Local Insight – The Best Hong Kong Street Food Review

The best Hong Kong Street food review with taste, price, and location for travelers. The insight is based on my over 20 years of local experience from a traveler perspective who has traveled over 70 Countries.

Hong Kong used to promote itself as a food paradise. However, nowadays you don’t really see this term in most of the HK tourism blog. Does that mean the food in Hong Kong is no longer attractive?

Nope, absolutely not!

As a world traveler with over 70 countries of experience, I dare say Hong Kong has the most varieties of food. Specifically for street food, there are more than 100 varieties per my knowledge. In fact, by number or even the taste, it is even better than most of the ASEAN Countries famous for street food such as Thailand and Vietnam.

The must-try street food is not only tasty but also available in most districts and surprisingly cheap, ranging from 1 – 5 USD, despite being one of the most expensive cities in Hong Kong.

What Exactly Is Street Food In Hong Kong?

There is a difference between local eats and street food in Hong Kong. Local eats usually refer to dining experiences. Examples of local eats in Hong Kong include the famous dim sum, Cantonese noodles, local hotpots, and Chinese restaurants. It usually takes an hour or so to finish a meal.

Street food, in contrast, refers to quick bites that can be done in minutes. Examples include fish balls, squid skewers, and other meats being served on a stick or bakery like egg-tart, egg bubble waffle, and pineapple bun.

Street food and local restaurants are usually locate close to each other in Hong Kong. So you may find some other blogs introducing local eats at street food. Below is the top 10 street foods I recommend from a local perspective based on the food’s uniqueness, taste and availability.

1. Egg Bubble Waffle (“aka Eggette or 雞蛋仔”) *Gai Dan Zai*

·       Tasting Note: Sweet with crispy and soft texture

·       Price: 1.5 – 3.5 USD per pack

·       Location: Most Districts Areas in Hong Kong including North Point, Causeway Bay, Kennedy Town, Sheung Wan, Tsim Sha Tsui, Mongkok, Sham Shui Po, etc.

The number one Hong Kong Street food is the Egg Bubble Waffle(雞蛋仔). The waffle gets its name from the mosaic of crips, golden-brown bubbles. Made with rich, eggy batter infused with sugar, the vendors will put the mixed batter to a special waffle iron. Once the waffle is around 70% cooked, they will then turn the iron around to create a texture of crispy on one side and soft on another side. Each serving of waffle would contain around 30 small “bubbles” on it.  With so many bubbles, this is also the best street food to share with friends.

Traditionally, you will also find vendors selling “rectangular waffles” (格仔餅). They will use the same source but put it on a traditional rectangular gridiron. Once the waffles are fully cooked, they will then spread butter, peanut butter, and condensed milk on them.

During my childhood, there used to be only one flavor for the waffles, and they were usually molded over charcoal. In modern times, most charcoal flames are replaced by electronic irons. Additionally, new flavors like panda, earl grey, chocolate, matcha, and even strawberry are now available. On top of that, some shops would even sell that along with ice-creams.

With its fame, you can see bubble-waffles with ice-cream become a trend not only in Asian but even Caucasus Country like Azerbaijan.

I recommend you to try the original flavor in Hong Kong. Lee Keung Kee  in North Point is the best I have ever tried. Every day, you will see a queue of locals near the shop. With its quality, the price has increased from ~ 1.5 USD to 3.5 USD during my last visit.

Alternatively, there are also other cheaper and high-quality options. For example, I went to Hung Ki in  2025, where they are still selling the waffles at around 10 HKD (~ 1.5 USD) in Tai Po Market.

Or else you will find lots of chain egg-bubble waffle stores like Mommy Pancake in Hong Kong.

2. Pineapple Bun (“菠蘿包”) *Bo Lo Bao*

·       Tasting Note: Sweet with crispy caramelized cust and cloud-soft bread interior

·       Price: 0.6 – 1 USD for Pineapple Bun; ~ 1.5 – 2 USD for the option with cold butter (Bo Lo Yau)

·       Location: Almost all the local bakeries across Hong Kong, including chain stores like Maxim; Almost all of the Cha Chan Teng in Hong Kong

The second on the list is the Pineapple Bun. I used to be one of the traditional buns selling in local bakery or small restaurants (Cha Chaan Tengs). The bun got its name from the crackled, golden-brown topping spiky skins, looking like a pineapple. The bun is served with a slab of cold butter wedged inside (*bo lo yau*, 菠蘿油).

Traditionally, the locals would buy it as a takeaway for breakfast at home. Or they would have it as breakfast paired with local Hong Kong-style milk tea. With its growing popularity, there are multiple pineapple bun fusions, including topping with ice cream, adding pork meat inside, and some even selling it as a burger.  In 2014, it was added to Hong Kong’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

With such popularity, the bun is now not only for sale as a local eat but also as street food. You will find lots of Cha Chaan Tengs setting up small counters outside the shops, selling the freshly made buns. I would recommend you purchase directly from those small counters as street food as well. With fast turnover, you are likely to get the crispiest pineapple bun.

