Depending on whom you ask, trip planning could be a fun or torturous exercise. If you happen to have family and friends visiting Hong Kong, sign them up for the following five local food tours. They are not designed to only let foreigners have a taste of the city; even locals might find some surprises along the way.
1) Hong Kong Foodie Tasting Tours
Tai Po Market is one of the busiest food hubs in the New Territories. This food tour takes its guests to six iconic restaurants of the market for an authentic experience of the surroundings. Visitors will sample freshly made rice noodle rolls and other steamed dim sum at the dai pai dong setting of the Tai Po Hui Cooked Food Centre, as well as the deeply aromatic roast goose noodle soup in the neighbourhood’s most famous roast goose shop.
The most adventurous point of the tour might be a trip to the snake shop, where participants will be served local delicacies snake soup and glutinous rice, and learn what makes the former is a nutritious treat in winter. The tour finishes off with Chinse sweet soups and candies. It fills your stomach and mind with knowledge of everyday life in Hong Kong. Find out more about this food tour here.
2) Walk in Hong Kong
Walk in Hong Kong explores the old Hong Kong through the area of Yau Ma Tei. The nightly affair visits the century-old Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market to see how the highest quality fruits from across the globe arrive in Hong Kong. Other historical landmarks include vintage-looking Mido Cafe with over 50 years of history, Grade II Historic Building Yau Ma Tei Theatre for some old folklore, and the oh-so-vibrant Temple Street. There visitors will hear mid-century songs, and have their fortune told by feng shui masters under the banyan tree. The tour ends on a high note with a dinner most typical of the area. Find out more about this food tour here.
3) Hello Hong Kong
Hello Hong Kong puts all the classic local treats together and introduces them all to the guests. The tour touches on the areas of Central, Sheung Wan and Wan Chai, beginning with a breakfast at a classic dim sum restaurant. In the following hours, participants will also try the wonton noodles recommended by the MICHELIN Guide, egg tart which captured the heart of the last British Governor of Hong Kong, as well as the silky smooth “stocking milk tea”. Being in transit alone is a highlight, as the tram is the best way to take in the views of the streets. Find out more about this food tour here.
A trip to Hong Kong is hardly complete without a full-fledged Cantonese meal. JW Marriott Hong Kong offers a Gourmet Journey Package for its guests. For a stay of at least two nights, patrons of the package can enjoy a six-course dinner at the hotel’s Chinese restaurant Man Ho.
Devised by the young Jayson Tang, Chinese executive chef of JW Marriott Hong Kong, the menu includes a barbecue meat platter, sour and spicy wonton soup, stir-fried baby vegetables with garlic and seafood fried rice. The most special dish from the mix is award-winning deep-fried Kagoshima pork roll stuffed with foie gras, red onion and ginger. Thanks to the shrewd deep-frying technique, the pork appears luscious without excessive grease. The dinner concludes with local favourites mini egg tart and mango pudding in the dessert course. Find out more about this food tour here.
This article was written by Joe Chan and translated by Vincent Leung. Click here to read the original version of this story.
