Hong Kong Food Tripping Day 1 – Temple Street Foodie Finds

We spent my husband’s birthday weekend in Hong Kong. I knew that we were arriving late in the day so the only lakwatsa that we can do once we arrive is the Temple Street Night Market.  As the name suggests, Temple Street Night Market is known as the liveliest night market in Hong Kong. In fact, when we got there, there was a group of foreign street dancers performing which added to the festive vibe. But since it was already 8PM when we reached Temple St., our first mission was to find a place to eat.

Ralph was in-charge of researching for our food options in Hong Kong and he told us that Spicy Crabs are really the thing here. All of us love seafood, crabs especially, so we decided that we’ll have Spicy Crabs for the night.

Since we didn’t know which restaurant was the best option, we thought that we’d eat in the place with the most customers. That night, it was Temple Spice Crabs. We almost got discouraged because we did not find seats right away. Fortunately, a Chinese waitress called me when I walked towards the corner. Surprises of all surprises, she said, “Kaibigan, dito ka na kumain!” “(Friend, eat here!”) She knew Tagalog! She explained to us that the restaurant had a second floor which is air-conditioned and assured me that it’s one and the same. “Iisa kusina, iisa tindahan, (same kitchen, same restaurant)” she added.

So we went up to the second floor of the restaurant which was also almost full of customers already. A group was already leaving so we were able to secure a spot. Here’s what we ordered:

We ordered just one piece of Spicy Crab because it was really pricey! Good thing, I always have wet wipes with me because I couldn’t bear going inside the stinky ladies room to wash my hands, ugh! Thus, I became the official manghihimay and took off all the meat inside the shells with my barehands. Guess what, we were not even given crab crackers! I had to crack the pincers on the table with my husband’s big bottle of Tsing Tao, haha! So unforgettable!

The Fried Oyster Pancake was easier to eat. It was served with a sweet and sour sauce, very much similar to the dip that we use for lumpiang shanghai. We asked for vinegar which we thought would go better but everything got lost in translation, LOL! Ano nga ba ang Chinese ng suka? Well, I wasn’t prepared for that. Again, it was yummy. But I think I can recreate that in my own kitchen. Easy peasy.

Since the first two we ordered were dry, I thought of having Stewed Chicken in Casserole.  We all loved this dish especially the asado-tasting sauce that it came with. The chicken is tender and tasty, too.

I was actually surprised by the prices because everything was so expensive! Buti na lang, the tastiness of the food made it worth it. I wasn’t actually happy about the place because it felt like just an upgraded carinderia (kitchenette) to me. The table was sticky, the floor was dirty. But we were tired and, as I said, the food did not disappoint. Most of all, the Birthday Boy was happy.

After having dinner, we walked the whole stretch of Temple Street to look for souvenirs and pasalubong that we can take back home. As we walked along, my boy found this quaint store that sells egg waffles. The smell was heavenly! Since it was time for dessert (LOL!), we bought a chocolate-flavored egg waffle. Again, ang mahal at HK$22 so share-share na lang, hahaha! It was big, anyway, good enough for sharing (LOL palusot!)

We did not stay in the place and walked again while devouring our egg waffle. By the time we were done with it, we were already at the Jordan Street end of Temple Street. It was already close to midnight that time so we walked towards the MTR station to go back to the place we were staying at Mongkok, Kowloon.

We stayed for 4 days in Hong Kong so stay tuned for the rest of our foodie adventures!

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