19 Hong Kong Dishes You Have To Try Before You Die

Our favorite HK eats, with a twist.

1. Love dim sum?

Jonathan Robert Maloney / Via Facebook: manmocafe

Try the cross-cultural take on teatime with east-meets-west dumpling purveyors Man Mo Cafe. Think xiaolongbao soupy dumplings stuffed with foie gras, truffle and brie potstickers and duck fried rice risotto. Purists will be horrified...

2. Love Hong Kong-style milk tea?

Facebook: littlelab50

Try the "HK Tea Time" cocktail from Little Lab. Innovative cocktail bar Little Lab's version of the classic Hong Kong drink is made with 12-year Dewar's, house-made milk tea syrup and evapourated milk, topped with off craft beer and chocolate bitters.

3. Love spam and egg instant noodles?

Instagram: @whenshesawake

Try the super-fly ramen at Foxtail & Broomcorn. This hip-as-hell noodle bar does MSG-free, gourmet takes on noodle dishes from all over Asia. Think onsen eggs broken over freshly-made ramen, Hokkien noodles with pulled pork in prawn broth, and vanilla salmon on top of cold Vietnamese noodles.

4. Love the Mister Softee ice cream truck?

Facebook: softcreme

Have a taste of the kooky soft-serve ice cream from Soft Creme. It comes in crazy flavors, from umeshu (sour plum) to flamed bacon, champagne and cereal milk.

5. Love char siu?

Facebook: holeefookhk

Try the kurobuta char siu from fusion Chinese resto Ho Lee Fook. Imagine your regular old honey-roasted pork, but turbo-charged with richly-flavored Japanese pork from heritage pigs. Be sure to ask for it extra-charred.

6. Love Macanese pork chop buns?

Facebook: sundaysgrocery

Try the katsu sandwich from Sunday's Grocery. This deli and sandwich bar comes courtesy of the trendy minds behind Yardbird and Ronin. It does gourmet sandwiches daily and Korean fried chicken on Sundays. Oh, and it has the best selection of Japanese whiskies in town.

7. Love char siu baos?

Facebook: littlebaohk

Try the fluffy stuffed mantou buns from Little Bao. These are a gourmet take on the traditional Chinese bread, with innovative stuffings such as slow-cooked pork belly, and black vinegar-glazed chicken with sichuan mayo.

8. Love Tsingtao?

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @liquidassetshk

Try the made-in-Hong-Kong craft brews from the Hong Kong Beer Co. Hong Kong’s first microbrewery has five signature brews: Try the Dragon’s Back Pale Ale for a medium-bodied hoppy refresher, or the Big Wave Bay IPA for a bitter, malty experience

.

9. Love Peking duck pancakes?

mr-bing.com

Try the duck jianbing from Mr. Bing. Peking duck is a delicacy, but these enormous wraps imported from the street stalls of Beijing are an affordable treat. They come stuffed with duck, hoisin sauce, cucumber and sheets of crispy mysteriousness.

10. Love gai dan zhai egg waffles?

Oddies Hong Kong / Via instagram.com

You HAVE to try the creative flavours at the appropriately-named Oddies Foodies, the hottest new gelato/egg waffle shop in town. It regularly sells out of its extremely creative creations, such as the "Dr. Oddie" sundae with chrysanthemum poached pears, ginger oat crumbs, ginger ice cream and honey jelly with caramel sauce served in an oversized syringe. But back to the waffles. Flavours and stuffings include vanilla rice pudding, brownie choc chip, "kimochi" (kimchi-mochi. We don't get it either), ham and cheese, and mexican chicken. Desserts are retired regularly, so if you see something you like, get down there ASAP.

11. Love the Thai-Malaysian street food in Rat Alley?

Justin Lim / Via Facebook: MrsPoundHK

Try the rendang poutine from Mrs. Pound. After successfully completing the food festival circuit, the so-hot-right-now Mrs. Pound has finally opened its permanent digs on Sheung Wan's Pound Lane, cunningly disguised as a traditional Chinese sealing stone shop. Melt-in-your-mouth slow-cooked beef in a coconut curry sauce, drizzled over hot chips? SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY.

12. Love typhoon shelter crab?

Facebook: sohofama

Try the Chinese comfort food at Sohofama. This just-opened restaurant in the PMQ creative hub is a joint venture between localvore restaurant Locofama and Hong Kong lifestyle brand GOD. You can enjoy tried-and-true Hong Kong dishes, with many ingredients sources locally, sitting outdoors in Sohofama's miniature urban farm. It's also known for its nourishing seasonal tonic soups, and cocktails made with Hong Kong ingredients such as sour plum and orange peel. Go, and then tell everyone you know you ate there before it was cool.

13. Love Hong Kong-style French toast?

Facebook: LabMadeHK

Try the French toast ice cream from Lab Made. This ice cream laboratory uses liquid nitrogen to flash-freeze its desserts into one-of-a-kind flavours. The menu changes regularly, but you can expect plenty of Hong Kong tastes to make regular appearances on the roster, including tofu pudding, egg custard bun, malted soy milk and black sesame.

14. Love spicy Chongqing noodles?

Facebook: 748714841862867

Try Dan Dan Soulfood from Sichuan. This causal noodle bar is run by a French husband and Sichuanese wife team. Think authentic Sichuan noodles, with lashings of addictive maa laa numbing spice.

15. Love wontons?

Facebook: socialplacehk

Check out the wonton dumplings at Social Place. This friendly, modern diner offers a healthy, MSG-free take on Chinese casual dining, with many of its dishes offering a unique twist on the classics.

16. Love Chinatown food?

Facebook: FuLuShouHK

Check out the inauthentic (yet still delicious) favourites at Fu Lu Shuo. This super-secret lounge (you need to call ahead for the door code) comes with a kick-ass terrace and a snack menu of Aussie Chinatown classics. Think lemon chicken with a gooey, tangy sauce, addictive prawn toast and giant "dim sims". Oh, and a seriously good Asian-inspired cocktail list.

17. Love jasmine tea?

Facebook: theenvoyhk

Try the "Dewdrops of the Heart" cocktail at the Envoy. It's made with vodka, green tea, jasmine tea, jasmine flowers, and homemade pandan syrup. Jasmine not your thing? There are also cocktails prepared with black tea, chrysanthemum... and Milo.

18. Love curry fishballs?

Instagram: @yayio308

Try these GIANT FISHBALLS from Cheung Chau island. A day trip to Cheung Chau isn't complete without a tour of its streetside snack stalls. There are innovative eats here aplenty, but the gigantic curry fishballs are an instagram favourite.

19. Love pineapple buns?

Instagram: @thefoodchapter

Try the baked barbecue pork buns from the world's cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant, Tim Ho Wan. There are queues around the block for a taste of these beauties. The buns are stuffed with pork in a sticky barbecue sauce, topped with a sweet, crunchy "pineapple bun" crust and delivered piping hot to your table. The man behind them is a former dim sum chef at Lung King Heen, the Cantonese restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel.