A Global Gourmet Tour

There are many things about Hong Kong that are overwhelming and intimidating, but none more so than the prospect of eating.  Even the idea of trying to write a little blog post is difficult because I just don't know where to start.  But Jeff and I both love to eat.  I come from a family of foodies, and we love to cook.  So food is clearly a topic I just can't ignore.

A lunch special at Sushi Kuu

One of the first things we noticed about Hong Kong is the atmosphere.  Everything is very densely packed together - the people, the housing, the buildings, the traffic, the lights, the sounds and the smells - literally everything.  With that density comes the sense that everything is in your face, all the time.  I've used the term "sensory overload" before, but I've never been to a place where it is so applicable as Hong Kong. And when it comes to food, it's simply not possible to walk down the street here without encountering something to eat nearly every step of the way.  

Jeff digs in to a Chinese "hot pot" dinner

Dumplings at Queen St. Cooked Food Centre

People love to eat out in Hong Kong, so on nearly every street there are restaurants from every corner of the globe, and they are full nearly all day long.  There are also convenience stores (stocked primarily with food), supermarkets, green grocers, fish mongers, rotisseries, delis, bakeries and neighborhood streets that convert to an open market every day.

Shellfish at North Point wet market

One of my favorites - a "Housewife Cake"

In the time we've been here, some of our funniest - and most frustrating - moments have come in pursuit of a meal.   There is no shortage of advice about food either - both from the locals and our fellow expats.  In general, there is a lot of suspicion towards food sourced in mainland China.  The use of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals is apparently so heavy and widespread, people openly avoid buying food from the mainland, and restaurants promote non-PRC food sources in the meals they serve.  In the supermarkets, there are as many imported products as there are locally produced.  Meat and dairy products are imported from Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the U.S., while much of the produce is from the U.S. and Kenya.

Honey imported from New Zealand

Sticky rice steamed in a Lotus Leaf

 
We'd like to think we are the adventurous types and willing to try new and unusual things.  After all, we didn't come all the way to Hong Kong just to eat food we already know.  We've had some terrific meals and some that have tested my nerve.  There is so much to learn about food here, I suspect that we will have only scratched the surface by the time my work assignment here is complete.

The photos below are a sampling of restaurants that we've passed in our various walks.  We are truly enjoying a global gourmet tour right here in Hong Kong!