The best one I tried was the Bo Lo Yau at “Red Tea” on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong. On the Hong Kong Island side, there are also multiple Cha Chaan Tengs offering similar quality products in Causeway Bay.

3. Fish Ball (“魚蛋”) *Yu Dan*

·       Tasting Note: Hot, savory or spicy (satay favor), chewy

·       Price: 1.5 to 2 USD per stick

·       Location: Most Districts Areas in Hong Kong including North Point, Causeway Bay, Kennedy Town, Sheung Wan, Tsim Sha Tsui, Mongkok, Sham Shui Po, etc.

If I restrict the list to savoury street food only, fish balls would undeniably rank first. It has the longest history of street food in Hong Kong. During the old times of Hong Kong, it was a regular item for every mobile vendor. At that time, the fish balls were usually being sold from clattering pushcarts with original or spicy flavors. They are a symbol of Hong Kong’s fast-paced culinary culture, enjoyed by everyone from schoolkids to late-night revelers. There was a saying that Hong Kongers eat around 55 tons of fish balls daily (https://www.vice.com/en/article/fish-balls-are-served-with-a-side-of-politics-in-hong-kong/).

After a few decades, fish balls remain as the essential items that you can find in almost every street food store. Unlike egg bubble waffles or pineapple buns, the main flavors remain either spicy or not spicy. The only variation I have seen so far is probably the “Jumbo Fish Ball” in Cheung Chau.

4. Siu Mai (“燒賣” *Siu Maai*)

• Tasting Note: Bouncy, savory fish-paste or pork filling, wrapped in a golden-yellow wheat dough. Dim sum version – Juicy minced pork and shrimp, dotted with crab roe or black truffle, steamed in delicate egg-white wrappers.
• Price: 1 to 2 USD per skewer
• Location: Basically everywhere in Hong Kong. It is even more common than fishball.

The closest friend of fish ball should be Siu Mai. You will usually see both of them at the same food stall. In some sense, Siu Mai is even more popular than fishball, although personally, I prefer fishball more.

A little unknown to travelers, the Siu Mai you have as street food is different from the Siu Mai being served as dim sum in Chinese restaurants. The street food version was originally modified based on the dim sum version with more common (or cheaper) ingredients like fish paste or pork fat. It shares a common history background like fishball and Wun Zai Chi as a local invention for the working class population. In the past, not everyone would be able to afford the dim sum version where the ingredient includes pork meat and pricey shrimp.

As one of the signature street foods in Hong Kong, you can find it everywhere, even in convenience shops like 7-Eleven and Circle K. Other than that, you will also find it (or most of the street food here) in the Old Street in the Hong Kong Ocean Park.

5.     Hong Kong Egg Tart (“蛋撻) (*Dan Tat*)

·       Tasting Note: Smooth, custardy texture with a hint of sweetness from the creamy filling

·       Price: ~ 1 USD per tart

·       Location: Almost everywhere in Hong Kong, even at the airport.

Hong Kong egg tart is a symbol of East-meets-West culture. It originated from the Portuguese baking tradition from nearby Macau. With the modification on the egg custard, it now becomes the signature local egg tart with yellow custard in the middle and crispy-crispy made with butter and flour.

You can find egg tart in almost every district in Hong Kong at Cha Chaan Tengs, local bakeries, and even some Chinese restaurants. Other than the local egg tarts, even the KFCs in Hong Kong would promote different flavours of egg tarts (more Portuguese style) from time to time.

6. Tea Egg (“茶葉蛋” *Cha Ye Dan*)

·        Tasting Note: Savory, aromatic, and subtly earthy, infused with spices like star anise, cinnamon, and soy sauce.

·        Price: 0.5 to 1 USD per egg

·        Location: Not very ubiquitous nowadays. Usually, you can find it in local districts like North Point, Tai Wo, Kennedy Town, Sham Shui Po, or Mongkok. Some street food shops and herbal tea shops would have that as well.

While less flashy than other street snacks, the tea egg is one of the long-history street foods in Hong Kong that you can’t hardly find in different places of the world. Originally adapted from mainland China, the eggs are steeped in black tea, soy sauce, and spices for hours, resulting in a fragrant, protein-packed snack that’s both affordable and portable. 20 years ago, they were sold in almost every Chinese herbal tea shop for 2-3 HKD per egg. However, with the decline in the number of traditional herbal tea shops, they are not as ubiquitous as they were before.

Luckily, the tea eggs are typically heated in a pot and placed prominently at the corner of the front counter, making them easily noticeable. By referring to the photo, I put you are likely to locate them in the neighborhood area. Also you can still find it in some of the more modern Chinese herbal tea chain like Hung Fook Tong.

