Forget the skyline for a few hours. This is Hong Kong at street level — busy markets, neon signs, tiny family-run shops and tables piled high with food.
We’ll start in Mong Kok, where we’ll dig into some of the nostalgic treats we grew up eating, before making our way to Sham Shui Po for dumplings, herbal tea and a proper Cantonese feast.
Six stops, two neighbourhoods, one very Hong Kong night.
We kick things off at one of our favourite childhood bakeries — a family-run spot that’s been serving locals for more than 30 years.
Expect old-school Hong Kong treats made with recipes that haven’t changed much over the decades. Think sticky rice pancakes with red beans, walnut cookies and savoury biscuit made with fermented beancurd that even some local aunties have never tasted (true story!).
Next stop: a classic cha chaan teng that’s been around since the 50’s.
We’ll settle in for some of the great Hong Kong comfort foods. Take your pick from a rotation of classic HK drinks including silky milk tea, iced lemon tea, and more.
On the side, we’ve got Hong Kong-style French toast, egg tarts and a local specialty drink that most visitors never know to ask for.
This is your chance to try one of Hong Kong’s most infamous street foods: stinky tofu. It’s also the very spot where Ashley introduced Richard Ayoade and Jon Hamm to the dish while filming Channel 4’s Travel Man.
Not your thing? Totally fine. There are plenty of other street-food bites to get stuck into before we wander through Mong Kok’s famous Goldfish Market — a wonderfully chaotic street packed with colourful fish, aquarium shops and all sorts of unexpected sights.
Then we’re off to Sham Shui Po for one of our favourite mum-and-pop dumpling shops.
Watch the owners work at ridiculous speed as they wrap and cook dumplings right in front of you. Steamed, pan-fried and very difficult to stop eating. There’s stir-fried soy sauce noodles on the side too!
And finally, it’s dinner time! (Yes, you’ve heard us right)
We’ll pull up a table at one of Hong Kong’s remaining dai pai dongs for a proper Cantonese feast — stir-fried seafood, seasonal vegetables, iced cold local beer and whatever looks particularly good that night.
The best part? You get to watch the chefs cooking up a storm in the outdoor kitchen, and if the head chef is there, you get to have a selfie with him too!
