Stre­et Snacks
Hong Kong is the gateway to snack attack heaven

Keep a hungry eye open and you can find all kinds of snacks on the streets of Hong Kong – not only local but others that will remind overseas palates of home cooking as well. And if you have an adventurous tongue, it is easy to nibble on a different country’s snacks every day – delicacies from Ireland to Mainland China and everywhere in between, Hong Kong sells them all in the streets of Mong Kok and Causeway Bay, where people never get tired of strolling on them. It is getting so hard not to eat between meals!

If you have any doubts about Ireland’s love of potatoes, take a quick look at the wall of Ireland’s Potato (Shop A, 518 Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay, 2151 0889). There you will find an Irish proverb warning against joking about only two things – marriage and potatoes. Hong Kong people may not be that partial to the spud, but can still claim their own kind of love for it. Potatoes here mean large fries with specialty sauces, including special cheese ($30), sour cream ($25), and meat sauce ($25). Or you could pass over the sauces and go instead for something more spicy like plum pepper, nori powder, garlic powder or curry powder (all $18). Other choices are Dublin delicacies such as potato skins ($15 for two), potato balls ($20), fried cheese sticks ($20) and more. The little shop provides takeaways only but purchase any soft drink and it’s free flowing (you can even try that with yesterday’s cup...).

Just a few steps away you can find international flavours wrapped as Japanese snacks! The Taiyaki (83 Matheson Street. Causeway Bay, 2882 6060) sells fish-shaped waffles, a traditional Japanese snack. But in a new twist the shop stuffs them with ingredients from around the world, instead of the usual adzuki bean paste or plain custard. Waffle batter is cooked in a hot metal fish mould and filled with a variety of stuffings such as cheese, onion, tomato and sausage for an Italian treat; sausage, onion and bacon for a German delicacy; cinnamon, apple and custard for a French apéritif; and curry with cheese for Indian, keema style. One costs $15, three $40.

If you are looking for the more authentic Japanese snacks, try Gindaco (40 Shandong Street, Mong Kok, 2151 0902) which sells takoyaki balls ($18 for four pieces, $36 for 10) – spheres of octopus topped with mayonnaise and shaved dried squid. The restaurant also has new combinations from time to time; currently it‘s offering shrimp balls with thousand-island dressing ($20 for four, $38 for 10). Grab a stall seat, and you’ll get a close-up look at how the chefs mould the octopus or shrimp pieces into the balls while you enjoy
your snacks.

You won’t find moretraditional Chinese folk snacks thanthose at Man Ka Clay Oven Rolls (Shop S9, 43 Dundas Street, Mong Kok, 2332 5833). A signature snack is the Chinese pizza ($10), a thin crust of dough topped with pork, but they say ‘Chinese doughnuts’ sell the best – these are small doughnut nuggets on a stick topped with a special sauce ($5). Bigger doughnuts with meat floss are also available ($4) and once in a while Man Ka gets creative with Chinese ingredients like salted veggies, Chinese pastry, shredded meat, etc – you may discover a new kind of pie next time you visit the eatery.

Not all snack shops have a sophisticated kitchen like Man Ka, but many still manage to make attractive goodies. Mong Kok Snacks (Shop 6, 55 Dundas Street, Mong kok) has a very simple stall – it doesn’t even boast a phone! The eatery’s greatest asset is their big fryer – but that is more than enough to steam pork dumplings and pan-fry buns (both at $10 for three pieces). The cooks don’t deviate much from those two but queues appear every 10 minutes, the time needed for dumplings and buns to turn golden. No doubt the wait plays some part in enhancing the eventual flavour.

New Openings

Pomodoro (G/F, 44 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, 2865 0681) offers authentic Italian food. From the a la carte menu, there are hot and cold antipasti ($68 to $158), dry and homemade pastas ($88 to $148), meat and fish dishes ($168 to $218) and desserts (all $58), or set menu of $128 + 10% s/c at lunch.

D17 Seafood Bar & Grill (17/F, Continental Diamond Plaza, 525 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, 3907 0090) has an elegant interior with paintings, velvet continental chairs and open kitchen. Delicacies include ice hot abalone ($138), raw botan prawn on side of seafood jelly ($128). Casa Fina Seafood & Oyster Bar (13/F, Henry House, 40-42 Yun Ping Rd., Causeway Bay, 2504 2928) has a big focus on oysters, importing them freshly from the US, Ireland, France and New Zealand ($35 to $80). Seafood platter ($588 for 2 persons) is also recommended.

Family Fun
Lan Kwai Fong Carnival 2008 will be held on Wo On Lane with performances and activities from 12:30pm till late on October 25 and 26. Meanwhile, restaurants nearby will join with Children’s Lunch Menus (all at $130 + 10%). California Restaurant & Bar (G/F, 30-32 D’Aguilar Street, Central, 2521 1345), Lux Restaurant & Bar (UG/F, 30-32 D’Aguilar Street, Central, 2868 9538), Baci (2/F, 1 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, 2801 5885), The Lemongrass (3/F, California Tower, 30-32 D’Aguilar Street, Central, 2905 1688) will host games along with kid’s menu of hot dogs, spaghetti bolognaise, prawn fried rice, etc. Baci Pizza (1/F, 1 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, 2840 0153)will let kids make pizzas with their parents. The pizzas will cost $350 + 10% for one adult and one kid, $250 net for an extra person. For details and reservations, call each restaurant.

Halloween Goodies
A Touch of Spice (1/F, 10 Knutsford Terrace, Tsimshatsui, 2312 1118), Heaven on Earth (Basement of Century Square, 1-13 D’Aguilar Street, Central, 2537 8083; G/F and 1/F, Knutsford Terrace, Tsimshatsui, 2367 8428), Club Havana (3/F, 10 Knutsford Terrace, Tsimshatsui, 2312 6565), Merhaba Turkish Restaurant (G/F, 12 Knutsford Terrace, Tsimshatsui, 2367 2263), Balalaika Russian Restaurant (2/F, 10 Knutsford Terrace, Tsimshatsui, 2312 6222; M/F, LKF Tower, 55 D’ Aguilar Street, Central, 3579 2929) and The Yuu (4/F, Prosperous Centre, 1 Knutsford Terrace, Tsimshatsui , 2366 2999) will all be offering special Halloween menus. Festive food includes Halloween pumpkin curry seafood ($138), strained eyeballs ($60), human pork chop buns ($45) and more. Regal Kowloon Hotel (Montparnasse Room, 2/F Regal Kowloon Hotel, 71 Mody Road Tsimshatsui, 2313 8671) is introducing a “Haunting Castle” Halloween Theme Dinner, on October 24 to 26 and 29 to 31. Four persons or above are welcome (adults: $280, child: $200, both subjected to 10% s/c).

King Bakery (G/F, Thyrse House, 16 Pottinger Street, Central, 2868 1557; 2/F, Citic Tower, 1 Tim Mei Avenue, Admiralty, 2877 0084) has prepared ‘bat tarts’($5) to go with the Halloween fun. The bat tarts have cocoa powder sprinkled on top of smooth egg custard. You can even get a pair of witch chopsticks for any purchase of $30.
The goodies are limited till November 16.