Siu mai and curry fish balls
Siu mai (dumplings) are a cornerstone in dim sum, while fish balls (fish meat minced and mixed until springy and shaped into balls) are commonly seen in noodle stores. Because of their popularity, however, they have made their way onto many a street food stall menu. Siu mai differ from their restaurant counterparts in that they are made of a pork-fish mixture (as opposed to shrimp and shrimp roe) wrapped in a yellow, flour-based wrapper, usually eaten with soy sauce and chili oil. Both fish balls and siu mai are commonly sold in portions of five to ten.
Try it: Tung Tat Food Shop, G/F, 172 Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon
Cheung fun
Cheung fun (rice noodle rolls), a mainstay of teahouses and dim sum restaurants, are pulled using rice flour mixed with tapioca flour and water. This mixture is poured into a flat, rectangular steamer lined with a breathable fabric. After steaming, the mixture forms into a springy, noodle-like sheet, which is then folded into long rolls, cut, and served with sweet soy sauce. While cheung fun is served similarly in both restaurants and street stalls, you might find the street version is a bit less silky, and comes with less choice of filling. But at its lower price point, and how filling it is (especially with toppings such as roasted pork and shrimp), it’s pretty unbeatable. Many street-side snack vendors have taken to serving them smothered in sauces like peanut and chili sauce, and its consequent heartiness has transformed it into one of Hong Kong’s favourite things to eat standing up.
Try it: Hop Yik Tai
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Beef offal
If at any street food stall you hear the characteristic snipping of a pair of scissors, it’s more likely than not they’re being used to cut up some tasty beef offal. In Hong Kong, beef offal, which consists of various cow organs, is usually stewed in a flavourful broth and cut to order straight from the pot. The dish usually comes with chu hou sauce (a soybean-based condiment) and stewed turnips.
Three stuffed treasures
Alongside more modern innovations in street food such as mini egg puffs, you will find a smattering of fried foods on the menus of street stalls. Most commonly seen is what’s known to Hong Kong people as ’three treasures’. Pieces of eggplant, tofu, and bell pepper are stuffed with fish paste and then fried. Usually eaten with soy sauce, these three dishes combine the heartiness of fish paste with the natural flavour of each of the different wrappers.
Try it: Dong Hing Snack Food, Stall A4, 43-59 Dai Tsuen Street, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon