Hong Kong and Macau are just one ferry ride apart and share many similarities; however, they still have their cultural differences. Once a British colony, Hong Kong is now one of the world’s top business centers.
On the other hand, Macau was a Portuguese colony until 1999 and is gradually becoming the Las Vegas of China. They do share the unifying fact of both having great food. Here are some of the places that you need to try if you every find yourself wandering the streets of Hong Kong or Macau.
Lord Stow’s Bakery & Café
Photo by Stephanie Lee
Since Macau was under the influence of the Portuguese for so long, it’s natural to find the culture reflected in the food as well. These Portuguese egg tarts, pastel de nata, are literally everywhere in Macau. Among the numerous egg tart vendors, Lord Stow’s Bakery’s pastries have the light and creamy custard and flaky crust that you can’t pass up.
A Lorcha
Photo by Stephanie Lee
This restaurant itself has become a tourist attraction over the years as it highlights the history of Macau as a Portuguese colony. Located right along the water in downtown Macau, it serves a menu with a unique blend of dishes that’s been inspired by the Portuguese and Chinese. Some dishes include clams, African chicken, and seafood rice.
Wong Kun Sio Kung
Photo by Stephanie Lee
When you know that a restaurant has been recognized in the Michelin guide, you know it has to be good. Given the proximity, it’s not surprising to see Hong Kong influences in Macau and vice versa. Whitebait, an immature fish, is eaten all over the world, but in China, it is often fried in an egg and flour-batter to make a delicious appetizer.
Crab congee is a common dish that natives eat for breakfast and resembles a thick, creamy, rice soup. Shrimp roe noodles originated from Hong Kong and are noodles topped with shrimp eggs (roe) as pictured above.
Tim Ho Wan
Photo by Stephanie Lee
You can’t leave Hong Kong or Macau without having a proper dim sum meal at one of many highly-acclaimed restaurants that are basically around every corner in both cities. Tim Ho Wan is known as one of the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurants in the world and is a real-life example of a Michelin-starred restaurant that won’t break the bank. It would take forever to go through every item on the menu, but some of the most popular dishes include pork dumplings, vermicelli roll with fried dough, and its best-seller (above), the baked pork buns .
Hui Lau Shan
Photo by Stephanie Lee
In addition to dim sum, it’s necessary to try mango in some shape or form in Hong Kong or Macau. Luckily, there are dessert shops everywhere like Hu Liu Shan that is known for it’s mango snacks including mango juice, mango mochi and mango pudding.
The Streets
Photo by Stephanie Lee
Egg waffles are a common street food and is served around every corner in Macau and Hong Kong. It’s made out of an egg batter, is molded in a pan with many spherical holes, and is eaten plain. Its crispy texture and slightly sweet dough is the perfect snack to munch on as you walk down the busy streets of Macau or Hong Kong.
Lan Fong Yuen
Photo by Stephanie Lee
Lan Fong Yuen is the equivalent to an American diner or cafe. It has an eclectic menu consisting of Hong Kong style noodles, rice dishes and sandwiches as well as desserts and beverages like milk tea and their version of french toast. The milk tea and french toast are both iconic foods and complement each other very well when eaten together.