When I last visited Hong Kong with my family as a young girl, I vividly recall how overwhelming the city was compared to our farm in outback Australia. The bustling streets were ablaze with neon lights stacked on top of buildings in decorative Chinese script. Nothing was legible to our Western eyes, and it felt fabulously foreign, and exotic.
The majestic harbour was filled with junk boats and huge red sails. Laundry hung precariously from the sides of tallish buildings, and wafting smells of street cafes and roadside food stalls filled the air.
Much has changed since then. Everything is magnified – the skyscrapers are bigger, the architecture is bolder, the shops are mega malls filled with luxury brands and in step with the faster pace, the harbour has the Star Ferry with no sampans in sight.
Fortunately, you no longer land in the city centre of Kowloon where the old airport was once situated, and as I recall made for a steep and challenging descent with high rises and surrounding mountains seemingly within reach of the plane’s wings.
What hasn’t changed is the fabulous food scene. It’s just got better, and this time I experienced first-hand how varied Chinese cuisine is, especially compared to the sadly limited variety we satisfy ourself with in Australia.
As the late American celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain once said: “I’m constantly asked, ‘What’s the greatest food city in the world?’ And I always say that no one can say you’re wrong if you say Hong Kong.”
During my five-day food trip of Hong Kong and China; I tried eight cuisines, visited wet markets, ancient temples and museums, toured the Lee Kum Kee soy sauce and oyster sauce factory, had a feast at two of Hong Kong and China’s most renowned restaurants, and was given a lesson in Cantonese cooking.
The experience has made me reframe the way I view Chinese cuisine. It’s not the same dishes we grew up on; namely lemon chicken, honey prawns and Mongolian lamb. It’s much more bountiful and diverse. Even the the way you eat food varies enormously, be it wok fried dishes spinning around a Lazy Susan, a do it yourself hot pot or banquet style. The other revelation is how many sauces are available to create these taste sensations. There’s Light soy sauce, Supreme, Gluten free, Sweet and even Supreme Authentic First Draw Reduced. Who knew?
Day One: Dai Pai Dong Delight
On the first day, our culinary adventure began at a Dai Pai Dong on Ma Hang Chung Road, Hong Kong. In the past these were typically open-air food stalls and were a cherished part of the city’s dining culture, serving up affordable and tasty dishes. Nowadays, Dai Pai Dong’s are vanishing quickly with only 17 remaining in Hong Kong. There’s a deep sense of sadness about this and I can understand why. Our restaurant was indoors and brimming with people, giving it a loud and fun atmosphere. Like us, the locals were enjoying wok-fried meals, drunken chicken and soup topped with fried eggs and spam, all in a lively, neon-lit setting reminiscent of bygone days.
Day Two: Lee Kum Kee Factory Tour & Cantonese Cuisine
We travelled from Hong Kong to the Lee Kum Kee production base in Xinhui, Guangdong, China, crossing the breathtaking 55km Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. The tour of their spotless, sprawling operation was fascinating, offering insights into the company’s rich history.
First impressions of the Lee Kum Kee factory is its vast size, that and the pride of the staff. The sixth-generation family owned, Lee Kum Kee is one of the most successful companies in the world, producing over 300 soy sauces and oyster sauces, oils, and marinades across five continents. In fact, if you peep into your cupboard, it would be unusual if you don’t have at least three or more of their products. Go check.
The family empire was built on the accidental discovery of oyster sauce in 1888. The now legendary story goes that Lee Kum Sheung created his own Oyster Sauce when he left a pot of oyster soup on simmer for so long that it eventually turned into a thick brown paste, making the first Lee Kum Kee Oyster Sauce.
Lee Kum Kee Fun Facts
With headquarters in Hong Kong, China and five other production bases across China, the US and Malaysia, Lee Kum Kee’s Xinhui factory is the firm’s largest worldwide and is the first in the global fermented food industry to earn LEED Platinum certification.
Surveying giant 3,000 soy sauce tanks is impressive but they were not exclusive to us. The production plant attracts many tourists and school children every year, all keen to witness first-hand how their favourite soy sauce is made.
