With lush local fisheries and year-round fresh catches from the surrounding seawater, it’s no wonder Hong Kong is one of the most amazing seafood destinations in Asia. Fish, crab, prawn, lobster, squid, octopus, clams or whatever else you fancy, Hong Kong has them all. Cooked in a great variety of gastronomic dishes and delicacies – from street snacks, seaside village treats and sizzling communal stall delights, to luxuriant seafood banquets and exquisite fine dining specialties.
Seafood Villages
Fishing villages are the earliest settlements in Hong Kong, and they have endured for generations along the city’s coastline, providing fresh seafood to the surrounding neighbourhoods as well as the bustling urban markets.
These villages often feature waterfronts lined with shops and friendly restaurants where you can pick your choice of seafood from water tanks, and have the chef cook them up in fabulous traditional Hong Kong dishes.
Sai Kung Promenade and Floating Market in the eastern part of New Territories, Lei Yue Mun Village and Seafood Bazaar in Kowloon, Tai O Fishing Village in Lantau Island west of Hong Kong Island, and Sow Kwu Wan Village in Lamma Island to the city’s southwest are some of the historic and iconic seafood hubs. Each of them also features vibrant folksy vibes and beautiful scenic views.
Street Seafood
Street food is the heart and soul of Hong Kong cuisine, and seafood delicacies are a major part of this culture. Grilled, steamed and fried seafood snacks are abundant in all famed street food spots, while hot-off-the-stove dishes shared with friends and family at crowded roadside tables are a communal affair.
Oi Man Sang open-air restaurant in the Sham Shui Po manufacturing district, Temple Street Night Market in Jordan, Aberdeen Fish Market, Graham Street and Chuen Cheung Kui Restaurant in Central are among the favourites for Hong Kong seafood lovers.
Seafood Fine Dining
Want a more opulent seafood experience? Hong Kong has an abundance of fine dining restaurants too, where traditional seafood dishes are elevated to intricate, delicate and sumptuous heights, along with creative modern gastronomic specials to pamper your tastebuds.
The Chairman, WING, Mono, Arcane, and NOI at the Four Seasons Hotel – all in Central; as well as Lung King Heen in the financial district of Sheung Wan are some of the famed fine dining Hong Kong restaurants recommended by professional chefs and seafood aficionados from around the world. There’s also Jaffe Road in Causeway Bay, home to historic traditional restaurants that perfected some of Hong Kong’s signature seafood specials.
Iconic Hong Kong Seafood Dishes
Giant Grouper in 2 Flavours
Hong Kong seafood stalls and restaurants will also typically cook giant grouper in a double dish serving, known in Cantonese as ‘Loong Dan Leong Mei’. Succulent fillets are stir-fried with broccoli and sliced carrot, flavoured with garlic and soy sauce. Meanwhile, chunks of grouper meat are steamed with melted garlic sauce and dried tangerine peel for a rich tangy fragrance and alluring savoury taste. Two distinctly tantalising Hong Kong flavours you don’t want to miss!
Typhoon Shelter Crab
Legend has it that this dish was first whipped up by fisher-folk in a typhoon shelter to keep warm in the cold, hence the name. Fresh crab stir-fried with chilli, garlic and soy sauce, resulting in crispy, spicy crumbs that cover the whole dish. The crab meat is cooked tender and supple within their cut shelled parts, fully immersed in the zesty, savoury flavour. An authentic Hong Kong specialty like no other.
Steamed King Crab with Garlic Sauce
The long-legged King Crab is another Hong Kong fave. The chopped crab is first steam-cooked with a vermicelli base, topped with ginger and scallion. The latter two’s aroma seeps into the crab in the concentrated heat, and is then removed after the steam. Next, a stir-fried garlic sauce is lathered over it, then a soy sauce finish, resulting in a full-bodied savoury flavour that blends delightfully with the succulent crab. Highly beloved in both communal seafood stalls and fine dining restaurants.
Cheese Lobster with Yi-Mien Noodles
Inspired by pasta carbonara, Hong Kong cooking transforms lobster into a mouthwatering cheese bonanza with slurp-licious Yi Mien egg noodles. The lobster meat is seasoned with salt, lightly coated with cornflour and deep fried until golden. Next, garlic and shallot are sautéed with butter and chicken broth before adding cheese and milk to melt and blend into a creamy, savoury sauce. The lobster meat is then cooked in the sauce and mixed with the pre-cooked noodles to complete the dish. Instant umami pleasure!
Salt & Pepper Mantis Shrimp
Supple mantis shrimp is first double-fried in hot oil. Then sautéed with garlic, shallots and five spice seasoning and garnished with spring onion. A simple yet mesmerising Hong Kong delicacy most popularly savoured at communal seafood stalls.
Sweet & Sour Tiger Prawns
You’re probably familiar with sweet and sour pork. In Hong Kong cuisine, this iconic sauce is also a popular stir-fry for fresh tiger prawns, served hot and yummy at seafood restaurants. The sweetness enriches the prawn’s supple flavour, while the tempered sourness elevates the dish’s fragrance with an enticing tang.
Stir-Fried Oysters
Ginger and spring onions are the simplest ingredients to accentuate seafood flavours, including fresh succulent oysters. Stir-fried to savoury perfection in Hong Kong cuisine and a beloved dish at communal seafood stalls. Every bite is a blast of wondrous umami taste!
Stir-Fried Clams in Black Bean Sauce
Clams cook fast in high heat stir-fry, and are easy to season with a variety of flavourful ingredients. Hong Kong cuisine gives them a unique earthy, savoury flavour with a subtle nutty fragrance with fermented black bean sauce, garlic, scallion and chilli for a zesty touch. Yummy to the last clam!
Hungry for Hong Kong? Head to www.discoverhongkong.com/anz and plan your next foodie adventure.
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