Hong Kong 🇭🇰 Food Tour | Michelin Recommendations, Viral Desserts and Bustling Street Food

Hi guys, welcome back to my channel. Today I'll be taking you to one of my favorite cities, Hong Kong. Hong Kong is known for its incredible Cantonese cuisine, so I only had one mission while I was here. To eat. From Michelin-starred restaurants and viral desserts to hidden basement restaurants. Yes, you heard that right. Basement restaurants. We're trying it all. Let's eat. Okay, ready for some dim sum? Okay, you guys know our first stop in Hong Kong had to be dim sum. This is Tim Ho Wan and I wanted to try as many dim sum restaurants as I could during this trip, so this was where it all started. If you take one recommendation from this video, let it be this. Get the barbecue pork buns. They were a 10 out of 10 and hands down the best thing on the menu. They're soft, slightly sweet with a flaky crust on the outside and filled with the most flavorful barbecue pork. I was obsessed. It was really good. They're known for that. They're known for this? I think they got a Michelin star. It's like not too bready and it has this crispy flaky layer on top. The meatballs and spare ribs are also really good, but I actually learned something after coming here twice. The first time I visited was right before closing and honestly, besides the barbecue pork buns, everything else was kind of mid. It just wasn't hitting the way I expected. I came back another morning and oh my god, what a difference. Everything was fresh, piping hot, and tasted so much better. They also had way more options available, so if you're planning to visit, definitely go early. One dish that caught me completely off guard was the pork liver rice rolls. I didn't even know that was a thing, but oh my goodness. These were the best rice rolls I've ever had. The rice noodles were unbelievably soft, silky, and they practically melted in your mouth. My only complaint is I wish they added a little more pork liver because it was that good. Easily my favorite thing on the menu. We also tried the lotus leaf sticky rice. It was good, but I think there was a little too much rice for my taste and the seasoning was a little different from what I'm used to. And of course, I wasn't leaving without ordering the barbecue pork buns again. They were just as incredible the second time around and honestly, I'd come back just for those. After Tim Ho Wan, I checked out Ho Ho Dim Sum and Kung Fu Dim Sum to see how they compared. Overall, I still think Tim Ho Wan was my favorite, but each place had one dish that I'd go back for. At Ho Ho Dim Sum, it was the chicken feet. Now I know they're not for everyone, but for those of us who do like chicken feet, you have to try them here. The flavor was just so good. At Kung Fu Dim Sum, it was their custard bao. I mean, just look at this. Fluffy, sweet, and creamy. Girl, this ---- was good. But enough about dim sum. Next up is one of the things Hong Kong is famous for and what I was most excited to try. Their roasted meats. Our first spot was Joi Hing and they have a Michelin recommendation, so my expectations were pretty high. One thing I was really excited to try in Hong Kong was roasted goose. Yes, goose. In the US, I've only ever had roasted duck, which is one of my favorite dishes, so I couldn't wait to see how goose compared. They have a few different combo plates to choose from. My sister got the chicken and roasted goose. My friend ordered the three treasures with chicken, duck, and char siu, and I went with the roasted goose and char siu. You might notice that my plate doesn't have the ginger scallion sauce. That's because it only comes with the chicken. Next time, I'm definitely ordering a side because I basically ate all of my sisters, but honestly, that's what siblings are for. Now, I came here for the goose, but I have to be honest. The char siu took me by surprise. It was ridiculously good. So juicy, flavorful, and probably the best barbecue pork I've had. They also have this special sauce, which is basically a type of sweet soy sauce. Pour this over the meat with a little bit of rice, and you have the perfect bite. And now for the goose. This was my first time ever trying it, and I have to say, I think I like it more than duck. It has more meat, more fat, and the flavor is different too. It was slightly sweeter, more tender, and just so delicious. The only thing is I wish the skin had been a little crispier. If it hadn't had that crispy skin, it would have been perfect. Overall, Joi Hing definitely lived up to the hype. I'd recommend it if you're looking for roasted meats in Hong Kong, but you know I couldn't stop after just one spot. So let's see what the next restaurant has to offer. Our next spot was one that we actually stumbled upon. I mean, you really can't miss it. They literally have a giant goose out front. I think it's called Roast Goose Restaurant, and you guys, you have to eat here. They have even more combo options than Joi Hing. You can choose anywhere from a three to a five treasures plate, and you already know I had to go all in and order the five treasures. It came with chicken, char siu, roasted goose, crispy pork belly, and a salted egg. I wasn't sure how I was gonna feel about the salted egg at first, but it actually worked really well. Every bite had a mix of savory, sweet, and salty flavors, and together it was just so good. We also ordered the shrimp noodle dish. It was decent, but trust me, I'll show you the best place to get shrimp noodles later in this video. Now I will say, Joi Hing still wins when it comes to char siu, but let's be real. I came here for the goose, and the goose did not disappoint. I actually came here twice because it was that good. The second time, I brought my sister along because I was like, girl, you gotta come try this ----. When I ordered the five treasures, they ******* played me with that three pieces of goose. So this time, I ordered all goose. Now I know this time it looks a little burnt, but trust me, it just looks like that. I don't know why. It tasted fine, more than fine. The skin was crispy, it was juicy, tender, and flavorful. Every bite just melted in my mouth. This was exactly what I came to Hong Kong for. If you're trying to decide between the two roasted meat spots, I'd still recommend going to both. Joi Hing had my favorite char siu, but this place had my favorite goose. Alright, after all that rich and savory food, I think it's time for something sweet. Next up, we have desserts. First, we had to try the Michelin recommended Gai Gai desserts. If you come here, be prepared to wait, but the line does move pretty efficiently. We went after dinner, so by the time we got there, they had already sold out of a few desserts. We ended up ordering a red bean soup, a ginkgo nut soup, and a red rice with coconut milk. The service here was so fast. It literally came out right after we ordered. I personally wasn't a fan of the ginkgo soup, but my sister really enjoyed it. My favorite was the red rice with coconut milk. It also had this like gelatin ball, kind of like a boba, but a lot softer, and it gave it a really good texture. Overall, we all liked the desserts, but none of us felt like it was really worth the wait. Since we came later in the day, we were also limited on options, so if you guys plan to come here, I'd go earlier before dinner. Next up was honeymoon, and I mean just look at the menu. There were so many desserts to choose from. I was big back in it. I ordered two desserts, a grass jelly with sago and coconut milk, and a mango sago. Between the two, I definitely preferred the grass jelly with coconut milk. If you know me, I love anything coconut, so it was an easy favorite. The grass jelly made it really refreshing, and the sago added the perfect texture. Now if you're a mango lover, I think you'll really enjoy the mango sago. It had a strong fresh mango flavor with real chunks of mango, so it really delivered on the mango. Personally, I like the spot more than Kaikai Dessert because there were just so many more options to choose from, but we're not done with dessert just yet because next up is my favorite dessert spot. It has an even bigger selection, and it's where I found my favorite dessert from the entire trip. This place is called Qingqing Desserts, and I actually found it on Yelp. The only problem was Yelp gave us the wrong address, and it literally took us to an abandoned building. After like five minutes, I finally found the correct address on Google, and let me tell you, it was worth the struggle. Just look at this menu you guys. There were so many options. We were honestly in heaven just trying to decide what to order. By now, you've probably realized I love sago, so I ordered the mixed fruit sago, and it was hands down the best sago I've ever had. It had the perfect balance of flavors, wasn't overly sweet, and was topped with fresh fruit. This is the kind of dessert I could eat every day, especially during the summer. I also ordered the sesame balls with ginger soup to try. The sesame balls were really good. Soft, slightly chewy, and packed with flavor, but the ginger soup, that caught me off guard. Completely off guard. The ginger was so strong and spicy. It definitely wasn't what I was expecting. The mixed fruit sago was so good that before we left, I ordered a watermelon sago to go for later. Seriously, if you visit Hong Kong, put Qingqing Desserts on your list. I still think about that sago all the time. But enough about desserts, it's time for one of the most unexpected meals of the trip. I was looking for something nearby that was open late and found this restaurant on Yelp. I had no idea that it was in a basement of a building. We got lost a couple of times before realizing that we had to go inside, take the elevator down, and that's when we found it. At that point, we were honestly debating whether we should just turn around, but we were already there, so we just said **** it. The atmosphere was definitely one of a kind. We were seated in this hallway right next to, I think it was like a gambling room. You can literally hear people shuffling mahjong tiles the entire time, and the guy sitting across from us lit up a cigarette. I know smoking indoors is common in parts of Asia, but it was my first time seeing someone smoke inside a restaurant. The entire menu was in Chinese, so we had to pull out our translator just to figure out what to order. We ended up getting stir-fried noodles, pork blood, and my friend ordered a beef noodle soup. I'm not gonna lie, the whole time we were thinking, ---- are we about to get food poisoning? I'm pretty sure this place wasn't winning any health inspections. The stir-fried noodles were decent, the noodles were a little firmer than I expected, but the flavor was good. Now, let's talk about the pork blood. Oh my god, this was the best pork blood I've ever had. The flavor was so rich, but what really stood out was the texture. It was so silky and smooth, nothing like the pork blood I've had in America. I swear the pork blood back home literally has holes in it and a completely different texture. This one was so smooth and delicate. My friend also let me try some of the beef noodle soup, and the broth was super hearty, and the beef was so tender. The funniest part about this whole experience was the guy who had been smoking noticed we ordered pork blood, and he looked over and was basically like, can they even eat that? Do they know what that is? I think he was just surprised seeing foreigners order pork blood. Little did he know, we absolutely demolished that ----. So if you're looking for a unique dining experience, the best pork blood I've ever had, and maybe a little secondhand smoke on the side, I'd actually recommend this place. Oh, and in case you're wondering, we didn't get food poisoning. In fact, we went back a second time just for the pork blood. So do with that information what you will. Alright, enough about basements. Let me take you somewhere a little more lively. Next stop, Central Hong Kong. Bakehouse is a must when you're in Hong Kong. They're famous for their sourdough egg tarts, so expect the line. Trust me, it's worth the wait. The crust was super flaky and the egg custard was silky smooth. It was hella good. Dude, this is good. Did you try one? It's so flaky. This is hella good. This one? Then we walked across the street where I found this barista coffee company, and honestly, their menu was what pulled me in. I mean, can we look at this latte art? Look at the rose! Oh my god, you already know I had to get it. My friend ordered the affogato, and of course I got a latte. The coffee itself was just okay, but I actually really like the lavender ice cream. I think I just love lavender, but it was just creamy, floral, and I need it here in the States. It was definitely a highlight for me. Now a little further down is Vision Bakery, and you have to stop here too, okay? It's a tiny little bakery, but their pastries are incredible. Just look at this giant egg tart! Every bite sent flaky layers everywhere, and the custard was just so silky. I also picked up this yuzu vanilla mascarpone pastry, and I was obsessed. Imagine a croissant and a muffin had a baby? That's like the best way I can describe it. It had tons of buttery layers, a light airy texture, and a sugary crust on the outside. Oh my god, I'm usually not the biggest fan of citrus, but even I really enjoyed the yuzu cream. I really don't think you can go wrong with anything you choose from this bakery. All right, now let me take you to where I had the best shrimp noodles. Located in Temple Street Night Market, this is Wing Fat Seafood Restaurant. We ordered clams in black bean sauce, prawn noodles, roasted pigeon, a fish stir-fry, and spare ribs with pork liver. Okay, one thing you should know about me is I love pig liver. So when I saw it on the menu, I got so excited, but the second I took a bite, it was just so gamey. We honestly couldn't even eat it. I don't know if it was just the way it was prepared, but I've never had pig liver taste like that before. The fish stir-fry was fine, but nothing really stood out about it. The roasted pigeon though, that was delicious. The skin was perfectly crispy, the meat was tender, juicy, and full of flavor. But let's talk about what they're known for, the seafood. These prawn vermicelli noodles were amazing. Honestly, I don't even know if that's what the dish is called. I think it's really called like garlic prawns or something, but the shrimp was perfectly cooked and served over vermicelli noodles, then topped with a savory sauce, garlic, and green onions. Every bite was packed with flavor. The clams in black bean sauce was just as good. The clams, onions, and bell peppers were all cooked perfectly, and the black bean sauce tied everything together. If you've never had this dish before, definitely order it. The combination of textures and flavors is incredible. Alright, our last stop features one of my all-time favorite comfort foods, bo jai fan, or clay pot rice. This is Heng Kee restaurant, also located on Temple Street, and there was already a line when we got there, so clearly they're popular. And I was pretty surprised by how many different clay pot rice combinations they offered. I ended up getting the spare ribs with Chinese sausage, and you have to be careful because these clay pots, they come out hot. Look at all that steam. So here's my comfort food, fluffy rice, tender spare ribs, and a drizzle of sweet soy sauce that brings everything together. But the best part is at the bottom of the pot. As the rice cooks, it forms this crispy golden crust. Look at this, oh my god, this crispy part of the rice. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the Chinese sausage. I'm used to a sweeter Chinese sausage, but this one had more of a wine flavor. It just wasn't my favorite, even so I'd still come back here every time I'm in Hong Kong. And that's everything I ate during my trip to Hong Kong. From Michelin recommended restaurants and incredible desserts to bustling night markets, the city lived up to the hype. I seriously can't wait to come back because there are still so many places I want to try. If you enjoyed this food tour, don't forget to like, subscribe, and let me know in the comments which spot you'd want to try first. Thank you so much for watching and I'll see you guys in the next one. Bye!