31. Block 13 Cow Offal
Fatty, richly marinated beef innards are as deeply ingrained in Hong Kong’s street food culture as curry fishballs. And when it comes to skewered cow organ goodness, Block 13's is hard to beat. The eatery’s braised cow offal skewers is a potpourri of contrasting textures, including the chewy honeycomb tripe, springy cow lungs, and tough cow’s intestines. For an extra flavor kick, there’s runny mustard and sweet sauce available at the counter.
32. Congee
It’s the food we crave when we’re sick, cold or missing home. And the deciding factor is texture over flavor. Known for its assortment of fresh fish congee, Sang Kee Congee Shop has customers lining up everyday for its fleecy rice porridge boiled from 2am every morning. Portions are large enough to keep an average, middle-aged man satisfied.
33. Bowl pudding
For those who miss the 1980s when palm-sized puddings steamed in porcelain bowls (buut tsai goh) were widely sold by street hawkers, Kwan Kee Store gives us that taste of childhood we’re craving for. Since 1965, the Fu family from Shunde has been grinding glutinous rice flour by hand to make their signature bowl puddings with white or brown sugar and sometimes red beans. Even chief executive Donald Tsang had to make a special visit for a taste.
34. Tonkichi's tonkatsu
Hong Kongers are thankful for those crazy Japanese and their crazy dedication to perfecting deep-fried comfort food. Tonkichi is the preferred Japanese restaurant in town for specialising in deep-fried things, from oysters to giant shrimps -- but best of all, pork chops. Aside from making sure the batter is the perfect crunchiness, the meat inside must be juicy and not greasy. Turn up at Tonkichi with a ravenous appetite and be prepared not to get it back for a couple of days after.
35. B Boy's grass jelly
Kei Kee Dessert sells Hong Kong’s most sought after grass jelly dessert: 'B tsai leung fun,' or B Boy's grass jelly. The huge serving of grass jelly topped with plenty of mixed fruit and condensed milk could be a meal on its own. Go with at least three other people or be prepared to pack home your leftovers.
36. Mango pudding in mango sauce with extra mango
There's really only one ingredient that matters at Hui Lau Shan: mango. The sweet, ripe fruit, imported from Thailand, finds its way into just about every dish at this dessert chain, which has conquered Hong Kong and spread as far afield as San Francisco. The shop's most representative dish combines a milky mango pudding with thick mango purée, mango ice and generous chunks of mango. Extra sugar is left aside in favour of the fruit's naturally robust sweetness.
37. Sweet and sour pork
No, it isn't just for gwailos. Sweet and sour pork, called 'gu lo yuk,' is also a comfort food craved by Hong Kongers. The Cantonese original is made with vinegar, preserved plums and hawthorn candy for a nearly scarlet color and that sweet-sour tang. Nowadays, it's mostly made with ketchup and coloring.
38. Louis' steak
In Hong Kong there is no shortage of Hong Kong-style steakhouses. Most of these colonial-influenced institutions serve soggy meat on hot griddle plates, their texture horribly mangled by baking powder. Louis' Steakhouse has all the nostalgic charms of old-school Hong Kong Western restaurants and none of the bad food. In line with bygone local tastes, their steaks are decidedly more tender than what you find in contemporary Western steakhouses, but is nonetheless juicy and meaty. And you have the bonus of ordering stewed fish maw, another house specialty, alongside your steak. Now that's what we call Hong Kong fusion.
39. Fishballs
According to Wikipedia, which sourced from Apple Daily's 2002 report, Hong Kongers eat about 37.5 million fishballs per day. A simple Google Maps search reveals that for every two 7-Elevens you pass by, you’ll find a shop that specializes in this beloved snack. And if you’re really desperate, even 7-Eleven will sell you some. Everyone has their own favorite fishball joint that they swear by, and our's is Tung Tat for their firmness and intense curry flavor
40. Swiss chicken wings
The story goes that a foreigner, bowled over by the wings' sweet and salty taste, tried to ask the staff for the name of the 'sweet' dish. The waiter thought he was alluding to the wings' Swiss origins and the name stuck. Swiss sauce, a rich, sweet soy sauce, is now a kitchen standby in many Cantonese homes. Tai Ping Koons' chicken wings in Swiss sauce is still distinctly flavorful, with tender, fall-off-the-bone meat.
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