Week 14: My favorite places to eat 🥟

After 3 months in Hong Kong, I developed a daily routine that consisted of visiting my favorite restaurants mainly in Sham Shui Po. Although I was able to make great friends amongst my online classes, I really enjoyed eating by myself and exploring the city on my own. Learning to love eating by myself is one of my proudest accomplishments as someone who used to be afraid of even going out on my own!

Since my dad is from Hong Kong, my parents suggested lots of great places for me try out. My all-time favorite dish is rice rolls with peanut sauce and a glass of fresh soy milk from a restaurant in Sham Shui Po called Hop Yik Tai. They sold more of my favorite delicacies such as rice porridge with thousand year-old egg and curry fish balls. Coming here every week reminded me of when my family and I would visit Hong Kong every year pre-pandemic and eat here everyday, so I always felt at home when I ate here. Aside from that, my meals here never cost more than $2 USD!

Another great restaurant in Sham Shui Po is Lau Sum Kee Noodle. They specialized in noodle soups such as wonton mein, huge shrimp dumplings, and beef brisket noodle soup. As a Michelin recommended restaurant, the prices were still extremely affordable at about $5-6 USD per bowl! I especially enjoyed eating here because of the unlimited radish pickles and the beef brisket noodle soup that reminded me of my dad.

One of my favorite desserts in Hong Kong has to be fresh silken tofu with ginger syrup. I tried Kung Wo Tofu Factory for the first time with my friend Irene from Italy because I wanted her to try this unique dessert, and was not disappointed! Aside from the silken tofu with syrup, we also tried an ice cream made from tofu and fried tofu puffs which were both amazing. I can't wait to bring my parents here the next time we visit!

Sham Shui Po will always have a special place in my heart because of all the amazing places to eat and the nostalgic neon signs. The area is also known for its computer arcades and street stalls, so I was able to stock up on cute iPhone cases and other fun tech accessories.