杨枝甘露 (mango pomelo sago) is Hong Kong’s most imitated dessert. A thick, chilled bowl of mango and coconut, studded with translucent sago pearls, mango cubes and the tart little sacs of pomelo that stop the whole thing from turning into a smoothie. It is sweet without being heavy, and itContinue Reading
Steamed scallops with garlic vermicelli (蒜蓉粉丝蒸扇贝) is the dish that proves Cantonese cooking at its purest — sweet, briny scallops on the half shell, blanketed with golden garlic, a nest of glass noodles, and a spoonful of seasoned soy, then steamed for just minutes until everything is tender and glistening.Continue Reading
Salt Baked Chicken (盐焗鸡) is a Hakka classic that produces astonishingly tender, savory chicken with almost no effort: a whole bird is rubbed with salt and spices, wrapped in paper, and buried in a pile of hot coarse salt until gently cooked by the salt’s stored heat. The result isContinue Reading
Siu Yuk (脆皮烧肉) is the crown jewel of Cantonese siu mei — a slab of pork belly roasted until the skin erupts into crackling, golden blisters while the meat beneath stays juicy and impossibly tender. Served simply with a dab of mustard or hoisin, it is the dish Hong KongContinue Reading
Roast Duck (烧鸭) is one of Cantonese siu mei’s (烧腊) crown jewels — whole duck lacquered with a sweet-spiced marinade, air-dried until the skin tightens, then roasted until mahogany and shatteringly crisp. Sliced and served over rice or noodles with plum sauce, it is the taste of Hong Kong’s roastContinue Reading
Salt and Pepper Tofu (椒盐豆腐) is a beloved Cantonese vegetarian classic — crispy golden cubes of tofu tossed with a fragrant salt-pepper mix, chili, and scallions. The exterior shatters, the interior stays silky, and the spicy-savory seasoning makes it dangerously snackable. Here is the restaurant method. Quick Answer: What isContinue Reading
Mei Cai Kou Rou (梅菜扣肉) is one of Cantonese cuisine’s most beloved comfort dishes — tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly layered with preserved mustard greens (mei cai), braised in a sweet-savory soy sauce until the flavors meld into pure umami. It is the centerpiece of festive Cantonese meals and a dishContinue Reading
Typhoon Shelter Crab (避风塘炒蟹) is one of Hong Kong’s most celebrated seafood dishes — whole crab deep-fried and tossed with a dramatic mountain of golden garlic crumbs, chili, and scallions. The name comes from the typhoon shelters of Victoria Harbour, where boat-dwelling cooks invented this style of cooking. It isContinue Reading
Wonton Noodle Soup (云吞面) is Cantonese cuisine’s most iconic noodle dish — springy egg noodles in a clear, golden broth topped with delicate shrimp-and-pork wontons. The three pillars of a great wonton noodle soup are: bouncy noodles, silky wontons, and a clean, sweet broth. Here is how to make itContinue Reading
Salt and Pepper Prawns (椒盐虾) is a Cantonese restaurant classic — plump prawns tossed in cornstarch and deep-fried until the shells are shatteringly crisp, then stir-fried with a fragrant mix of garlic, chilies, and the namesake salt and pepper seasoning. The shells become so crispy they are meant to beContinue Reading