Hong Kong Cuisine

The cuisine in Hong Kong is known to be the “World’s Food Fair” due to it being a popular tourist destination for dining out.  Hong Kong offers a great variety of food, ranging from street food to world-class restaurants.

Hong Kong cuisine is mainly influenced by Cantonese cuisine where ingredients such as sugar, salt, soy sauce, spring onion, cornstarch, vinegar etc is used to create an authentic flavour.

The must eat foods in Hong Kong includes:

• Seafood
• Crabs 
• Lobsters
• Prawns
• Fish 

• Yum Cha
• Dumplings (fried/steamed)
• Pork buns
• Chicken feet

• Chinese BBQ
• BBQ Pork
• BBQ Goose 
• Roast Pork

The local flavours in Hong Kong includes:

• Local snacks 
• Egg tart ( etc)
• Mini egg puffs

• Noodles and Congees 
• Wonton noodles
• Cantonese style congees

• Desserts
• Sweet red bean soup
• Mango puddling
• Tofu puddling

• Hong Kong stir-fry
• Sweet and Sour Pork
• Stir fried beef with vegetables

These are the examples of Hong Kong cuisine you may find when travelling to Hong Kong, where the food experience is a fulfilling journey that has endless possibilities of cantonese influenced dishes.

It’s fried, baked, steamed, grilled, sliced, diced and stuffed. More to the point, Hong Kong’s seafood is very fresh. So fresh, you can see it swimming minutes before it’s on your table. True to form, Asia’s world city also offers up seafood in a variety of dining experiences that range from cosmopolitan fusions that would impress the most jaded epicurean all the way down to the best-served-with-beer ‘sampan-style’ concoctions.

For a truly enjoyable seafood feast, desert the downtown for a few hours and head for a seafood district. Here you will find rows of restaurants where you can pick your prey from an aquarium and eat it alfresco while enjoying picturesque sea views on a balmy Hong Kong evening.

Hong Kong's Language and Culture

Hong Kong's population is very diverse and multicultural as there is a balanced mixture of Chinese culture and Western culture. This is due to Hong Kong's colonial history where it was once colonised by the United Kingdom. Currently, the population is filled with Cantonese, British and Indians mainly with the Cantonese culture being the most dominant. With such a diverse population, there are also a wide range of religious beliefs which include Christianity, Taoism, Buddhism and Islam. Ultimately, by exploring Hong Kong and simply walking around the streets you will find a variation of Chinese culture through night markets and the celebration of traditional Chinese events to a Westernised culture through major retail shopping stores and casinos which were originally opened by the British.

The language like its population has its fair share of variety. The main language that the locals speak is Cantonese however English, Mandarin and Teochiu are also common languages that are spoken. In schools, students who are usually fluent in Cantonese are taught in English and some students can undertake classes to learn Mandarin in addition. By walking around and talking to locals you can usually find people who are able to speak both Mandarin and Cantonese. While those who are more educated will be able to communicate in English    

When you explore Hong Kong you are able to experience many great tasting street food that Hong Kong has to offer. From chicken satay sticks, fried squid, tofu and fried egg pancake as shown above, all these snacks and treats can be purchased for very cheap prices in terms of Australian dollars so don't be shy to help yourself to a lot of street food! There are also foods from other cultures such as Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soups, Spaghetti and Pizzas and plenty of fast food outlets if you are not too keen on trying traditional Chinese dishes. But there are also a lot of restaurants where you can have seafood and Yum Cha!

Overall, Hong Kong is truly a unique place where you can truly experience Chinese culture just by surrounding yourself and interacting with locals in the suburbs. Many Chinese concepts such as 'family solidarity', 'family glory', 'saving face' and 'modesty' still carry significant weight in Hong Kong's culture. However, the Chinese culture in Hong Kong is not demanding and overwhelming. In fact, many locals have adopted a Western lifestyle and in general society in Hong Kong is much more relaxed and tolerant in regards to the lifestyle that people adopt.

Travellers who want to go to Hong Kong will find it a place where they can walk around freely and with prices being relatively cheap, you can spend a decent amount of money to enjoy yourself through attending special events, eating or free exploration as the nightlife is fairly lively.