Personally, I’ve always believed a company’s values is what sets good businesses apart, and I loved reading a sign at the factory which outlined the core values of Lee Kum Kee which reads:
“The success of Lee Kum Kee is attributed to its corporate culture of staying firm to the core values of “Pragmatism, Integrity, Constant Entrepreneurship, Si Li Ji Ren (Considering Others’ Interests) Benefitting the Community and Sharing Fruits of Success”.”
Following the tour, we were shown how to choose soy sauce, which I’ll be sharing in an upcoming story, along with some of Australia’s MasterChef finalist Declan Cleary’s recipes. Declan, who joined us on the trip, is a Lee Kum Kee Ambassador in Australia, and his enthusiasm for Asian cuisine is infectious.
That evening, we dined at Suiyi Garden Gardens in Foshan, where Master Chef Tan Guohui treated us to a meal which will remain etched in my mind. The lacquered duck and seafood dishes, all made with Lee Kum Kee sauces, were a revelation, showcasing the exquisite flavours of Cantonese cuisine. Tan also gave us a private tour of his kitchen which feeds 2,000 guests a day.
Day Three: Cultural Exploration and Hot Pot Dinner
Our third day included a visit to the Ancestral Temple of Foshan and the Kungfu Culture Museum, immersing us in the region’s rich heritage. Foshan was the quietest city I’ve ever visited and the reason why dawned on me when I realised that the two main modes of transport are electric cars and bicycles. After lunch, we returned to Hong Kong for a hotpot dinner at Causeway Bay. This is a fabulous immersive way to dine, with its simmering broth and raw ingredients, and is a beloved tradition in both Hong Kong and China.
Day Four: Market Tour, Soy Sauce Banquet, and Culinary Institute
Day Four began with a tour of Tai Po Hui Market, a bustling hub of fresh produce and local delicacies including spices, dried meats, condiments, seafood, meat, and poultry including chicken feet and the odd pig’s head.
Next we visited Lee Kum Kee’s Hong Kong headquarters for a Soy Sauce banquet. This was no ordinary meal. It included Quail eggs, Crab-stuffed Soy Sauce Roll, steamed Grouper with dried tangerine with noodles, Clay Pot Rice with Chinese Sausages, Red braised Pork Belly finished off with soy sauce seaweed ice-cream and sesame rolls. Incredibly each dish featured a different Lee Kum Kee product, elegantly showing off the huge range of sauces and condiments used in Chinese cooking and the diversity of their products. It was a generous welcoming indeed, and another experience of Chinese hospitality where an occasion to eat is also a cause for celebration.
In the afternoon, we attended a cooking course at the prestigious Chinese Culinary Institute, gaining some inspiration from the top chef Leung Ho Yin who demonstrated how to steam white fish, create fragrant salads, and the art of carving carrots to decorate the plate.
As if my taste buds hadn’t been spoiled enough, the day concluded with a sumptuous dinner at the most awarded Chinese restaurant in the world, Mott 32, where Franco Yuen (who trained at the Chinese Culinary Institute) impressed us with his 42-day Apple Wood Roasted Peking Duck regarded the best in Hong Kong along with the char siu pork that will remain yet another incredible food memory for years to come.
Day Five: Dim Sum Cruise and Cultural Immersion
Our final day started with a visit to the Hong Kong Palace Museum in West Kowloon, followed by a relaxing cruise aboard the wooden sailing boat, Aqua Luna. This 75-minute journey offered stunning views of Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour, while we savoured exquisite dim sum creations.
It would be impossible to really sum up this five-day gastronomic journey through Hong Kong and China without mentioning the kindness of our hosts from Lee Kum Kee: Dodie Hung, Wilson Lam, and Alice Zhong, Lydia and Ro, who not only shared their cuisine and culture with us, but gave us a deeper appreciation of Chinese cuisine.
As I waited for my flight to Sydney, you’d imagine it impossible to even think about eating another morsel of food. All I can say is that Hong Kong airport eateries are really, really good. So, I ordered my last meal – roast goose. Not something I normally eat and certainly not at an airport.
And I am certain if Anthony Bourdain was alive, he’d agree it was a good move. Anthony once said, “Yeah, I like pork, and I know I talk about it a lot and how it’s wonderful and how it’s, like, the best thing ever. But in fact, in fact, the best thing ever is actually goose.”
And so it is, and many Chinese people would agree.
