Beyond Dim Sum – Hong Kong Eating Adventures Review

My home base of Vancouver is known to have some of the best dim sum & freshest Chinese food in the world, or so I’ve been told.  Admittedly, when it comes to this cuisine I am more than a little lost. With so many foodie treasures to be had in my backyard, I decided this ignorance needs to stop. It’s time for an education and what better place to receive it than straight from the source? Enter Hong Kong Eating Adventures, my personal dim sum tutors for the day.

Digging In

My Hong Kong Eating Adventures started with meeting our guides in North Point on Hong Kong Island. This neighbourhood is known for its high concentration of quality restaurants and specialty shops. The travel-loving owners of Hong Kong Eating Adventures were just as eager to get started as I was. After handing us a grab bag of wet-naps, disposable gloves, and plenty of space for leftovers we where off to our1st stop – a tiny shop serving up egg waffles.

These light and airy snacks are truly a Hong Kong treat. It was easy to see why as I devoured mine, paying no attention to our guides story on how this dish came to be. My take away – all you need to know is they are delicious.

After sampling some red bean paste buns and curried bean curd – something that we just pointed at inquisitively then wound up with it in our hands, our Hong Kong Eating Adventures continued with some fresh Chiu Chou Goose. This amazing stop is a Hong Kong Eating Adventures favourite as the slow cooked soup is made from a broth that is reused every day – ours being 8 months old, proof that the flavour only improves over time.

Beyond Eating

The great thing about Hong Kong Eating Adventures is that it goes beyond and behind the food. Along the way, our guide pointed out interesting sights and tidbits such as the Sun Beam Theatre, the last Cantonese Opera Theatre in Hong Kong. Our tour also included guided walk through a couple local markets where we watched live chickens being bought and slaughtered. Apparently once you go fresh you never go back.

Then there was a ride on the historic Hong Kong Island double decker tram, a treat in itself. This added bonus puts the “adventure” in Hong Kong Eating Adventures.

These added extras really set our Hong Kong Eating Adventures tour apart from other food walking tours I have done…and this was before getting my education in dim sum.

The Main Course

Our Hong Kong Eating Adventures made a stop at Tim Ho Wan for some delicious dim sum. Know as the cheapest 5 star Michelin restaurant in the world, the flavours found there were anything but. We sampled Char Siu Bao (pork buns), Chiu Chou Dumplings, and deep fried beef dumplings– all amazing.

Salty to Sweet

Belts busting, our Hong Kong Eating Adventures concluded with a stop at one of the many sweets shops found in the area. To my surprise,  these desert restaurants are very popular late night stops. Turns out the Chinese love their sweets and after tasting Mongo Dao Fu Fa  (sweet tofu pudding with mango topping), and Zi Ma Tong Yuen (glutinous rice balls with black sesame filling), it was easy to see why.

Why choose Eating Adventures Hong Kong?

Bellies beyond full, we left our Hong Kong Eating Adventures more than satisfied. Not only did I get to sample some of the eats in the area, I had an insider’s take on Hong Kong life and access to some of its hidden gems. Hong Kong Eating Adventures also gave me a dim sum education that is long overdue.

Look out Vancouver, I’m coming home hungry.

What say you?
Thoughts on my Hong Kong Eating Adventures?
Let’s hear it!

For more reviews from Asia and beyond see HERE.

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Although my Hong Kong Eating Adventures tour was complimentary,
the experience, opinions, and dim sum education was my own.