Hong Kong travel tips

For the first-time visitor to Hong Kong, this compact, densely populated vertical metropolis may seem intimidating. However, boasting one of the world's best urban transport systems, a wide range of accommodation options, an international and regional array of culinary delights to fit every budget and countless activities and sights designed with the tourist/traveller in mind, Hong Kong is perfect for both the novice traveller as well as the seasoned globetrotter. As such, here are some useful tips for first travellers to Hong Kong.

1. Take the Airport Express. The airport is located on Chep Lap Kok island which is located about 30 minutes drive from Hong Kong island and such it is cheaper and faster to take the airport express which is located in the airport itself. It also stops at Tsing Yi and Kowloon.




2. Get an Octopus card. This card will make travelling throughout Hong Kong extremely convenient and even cheaper. Travellers can deposit cash onto their card and use it to board buses, mini buses, ferries, trams, mtr(trains) and also use it at some supermarkets and convenience stores. These can be purchased at the airport, convenience stores and many other locations.


3. Many businesses open late. Don't expect many businesses to be open early in the morning as many shops will open around 10-11am. However, many also stay open until late into the night/early morning.

4. Check-in before the airport. At Central and Kowloon stations, you can check in for your flight, get your boarding pass and check your luggage through, all before heading out from down town. You don't see you luggage again until your destination and there's no jockeying for suitcase space on the train. It's seamless and it works!

5. Explore the areas around Hong Kong. Although the city really has everything that you might ever want, a well-rounded trip to Hong Kong means you've got to leave. Head to the Big Buddha or even on the south end of the island to nab some quiet time and listen to lapping waves. Hong Kong has more to offer than a concrete jungle and escaping the city can do your trip some good.

Things To Do in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's Avenue of Stars
Source: Wikimedia Commins

There is plenty to see and do in Hong Kong, with the number one attraction being the Avenue of Stars. One of the many themed attractions, it fairs above the rest through its offering of stunning panoramic views of the city’s glorious skyline against the Victoria Harbour while the names of Hong Kong’s movie icons lie beneath your feet. Paying tribute to those figures who influenced Hong Kong’s movie industry, commemorative plaques, celebrity hand prints, descriptive milestones, movie memorabilia and so much more can be found here.

The Peak Tower Source: hshgroup.com

Stunning views can also been from the highest point in the city, The Peak Tower, situated in the most exclusive neighbourhood. Famed theme parks include Ocean Park Hong Kong as well as Hong Kong Disneyland, both filled with adventure. 

Repulse Bay   Source: Chinafocustravel.com

If you are a fan of architecture and the beach, Repulse Bay is a must see! If shopping is in your sights, both the Ladies’ Market and the Temple Street Night Market are worth a visit. The Night Market in particular is a continuing example of the theatrics and festivities of a Chinese market.

Dragon Boat Festival       Source: Tourism Hong Kong

During the summer, the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival is a must with thousands of people gathering here year after year to watch the races. If visiting during the winter however, you might want to consider the 15 Days of Chinese New Year Celebration when organising your trip. Complete with ornate floats and performers, it is one enormous street party complete with elaborate floats and performers.

General Information on Hong Kong

Located at the  Southeastern cost of China, Hong Kong is well known for its expansive skyline and natural setting. Having a land area of 1,104 square kilometers, Hong Kong  consists of Hong Kong Island, Lantau Island, Kowloon Penisula, the New Territories as well as 260 additional islands.

With a population of over 7.24 million (2014), Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. The vast majority of the population is compromised with people of Chinese decent and where 8% of the population is foreign nationals. The official languages of Hong Kong are Chinese and English. English is widely used in Government, professional and business sectors where as Chinese is used in enterprise trading or business with mainland China and Taiwan.

With a high-rise inhabited skyline, Hong Kong ranks first as the city with the greatest number of skyscrapers, with a staggering number of 7,649. This reputation establishes Hong Kong as one of the world's leading financial capitals with a highly developed capitalist economy.

Hong Kong is usually described as a mix of eastern and western cultures as it combines eastern and western values through music, traditions, cuisine and films. Overtime, British practices have gradually been integrated with Chinese traditions.

Hong Kong is the world's largest trading economy with mainland China being its most significant trading partner. Hong Kong's currency is the Hong Kong dollar, with a conversion of AUD$1 = HK$5.62.

Revolving around a monsoonal humid subtropical climate; Hong Kong's temperature usually drops below 10 degrees Celsius in winter and exceeds 30 degrees Celsius in summer. Hong Kong is warm and dry during Autumn, cool and dry during winter, hot and humid during summer and humid and rainy during spring.