From Tentacles to Tarts, Here’s a Guide to Navigating Hong Kong’s Crazy Street Food

Culture in Hong Kong can be defined by two things: The fast-paced lifestyle and the food. The perfect vacation spot for foodies, Hong Kong has some of the most underrated eateries, but when it’s always “go, go, go,” sitting down to eat a proper meal isn’t always easy. That’s where Hong Kong’s street food vendors come into play. While we do have a long list of must-try restaurants, we’re also rounding up Hong Kong’s best fast food alternatives with the city’s most popular street food.

While gai daan jai (those bubbly egg waffles with your choice of filling) have taken over Instagram, but the traditional grid waffle still reigns supreme in Hong Kong. Served out of stalls and food carts on the street, traditional style waffles are slathered with peanut butter and condensed milk and folded in half to be eaten on the go.

With such a long history of fishing, Hong Kong’s seafood is amazing (even when it comes from a food cart.) The more portable options are curry fish balls or squid and octopus tentacles. The curry fish balls are fried and soaked in a strong curry sauce whereas the tentacles are a good oil-free option, usually boiled, roasted then covered in honey, barbecue, teriyaki or chilli sauce.

The bor lor bao, or pineapple bun, actually doesn’t have any pineapple in it. Soft and sweet on the inside but buttery and flaky on the outside, the pineapple bun is named for the cross-hatched pattern on the crumbly top layer that looks like the skin of a pineapple.

While it doesn’t have to most appetizing name, stinky tofu is considered the king of street food in Hong Kong. Soaked in a brine of milk, vegetables and meat, it does have a distinct smell, but has anything creamy, deep fried and served with hot sauce ever not been delicious?

As a city that imports 97% of its food (and a city that was once China’s main trade port), Hong Kong is huge on international cuisine. Influenced by England’s custard tarts and Portugese pastel de nata, Hong Kong’s egg tarts are rich, creamy and available at cafés across the city.