Easily the highlight of my time in Hong Kong was the walking food tour that I was invited to join. I spent an afternoon with Eating Adventures on their Hong Kong Food Tour led by our host Yan. Yan was so friendly and upbeat and provided tons of information about the area, the restaurants, and all of the various dishes we tried. We had so many stops and tried so many different things- in this post I’ll show you my favorites and even the one dish from the tour I didn’t like. I promised the guys at Eating Adventures I wouldn’t give away the names and addresses of the restaurants they visit so if you want to try these dishes you should definitely book the tour!
Roasted Goose: my favorite stop of the tour
We began on a high note with a stop at a restaurant famous for their roasted goose. We learned that the geese are raised on the farm for 90 days before being sent to the restaurant where they will have been processed less than sixteen hours before being served. Also, the locals say that because of the way the geese stand the left drumstick is the most tender, as the geese use it less. Therefore, the left drumstick is more expensive and sought after. Our guide told us that older Chinese people enjoy sucking the juice from the blood vessels of a cooked goose head and having it with wine. They will also chew the bones from the head and neck of the geese. I’ll save that for the next visit- this time I was just happy to try the perfectly cooked, tender and juicy roasted meat this restaurant is famous for.
Snake soup:
Easily the most exotic dish we tried on the tour was the snake soup. The locals believe it to be good for your health and our guide told us that since she’s began working the tours and having snake soup more often she has noticed the health benefits. The soup is made from the meat of either pythons or water snakes, chicken and a broth made from pork bones. The soup was very thick and our guide told us that different restaurants will prepare it in different ways, with the soup being more or less thick depending on where you try it at. Once you get past the description the soup was actually really delicious. It was one of my favorite stops on the tour and I would definitely have it again.
A tour of the wet markets:
Yan also took us to see the wet markets where local people buy seafood. The selections were incredible- fresh fish, lobster, crabs, scallops, dried seafood, clams, oysters and snails. You could make your selection and the employees would clean and package your items for you while you watched and waited.
A stop at the bakery:
I’m not much for sweets but I knew I couldn’t leave Hong Kong without trying the famous Portuguese egg tarts. I actually really liked these because they’re not too sweet and the crust was layered and flaky. We only sampled the tarts but there was a huge selection of incredible looking pastries and baked goods if you have a sweet tooth.
Spicy curried fish balls:
With so many stops and different dishes to try it was inevitable I would find one I wasn’t as crazy about. The spicy curried balls of minced fish on a stick were the only dish from the tour I didn’t care for. Although several other people did like them and there was a line to order so it must be a personal thing. They tasted overly fishy and seemed like the hot dog of seafood- the byproduct from processing.
Dim Sum- Asian tapas
I already knew I would enjoy this part of the tour because dim sum is something I eat fairly often. Dim sum is small portions of different dishes that are meant to be shared. The restaurant Yan chose for us is known for having creative variations on standard dishes. This day we tried wasabi deep-fried dumplings, crispy shrimp stuffed rice rolls, chocolate crusted mushroom buns, pork stuffed soup dumplings topped with truffles and several other dishes. I really liked the chefs creativity with these dishes.
Finishing on a sweet note:
We ended the tour at one of the most popular ice cream shops in town. The place is so well known and liked that when we arrived there was a forty minute wait to be served. Fortunately for us the company had called ahead and made arrangements so that we would not have to wait. We tried Pandan ice cream that had a crunchy cereal layer on the bottom of the cup. It was delicious and really the perfect way to end the tour.
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Practical Information:
Cost for the tour is 620 HKD/$80 USD. To purchase tickets or find out more information about the tour click here.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank Eating Adventures for having me as their guest on this tour. Although I received the tour at no cost all opinions remain my own, as always.
Love it! What’s with the random pic of he guy at the market thou? Lol
*the
“You could make your selection and the employees would clean and package your items for you while you watched and waited.” But mostly it’s an excuse to use that photo because he’s good looking!
That’s quite an adventurous food tour! I went on the Hong Kong Foodies Tasting Tour where we tried dim sum, egg tarts, and barbecued pork, but there were no snakes on the menu. 😉
You missed out! The snake soup was actually really good. It just sounds a bit scary.
We had been trying to decide whether to go to Shanghai or Hong Kong on our exit from Mongolia and this information helped me decide. Not too sure about the Snake Soup but the wet market is right up my alley. Thanks for the information.
You should try the snake soup! It’s actually really good if you can get past that you’re eating snake. Just tell yourself that it’s chicken!
Omg!! I never heard of a snake soup before but wel done for trying! 😀 must be such an unusual experience. I would be a bit scared and would need a couple of attempts 😀 I defiantly would love to try a food tour like this! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Just tell yourself it’s chicken! The taste is actually really good. I would have it again.
After reading a few people’s accounts of Asian food, I don’t think i am adventurous enough to survive a vacation. My hubby would have a field day though. Im boring, I know.
We have never been on any food tours yet. Your pictures of the food from Hongkong are so tempting especially the bakery section.
I definitely recommend trying one next time you’re in a new area– it’s a very good way to get to know about the culture through food. I just did an amazing one in Marrakech, Morocco– look for that one coming up soon!
The goose looks great, but I doubt I could bring myself to try the Snake Soup! Unless I did not know what it was, tried it, then was told later. I love trying new things, but just the thought of the python alone scares me off! Dim Sum – I can never say no to it. Delish!
Wow. I’ve known Hong Kong as a food paradise but these pictures are amazing. I am definitely taking this tour on my next trip to Hong Kong.
I really recommend it! And tell them I’m sent you– they’re really great there.
This food looks amazing! I love the piggy dim sum. And I would also like to try the roast goose. I’m an adventurous eater, so I bet I’d like the snake soup too.
This food looks delicious, on my list to try!
My favorite food items from your list would be the dimsums, followed with the yogurt. What was your favorite?
I think I would have to say the roasted goose– I ate it several more times while I was in the city. So delicious!
That is quite an adventurous food tour! I can’t believe you ate snake soup! I would never eat this, even if it seems good as you describe it! I have a thing that I can’t eat bugs or snake or whatever reptilian. It’s not for me! x
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I would actually eat it again! I’ve also tried the bugs and while it makes for a good story I don’t ever need to try those again. One of the only things I’ve flat refused to try was balut when I was in the Philippines. Have you heard of it?
This post makes me SO homesick, as I lived and went to school in Hong Kong for 9 yrs when I was younger; this is a fabulous post and I recognise all of the food you ate and enjoyed! GREAT photos too! Karen
Thanks, Karen! What was your favorite dish you had when you were living there? The roast goose is high on my list.
Oh, I loved the post. I had a similar experience recently in Wangfujing Street in Beijing (http://wanderingpassport.com/?p=38) and absolutely loved it. I havent tried the Snake Soup though!
Snake soup….not quite sure about that at all. Glad to know that you enjoyed it despite it’s name. We hope to visit Hong Kong soon and it sounds like a food tour is the way to go! Thanks for sharing your adventurous experience.
Woah that is a serious food tour. I am not sure I would have been brave enough to try everything you did. Snake soup…wow.