Absolutely Delicious Hong Kong Street Food We Should Have in the Philippines

Street hawking, Hong Kong style.
by Kevin Christian L. Santos | December 07, 2015

If you’re in Hong Kong, chances are you’ll be doing a lot of walking from all the shopping, sightseeing and other touristy things you have lined up in your itinerary. With all that walking, you’re bound to get hungry and/or smell something that will take you to a higher plane of existence. This is where Hong Kong’s vast array of street food comes in.

Hong Kong’s street food is an eccentric mix. There’s street food for one with a more traditional or “normal” palate, one for the curious, and one for the adventurous (or weird or someone with a death wish). It is an interesting and excellent mix of flavors. You simply can’t leave Hong Kong without trying them out.

Some of them are so good, we wish they’d be available in the streets of the Philippines. Delectable bites of heaven like:

Grilled squid tentacles on a stick

Depending on where you go, grilled tentacles are perfectly charred, fresh, and juicy. With a light brush of honey and teriyaki sauce, these sticks are sheer bliss.

Speaking of tentacles, next to the grilled squid, street vendors also usually sell battered, deep-fried tentacles drizzled with curry powder—yes, it’s as good as it sounds.

Cheung Fun

Made from rolled-up sheets of rice noodles, Cheung Fun may not look like much. Add some soy sauce, peanut sauce, chili and some sesame seeds, and you’ve got yourself a delicious explosion in your mouth. Fun indeed.

Curry fish balls

Compared to our fish balls where you can opt for suka, matamis or tamis-anghang as sauces, Hong Kong’s fish balls are dipped in curry and has been around since the 1950s. These chewy orbs are bathed in so much curry sauce that each stick will leave you wanting for more. Luckily for you, they’re almost found in every street corner of Hong Kong.

Egg waffle

The sweet, scent of Hong Kong’s egg waffles feel like a warm hug. They’re made by pouring egg batter into a griddle pan, resulting in what looks like a waffle filled with hollow eggs hence the name). They’re slightly crispy on the outside and sweet, chewy and fluffy on the inside. How no one has brought this genius idea to Manila’s streets, we’ll never know.

Offal in a pot

With isaw and balut stalls a common sight in the Philippines, there’s no question that Pinoys have an adventurous palate. Bringing offal in a pot in the country is a no-brainer. One of Hong Kong’s most popular street food, preparation for this dish first starts with putting all ingredients ranging from offal, innards and entrails in a bubbling vat of brown broth. The entrails along with the broth are then scooped up and served in a cup, combined with a mix of condiments. If you happen to scoop a spoonful of what looks like a lung, then chances are it is. This is definitely one for the bold.

How about you? Which street food around the world would you like to see in the Philippines’ streets? Let us know in the comments!