Hong Kong is a food-lover's paradise. Fun fact - there are more restaurants per capita in Hong Kong than anywhere else in the world. Probably. Anyway, there are a lot of options if you want to eat out. For the dessert lovers out there, a massive bonus is that many of Hong Kong's local snacks tend to be on the sweet side. Given I once won an unofficial chocolate mousse eating competition (the others on the table didn't realise that's what it was, but it was), I am clearly a dessert lover and hence amply qualified to take you on this journey.
I have set out a suggestion of where to sample the treats described in this post, but they are very common foods in Hong Kong and are literally unavoidable. If you want to find somewhere closer to where you are staying you can search online for recommendations closer to home so don't be restricted by the suggestions here.
Milk tea & pineapple bun 奶茶 & 菠萝包
Let's start with that most Hong Kong of Hong Kong treats - milk tea. Cathay Pacific serves it on their in flight menu, which is one of the reasons I love getting on those planes. Even when you're 30,000 feet up barreling over the Pacific, one sip of milk tea and you're spirited straight to the colourful alleys of Wanchai. This is a sweet, smooth drink made with black tea and (usually) condensed or evaporated milk. They say it is also called silk stocking tea because it is sometimes brewed in a lady's stocking, but that sounds like a kinky marketing campaign to me and I've never heard anyone calling it "silk stocking tea"; if someone does refer to it that way to you, you're odds on to end up tied and gagged in the boot of their rental car. Just saying.
Pineapple buns do not contain any pineapple. Now that's out of the way, they are made of bread, which has a type of sweet dough covering the very top of the bun. During the baking process, the sweet dough takes on a crunchy, crackly texture which (apparently) looks like the skin of a pineapple. They are a pretty delicious snack - some people eat them with a square of butter in the middle; which I have never been able to get my head around. The bread roll underneath is sweet and chewy, and the crunchy crust is... crunchy and sweet. I used to be a huge wrap for these, although as I slide rapidly into middle age I'm finding them a bit sweet. They are pretty good for a morning or afternoon pick-me-up though, for example if you've just been dragged by your mother on a Karen Millen shopping spree of Central and Causeway Bay and you're like "we have Karen Millen in the small town where you live, why do I have to go there with you in Hong Kong?!" and she's like "I gave up my youth and dreams for you, you will do this for me". Or some other example more pertinent to your situation.
Shop: Kam Fung Cafe (金鳳茶餐廳) I love this cafe. It can be a little intimidating to first timers, only because it is quite busy. If there is a queue out the door don't worry it won't take long. The queue to the left of the door is the one to join if you want to eat in. The queue to the right of the door is the one if you want to take away. If you eat in, prepare to share a table with other people.
Where: 41 Spring Garden Lane, Wan Chai
MTR: Wan Chai (exit D to Lee Tung Avenue is the closest)
Egg tart 蛋挞
If/when I'm dead at 45 from a heart attack you can blame Hong Kong egg tarts. A few things to know: (1) there are two "versions" - one with a shortcrust base, and one with a puff pastry base. I prefer the shortcrust but it is a close run thing; (2) these are best eaten warm. Actually, that's about all you need to know. The tart is made from a shortcrust or puff pastry base, which is filled with an egg custard (is that a special thing? I'm not much of a cook, so if all custard contains eggs, then please just read that as "custard") and then baked. The tarts in Hong Kong are similar to Portuguese egg tarts (which are also incredibly delicious and whose home base (in the South China Sea, anyway) is in Macau only a short ferry ride away) but with a smoother custard. These can be picked up on the street from most small cafes, but the best ones I tried in Hong Kong came hot out of the oven from a pretty fancy restaurant, Mott 32. Don't say I never take you anywhere nice.
Shop: Mott 32 (note this is quite a fancy restaurant, so don't embarrass me by showing up in your athleisure)
Where: Standard Chartered Bank Building, 4-4A Des Voeux Rd Central, Central
MTR: Central (exit K will get you close)
Egg waffle
鸡蛋仔
You've probably seen these as they make a pretty cool instagram shot (you know the one, hold up the piece of food in the middle of the photo so it is in sharp focus, then have the streetscape fuzzy in the background - it's a classic). It is basically eggy pancake batter cooked in a special mould which results in a waffle which comes out looking a bit like bubble wrap with really big bubbles. They can come in plain flavour, but my favourite is to have maltesers cooked into them.
But my favourite egg waffle in Hong Kong comes in a sundae, with chocolate & vanilla soft serve - aka the "Nightwolf" at Oddies in Central. Ignore the other punters buying marscapone/peanut butter icecream by the scoop and head straight to this bad boy
Shop: Oddies
Where: 45 Gought St, Central
MTR: Sheung Wan (exit A2 will get you closest)
Baked cheese tart
起司塔
These things are flat out delicious. Is like a cheese cake but with the consistency of a mousse, served warm and with a short-crust pastry base. If that doesn't get you excited then I don't know what else to offer you. There are a number around town, including the ones in the picture below which are located in the SOGO basement foodcourt in Causeway Bay (which you're welcome for me telling you about because there is a world of delicious down there).
Shop: BAKE Cheese Tart
Where: SOGO Causeway Bay, basement foodcourt
MTR: Causeway Bay (exit D1, D2 or D3 will all get you very close)
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