If you like the taste, it is also a street food that you can easily replicate at home.

7. Tofu Pudding (“豆腐花” *Dau Fu Faa*)

·        Tasting Note: Silky-smooth, delicately sweet, and custard-like, often drizzled with ginger syrup or brown sugar.

·        Price: 1 to 2.5 USD per bowl

·        Location: Most of the sweet water shops and Beancurd shops are in Sham Shui Po and Causeway Bay.

Tofu Pudding is probably the simplest dessert in Hong Kong. The base is pure soy, but the magic lies in the syrup—ginger-infused for warmth, brown sugar for caramel depth, or rock sugar for clarity. Old-school vendors still serve it from metal pails, ladling portions with theatrical flair. There are still a few of these shops existing in Hong Kong.

There are also multiple beancurd shops like Kung Wo Beancurd Shop in Sham Shui Po and Yan Wo Dou Beancurd Shop in Causeway Bay. Otherwise it is also one of the basic dishes in all sweet soup shops in Hong Kong.

8. Stuffed and Pan-Fried Trio (煎釀三寶” *Zin Joeng Saam Bou* )

• Tasting Note: Crispy, savory, and aromatic. Fresh fish paste (often mackerel or dace) is stuffed into vegetables like eggplant, bell peppers, and bitter melon, then pan-fried until golden.
• Price: 1.5 to 3 USD for a mix of 3 pieces
• Location: Causeway Bay, Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po or street food chain like “Long Zhun” (“龍津美食”)

The stuffed fried trio is probably one of the most underrated street foods in Hong Kong. The trio traditionally includes adding minced fish-meat on eggplant (buttery soft), green bell peppers (crunchy-sweet), and bitter melon (an acquired herbal tang).

The texture of the fish paste on the vegetables offers you two textures at the same time. The trio is best served with soy, chili, and sometimes sweet sources. Although not as popular as fish ball and siu mai. You will find them in most of the tourist areas like Mongkok, Causeway Bay, and Sham Shui Po.

9. Imitation Shark Fin Soup (“碗仔翅” *Wun Zai Chi* )

• Tasting Note: Savory, umami-rich, and silky with a slightly gelatinous texture. Price: 2 to 4 USD per bowl
• Location: Some food stalls in tourist areas or during afternoon tea hours for Chinese fast food chains in Hong Kong like Fairwood or Café De Coral.

Shark fin soup is a traditional luxurious Chinese dish. Due to the economic hardship for Hong Kong during the post-war time, the locals invented the “imitation shark fin soup” *Wun Zai Chi*.

First things first, there is no shark fin in it. So there are no ethical or environmental concerns even under the modern context. Instead, the soup is only made with wood ear mushrooms for crunch, glass noodles for silkiness, egg swirls for richness, and some thin meat strips. The idea is to make it taste like real shark fin soup.

Despite its humble beginning, Wun Zai Chi has grown to be one of Hong Kong’s core street foods. Nowadays, ironically, people would add more luxurious ingredients like crabmeats, dried scallop, or even truffle oil.

You can locate the soup in most of the food stalls in tourist areas. Or else you can find them during the afternoon tea time (2:30 pm – 5:30 pm) in Chinese fast-food chains like Fairwood and Café De Coral.

10. Chinese Herbal Tea (“涼茶” *Leung Cha*)

• Tasting Note: Bitter, earthy, or subtly sweet, brewed with roots, flowers, and bark like chrysanthemum, honeysuckle, or Prunella vulgaris, depending on the type
• Price: 1 to 2 USD per cup (varies by blend)
• Location: street stalls in Sham Shui Po, Mongkok, Causewaybay, and other neighbourhood areas

Chinese herbal tea (“Leung Cha”) is one of the must-try in Hong Kong. With a long history dating back to the Qing Dynasty, herbal tea in Hong Kong used to be the usual drink for the locals to battle humidity, hangovers, and the common cold. Nowadays, on top of the medical benefit, it works more like a supplementary drink in daily life.

The most popular one would be the “Twenty Four Herb Tea,”  a notoriously bitter concoction of two dozen roots and flowers that tastes like liquid bark but promises to purge toxins. My favourite one is monk fruit tea (“Lo Han Guo Tea), which is sweet but contains zero calories.

Should I Explore The Street Food Myself Or Via A Tour?

I recommend you to explore the street food yourself. After all, that is the intention for me to write this post based on my over 20 years’ experience of my home time. I also did research online to see if there is any best-valued tour dedicated to HK street food only. However, the closest thing I could find is the one with Tripadvisor that has a mixture of street food and local eats in Sham Shui Po. The cost is around 100 USD, and it is already the cheapest amongst all other options.