Any foodie worth their salt watches out for the annual Michelin Guide awards and the ensuing humming and hawing over whether the judges made the best choices for each type of cuisine. But although Michelin stars are typically awarded to upscale fine dines, the guide added a section specifically dedicated to street food two years ago. While not on par with a star exactly, the list recognizes that delicious food doesn’t always have to be enjoyed as a multi-course degustation complete with wine pairing — a snack on a stick can be just as delectable.
Hong Kong boasts a grand total of 19 shops on the list — here are six you should be sure to check out, whether you’re looking for a savory meal or something a little sweeter.
As its name would suggest, Three Potatoes serves up yummy snacks based around the humble root vegetable, from French fries to baked potato with various sauces and toppings. (The baked potato with sour cream and cheese is a signature.) Its take on hash brown involves thin strips of potato that are then fried with onion and bacon. The stall has scooped up a Michelin Street Food award two years in a row.
Various locations including 30-32A Nullah Road, Mong Kok, 6730-7602.
The simple cheung fun is taken to new levels at this stall, which is rumored to sell 5,000 orders every day. The steamed rice noodle rolls are made fresh daily in a range of different varieties. Expect to wait in line before you get your fill, though.
121 Kweilin Street, Sham Shui Po, 2720-0239.
You’ll figure out what this famous stall is all about from the moment you glance at its display that’s filled with soy beans and containers of soy bean milk on ice. Here, you can get hot or chilled silky tofu pudding desserts, pan-fried tofu and home made soy bean milk. Top the pudding with some ginger sugar for an extra sweet kick.
G/F, 118 Pei Ho Street, Sham Shui Po, 2386-6871.
Egg puffs (or egg waffles for some) might seem easy enough to whip up, but creating a truly memorable batch is a little more difficult. Mammy Pancake’s egg puffs are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, with absolutely zero sogginess. The brand has run through a range of flavors over the years, most recently offering coffee and green tea. Regular waffles stuffed with condensed milk or peanut butter are available, too. You might need to wait a few more minutes for your snack to ensure it’s cooked to perfection.
Multiple locations including Carnarvon Mansion, 8-12E Carnarvon Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.
This sit-down cafe offers up an array of Chinese sweet soups, from black sesame rice balls in ginger soup to stewed papaya with rock sugar. Having opened for over 40 years, the restaurant grinds up all the sesame by hand — no wonder it’s such a hit.
29 Ning Po Street, Jordan, 2384-3862.
This stall serves a bit of everything, but you’ll want to go for the glutinous rice with Chinese sausage, which comes in a plastic bowl with disposable chopsticks to eat it with. Also on the menu is cheung fun, siu mai, and sweet soups. There are a few tables, but why sit when you can nosh on your rice while standing street side?
G/F, Chuang’s Enterprises Building, 382 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, 2572-5207.