Chinese cuisine is one of the best cuisines in the world. Though Chinese restaurants mushroomed in the Philippines, it was my goal to eat authentic Chinese cuisine in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China.
The quest for authentic Chinese cuisine began as soon as night fell one cold December in Kowloon. The temperature dropped to 13 degrees celsius. Mama and I braved the chilling weather as we wandered along Woosung Street. A few blocks away from Evergreen Hotel, we found this shabby canteen where a lot of locals dine. The atmosphere was reminiscent of Binondo’s China Town. I didn’t get the name of the canteen. It was written in Chinese characters but it’s between the New Delhi and Indian Food Resto in Woosung.
The ‘Unnamed’ Canteen
At first, Mama was hesitant to give it a try but I said, “Locals eat here. Maybe, they serve delicious food.” And so we sat down at one of the chairs surrounding a round table. The staff handed us the menu–of course everything was written in their language. So we just pointed what we like: Sweet and Sour Pork and Yang Chow.
They first gave us a bowl of tea. I remembered J’s reminder: The tea is for washing the chopsticks and the utensils. It’s not for drinking. And so we rinsed the utensils with tea.
I was surprised when the staff served our orders. Wow! Large servings of Yang Chow and Sweet and Sour pork, which can be eaten by three to four people. It was a good decision to eat at that canteen. Their interiors and surroundings may not be high-class but the food was really good.
And so the bill came (drum roll please!)…70 HKD (1HKD= Php 6.00). It’s Php 420.00 for two viands. We could have just ordered the Yang Chow. Nonetheless, the stomachs were filled. Burp!
Delicious Cafe
The following night, we tried eating at Delicious Cafe beside Evergreen Hotel. Compared to the previous canteen, Delicious Cafe has a better ambiance. It’s also airconditioned. What I like about this restaurant was their set meal. The noodle soup is partnered with a drink. It’s affordable.
Mama ordered noodle soup fish fillet cutlet with scrambled egg and honeyed lemon tea while I ordered noodle soup with porkchop and milk tea. Milk tea is love 
sarap!
The fish fillet cutlet meal costs 25 HKD or Php 150.00 while the Porkchop meal costs 24HKD or Php 144.00
Another Noodle Eatery
During our last night in Kowloon, we decided to still eat noodles. After all, sipping soup in a cold night was satisfying. We went to Saigon St. corner Woosung Street where we found another eatery which signage was written in Chinese characters.
The area was smaller than the previous ones. The set-up of the tables and chairs was the usual that you’d see in an eatery.
Bowl of Noodles with Shrimp Worton- Price 15HKD or Php 90
Bowl of Noodles with beef brisket- Price: 19 HKD or Php 114.00
Honeyed Lemon tea- Price: 12HKD or Php 72.00
Vegetables (Blanched Green leafy veggies)- Price: 6 HKD or Php 36.00
Red Lemon Tea- Price 10 HKD or Php 60.00
The taste buds and the stomach were satisfied but the wallet was not. Yes, the food in Hong Kong was not cheap. Nonetheless, I enjoyed every bit of our quest for the authentic Chinese cuisine.
Travel Notes:
- To save on food, eat as much as you can in your hotel during breakfast. Fortunately, Evergreen Hotel serves buffet breakfast so we made our breakfast as brunch.
- Hawker Food and cheap eateries can be found at Temple Street, Jordan near the night market.
- Don’t compute HKD to Philippine Pesos if you don’t want to worry about the prices that you’re eating. Just enjoy the meal. And when you get home, that’s the time you compute. Just like what I did now. hahaha
Most Affordable- Lolo Nonoy’s Food Station
The burger was worth the 20-minute wait. When the waiter delivered the TRIPLE X, I couldn’t help but salivate. The TRIPLE X costs 305 pesos and is good for 2-3 servings. 
From Paoay, the group headed to Batac, where we had our breakfast. Ilocos Empanada and Miki. 
