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My Hong Kong

EP 03 · My Hong Kong

What I Actually Ate in Hong Kong

Not a top-ten list — meals I actually ate, with photos: dai pai dong, double rice, steamed fish, roast meats, roujiamo.

At the gate I ate a bagel and thought: wait for me, Hong Kong. After landing — dai pai dong beer, char siu and white-cut chicken double rice, steamed fish, roujiamo — this is not a ranking. It is what I actually ate, with photos.

01 — Bagel at the gate

Eating a bagel at a United gate before boarding

At United gate 27 I chewed a bagel and thought: wait for me, Hong Kong. After landing, the bagel was already a joke — the contrast was brutal.

02 — First meal: dai pai dong

Round table and beer at a dai pai dong

First meal after landing: dai pai dong. Round table, beer, cheers first. At places like this, friends matter more than the menu — though the food is fine too.

03 — Char siu + white-cut chicken

Roast-meat rice is still my default — upgraded this time: char siu plus white-cut chicken. The chicken is silky, the char siu sweet, the rice soaked in juice. One bowl, two tastes. Honest food.

04 — Steamed fish

Steamed fish with scallion oil

Steamed fish, scallions hit with hot oil — the flesh barely holds on chopsticks. Steaming shows how fresh a fish is. A shop that dares to steam usually has the goods.

05 — Fermented-bean pepper shrimp

Stir-fried shrimp with fermented black bean and pepper

Fermented-bean pepper shrimp with Blue Girl — each bite opens the appetite more. Half the joy of a dai pai dong is the dish; half is cold beer. Big shrimp, wok heat on the pepper.

06 — Small plates tell the truth

Smashed cucumber cold dish

Don't only watch the big dishes. Smashed cucumber, garlic greens — small plates show the craft. Seasoning and heat: one cold bite tells you everything.

07 — Japanese yakiniku

Japanese yakiniku wagyu on the grill

Japanese yakiniku was on the list too. Wagyu hits the grill and sizzles. In Hong Kong you can eat almost any cuisine — Japanese, Korean, Southeast Asian. That range is the point.

08 — Roujiamo and pepper pork

Tongguan roujiamo

Tongguan roujiamo — perfect for a craving in Hong Kong. And green-pepper stir-fried pork, hammered wok brought to the table, full of wok heat. Hometown flavours show up everywhere; Hong Kong's range is wider than you think.

09 — Red and white

Red Star erguotou on the table

Red and white both showed up: Red Star erguotou at 56°, Rémy Martin cognac — anything can be talked through at the table. In Hong Kong, the meal table is the best social room. Deals and friendships happen over dinner.

10 — Noodles and taste

Home-style soup noodles with tofu and carrot

Home-style soup noodles — tofu cubes, shredded carrot — that solid kind of meal. So don't only chase lists. In Hong Kong, remembering a city starts with remembering how it tastes.

Next episode: Hong Kong in motion.

BGM: Meditation Impromptu 03 by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), CC BY 4.0.

Next · EP 04Hong Kong in Motion

Your trip, not mine

Is Hong Kong right for your trip?

Tell us where you're flying from, who's coming, your budget, and what matters. We'll compare it honestly against alternatives.

Build my Hong Kong decision

All episodes

  1. EP 01The Hong Kong I Called HomeSix months in Hong Kong. This is the city I lived in, not the one visitors pass through.
  2. EP 02The Harbor I Kept Coming Back ToPeople say Hong Kong's soul is in Victoria Harbour. After six months, I believed it. Not a guidebook — why I kept coming back.
  3. EP 03What I Actually Ate in Hong KongNot a top-ten list — meals I actually ate, with photos: dai pai dong, double rice, steamed fish, roast meats, roujiamo.
  4. EP 04Hong Kong in MotionHong Kong is small, but I was on the road every day. Bridges, ferries, the waterfront walk — how I actually crossed the city.
  5. EP 05Small Moments I Didn't PlanBefore Hong Kong I made a list. What I remember most was never on it — an egret, a cloudy harbour, horse statues, a plaque I finally read.
  6. EP 06Hong Kong With FamilyPeople ask where Hong Kong is most fun. I cannot name a place. I remember who held whose hand. Flip the photos — people are the subject.
  7. EP 07What I'd Do Again — and DifferentlyAfter six months in Hong Kong: would return (harbour, dai pai dong, waterfront), would skip (viral queues), surprises, and advice for whoever comes next.
  8. EP 08Your Hong Kong, Not MineThe first seven episodes were my Hong Kong. This one passes the mic: where you fly from, who comes, your budget, what you care about — then build your own decision.