it being a hit on IG. I think they have a few outlets and the one in this picture is the one near Tsim Sha Tsui station.
There is a never ending queue but it was rather fast moving. Half of the people in the queue are tourists.
Yes, egg tarts is what we are here for. A classic Hong Kong dessert. The shop does sell a variety of other bakes but from my observation, most are there for the egg tarts.
We bought a Napolean tart and Irish coffee tart.
The crust was crisp and crunchy, pairs well with the caramelised egg pudding in the centre. The pudding was rich and creamy without being overly sweet.
Sixth Stop – Lee Keung Kee North Point Egg Waffles
We still have 1 more place we like to visit. It is located near Jordan MTR station which is not that far away so we decided to take a walk from Tsim Sha Tsui to Jordan along the busy Nathan Road.
Along the way, there are many shops to window shop and we also chanced upon Lee Keung Kee North Point Egg Waffles.
They are actually famous for their made to order egg waffles but I ordered the curry fishballs instead.
Nothing out of the ordinary but it’s a snack I look forward to everytime i visit Hong Kong.
Seventh Stop – Jia Jia Dessert (佳佳甜品）
Another shop that got popular and viral online. There was a crowd and after getting a queue number, we waited for about 20 minutes to enter.
The great thing about Hong Kong is that these famous eateries generally have very quick turn over. People just finish up their food and leave, without tendency to hog the tables.
We opted for 3 items, 2 cold and 1 hot dessert. Steam egg custard, papaya fungus and red bean soup.
Our favourite was the red bean soup.
After dessert, we were very full and tired from a full day of walking. And the time was nearing 9pm. Hence we decided to call it a day and head back to the airport, rest a bit and wait for our flight back to Singapore.
That concludes our 6 hours foodie adventure in Hong Kong.
