"Life-changing": Chef Dan Hong meets the dedicated 'one dish' masters of Hong Kong's street food scene

The masters of Hong Kong’s street food scene, according to chef Dan Hong, are the humble working class folk who are dedicating their lives to making one specific dish, on repeat, day-in-day-out.

Executive chef and TV personality, Dan Hong discovers the street food scene in Hong Kong. Photo, The Streets Hong Kong courtesy of SBS.

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In the culinary paradise that is Hong Kong exists a street food scene that's upheld by humble cooking masters. These are the street vendors, factory owners and hard-working shop owners who are devoting their lives to making one key dish on repeat.

 

For these street food cooks – who roast pigs in sweltering, underground conditions, make fish balls by hand, or serve cart noodles to Hong Kong’s working-class – food isn’t just sustenance. Their time-honoured dishes represent life – theirs, their family’s and Hong Kong’s.

During the new SBS series, The Streets Hong Kong, executive chef Dan Hong meets many of these vendors who expertly make specialised dishes that hungry customers seek out every day.

If anything, this style of street food has even more soul because it’s made by people who specialise in continuing traditions.

“Some street food vendors in Hong Kong have dedicated their whole lives to creating a specific dish that they make day in and day out,” Hong tells SBS.

“We don't have that here in Australia. We don’t have a big culture of restaurants that have dedicated years of service to making just one type of food or dish – whether it’s noodles, a special dumpling or congee. That’s why street food in Hong Kong is so interesting and awesome. If anything, this style of street food has even more soul because it’s made by people who specialise in continuing traditions.”

The experience was life-changing.

When Dan Hong met Iron Man

Hong tells SBS one of his most memorable Hong Kong street food experiences took place at Red Seasons, which has the last remaining underground pig workshop.

It’s operated by a chef that locals call ‘Iron Man’ (because he must have iron skin to tolerate the heat) who has “dedicated his life to roasting pigs in an underground oven for the last 50 years”.

Here, whole pigs are hung in underground ovens heated to 300°C. The pigs are roasted using apple tree wood, which infuses the pigs with a smoked flavour. 

“The pork was super crispy, yet really smoky from the wood fire. It was among the most amazing Chinese roast pork dishes I’ve ever had."

Dan Hong scours the streets and markets of Hong Kong to meet the dedicated vendors who have devoted their lives to making traditional food. Photo of The Streets Hong Kong, courtesy of SBS.

Street food in Hong Kong has soul

As Hong tells SBS, street food in Hong Kong is different to what you'll find in other Asian destinations.

“In Hong Kong, when we say 'street food', we’re talking about traditional, old, small restaurants that specialise in certain dishes,” says Hong. "It doesn't just mean food sold on the streets, literally, but does include the food sold in shops, factories and small businesses that cater for the working class. They offer food for the blue-collar workers.

"Street food in Hong Kong is food that nourishes our souls. It’s the most accessible food, that we can all connect to.”

A perfect example of an iconic Hong Kong street food, eaten by millions of locals every day is the classic fish ball. In episode five of the series, Hong goes to Kowloon City to meet Master Lam, one of the few remaining people left in Hong Kong who still makes fish balls by hand.

“Master Lam has been making fish balls for over 60 years, and while he might not look as young as his painted image on the front of the store, he's still as passionate as ever,” Hong says in the show.

Street food in Hong Kong is food that nourishes our souls. It’s the most accessible food, that we can all connect to.

The Australian-based chef watches Master Lam make the balls and is blown away by his expertise and speed. “This is a master at work…[The fish balls] are delicious, and you can still taste that beautiful clean fish flavour. This could be the best fish ball I think I've ever had.”

Hong was introduced to other masters of their street food craft during the eight-part series, like the fourth-generation owner of the Kung Wo Beancurd Factory, which has specialised in bean curds since 1960.

He also visited Wing Nin Noodle, a shop that’s continuing the tradition of cart noodles – a legendary food that used to be sold by street vendors in Hong Kong in the 1950s. Were it not for Wing Nin Noodle and other shops like it, cart noodles may not exist in Hong Kong today.

“I am very familiar with Hong Kong but I’ve never really travelled to its depths, to see and hear the stories behind its factories and shops, or to eat historic street food dishes that I did in this series," Hong tells SBS.

“It was really inspiring to meet so many people who have dedicated their lives to continuing the food traditions of Hong Kong. The experience was life-changing.”