Dim Sum
You can't leave Hong Kong without trying dim sum. These light snaks, served for lunch or breakfast in local teahourse as well as fine restaurants, are a quintessential Hong Kong dinning experience. Usually served in steaming bamboo baskets, dim sum includes a variety of dumplings, buns an dpastries containing meat and vegetables, Chinese regional cuisines like Shanghainese and Chi Chow have their own dim sum specialities.
 
 

(A) Deep-fried taro rolls (stuffed with pork  and vegetables)   (B) Steamed harbecued pork bun   (C) Shrimp dumpling   (D) Meat dumpling   (E) Fried spring roll   Steamed rice flour rolls

 

Local favourites and snacks
Traditional Chinese "fast food" is noodles, dumplings and rice-based dishes served at street-side dai pai dongs, which range from permanent stalls to makeshift restaurants that sometimes pop up in the wee hours and disappear before dawn. If they look clean and the food appeals to you, give them a try. A popular choice is congee (rice porridge), which is served for breakfast or as a late-night snack and usually includes meat of fish and vegetables.
 

(A) Deep-fried e-fu noodles  (B) Rice noodle soup with fish ball  (C) Noodle soup with won ton or shrimp dumpling  (D) Deep fried dough  (E) Sliced fish congee

 

Cantonese
The most familiar Chinese dishes come from Cantonese cuisine, and Hong Kong is the world capital for this style of cooking since most residents trace their roots to Guangdong (Canton) Province. Freshness is key and most ingredients are imported daily. The cuisine is noted for fast cooking at high temperatures, such as steaming and stir-frying, which seal in flavours and leave vegetables crunchy and delicious.
 

(A) Assorted barbecued meats  (B) Crabmeat and sweet corn soup  (C) Sweet and sour pork  Roast chicken in red curd paste  Stir-fried broccoli with scallops

 

Chiu Chow
Seafood is the highlight of Chiu Chow cuisine from the coastal region of Guangdong. Sauces are often sweet, using tangerine or sweet beans for flavour. Chiu Chow chefs are particularly skilled at carving raw vegetables into designs, producing Hong Kong's "best-dressed" dishes. Duck and goose dishes are also recommended, and it's all washed down with strong kung fu tea (E), served in tiny but potent portion.
 

(A) Oyster pancake  (B) Fried chicken with chuenjew sauce  (C) Fired green kale with dried fish  (D) Sliced soyed goose  Shark's fin soup

 

Peking
Originating in the imperial courts of northern China, the food here tends to be strongly spiced with coriander, peppers and garlic. Noodles and dumplings are featured, instead of the typical southern staple of rice. Some Peking restaurant chefs treat you to a "noodle show" expertly tossing a lump of dough until it turns into strands of noodles -- a visual and culinary treat.
 

(A) Sizzling sauteed mutton with leeks  (B) Peking duck  (C) Stir-fried egg white  Sliced pork with garlic and chili saurce  Bean curd in casserole

 

Shanghainese
A blending of culinary styles from many provinces, cuisine from Shanghai is typically seasoned with sugar, soy sauce and Shaoxing wine -- a sweet and zesty combination. Portions are generous, sauces rich. Late autumn is the best time to try a Shanghainese speciality, freshwater hairy crabs, sent stright from mainland China.
 

(A) Steamed buns with minced pork filling  (B) Braised minced pork balls with vegetables  (C) "Drunken" chicken in rice wine marinade  Chicken soup with won ton in casserole  Tientsin cabbage with cream sauce

 

Szechuan
Bursting with flavour, Szechuan food includes some of the spiciest dishes in China. Common cooking methods include smoking and simmering, which allow peppers and aromatic seasonings time to infuse food with unforgettable tastes and aromas. Not all food is spicy. Dishes such as crispy beef deep-fried with tangy kumquat peel and duck smoked in camphor wood and tea leaves are recommended for any palate.
 

(A) Duck smoked in camphor wood and tea  (B) Double sauteed sliced pork with chill sauce  (C) Sour and peppery soup with shredded meat, vegetables and bean curd  Noodles in spicy soup  Sliced chicken with spicy sauce

 

Seafood
Hong Kong is a seafaring community by tradition, so seafood is a year-round favourite. Plentiful and delicious, live fish and shelfish are kept in tanks at many restaurants so freshness is guaranteed -- you can pick your own, or simply order and leave it to the chef. (Confirm the price before picking and avoid any that appear listless.) Restaurants in the New Territories and Outlying Islands are noted for their selection and variety of seafood cooked Cantonese style.
 

(A) Steamed garoupa  (B) Poached shrimp with chilli and soya sauce  Sauteed clams with black bean and chilli sauce  Lobster baked in chicken broth  Deep-fried oysters

 

How to use chopsticks
 

Holding one chopstick still in the thumb joint, use the thumb and first and second fingers to manipulate the top chopstick in a pincer movement.

 
 

Teas and desserts
Tea flows like water here. Grown in China for more than 2000 years, it's an indispensable part of Chinese dining and hospitality. Drinking Chinese tea cleans the palate, letting you savour subtle flavours and aiding digestion. Some teas are scented with jasmine, chrysanthemum, rose and narcissus petals to attain a delicate aroma. Tea is always taken without milk, sugar or lemon. The most popular brew in Hong Kong is bo lei (a black, highly fermented tea), though if you want a milder choice, request jasmine. Desserts are typically eaten with tea, so have room for tiny, sweet dishes -- puddings, fruit, pastries and sweet dumplings.
 

(A) Double-boiled papaya  (B) Egg custard tart  (C) Glutinous rice dumplings  (D) French toast  Sweet sago soup with fresh fruit