After going to the Night Market in Richmond the other night, I missed my hometown of Hong Kong, very much. That’s why I’ve decided to share some of my memorable experiences with you.

A beautiful city, Hong Kong. Photographed by Dan Chui.

Hong Kong has many territories, and I am going to talk about a not very populated place called Yuen Long. There is nothing much to do in Yuen Long. I mean you can possibly go to this wetland (I’ve never been), but the main purpose for me going to Yuen Long is for the food.

Whether you visit the wetland or not, I highly advise that you have lunch in this must-go-restaurant when you are in Yuen Long. You see in Hong Kong, most of the yummiest food you can find is not in glamorous places, instead it tends to be somewhere not very clean and without the greatest service. However, if you are like me, you do not care about these things, rather about the quality of the food. And that is exactly what I hope to steer you towards.

This particular restaurant is popular for their beef balls. Their beef balls are freshly made everyday, which makes them very chewy. Whenever I go there, I always want a second bowl after my first one. because I just love the gummy-ness of the beef balls. I love that Dad always has the same idea, so we can just order bowls of beef balls. (I must say my big stomach probably comes from him.) Oh, and I’ve gotta mention the soup too. The soup is so rich and full of green onion, making it extra tasteful. Due to the price (very cheap), there is always a long line up. I have not been there for a while now, so I am not sure if it is still the same, but I sure do hope so.

Gummy beef balls! Photographed by @morethanreal.

After a simple lunch, it’s time for a small snack! This is something you really cannot miss, because it is widely known as a favourite place for treats from this famous bakery in Yuen Long. I usually get something called Sweetheart Cake (Click to read about its origin and learn why this cake has such a name). The cake is relatively sticky and sweet; however, the outer layer is quite crispy. I am sure anyone, including kids, will like this because it is so soft, and it comes in two different sizes: small and regular. Last year my Dad brought a few boxes back to Singapore for his co-workers, and all of them liked it. If you are thinking that my Dad was generous, you would not believe the woman who stood next to us. She basically bought like more than ten boxes (I am not kidding). It was so cheap, making it such a great little gift for friends.

Sweetheart Cake is known as Wife Cake in Cantonese. Photographed by Michael Saechang.

For dinner, I discovered this restaurant when I was living in Yuen Long. (I still go there every time when I am in Hong Kong despite how long it takes to get there.)  Just looking from the street into the restaurant, you might not want to walk in, and sometimes you might need to just sit outside without any air-conditioning. However, if my sister, who cannot stand it when her plate has a spot, is willing to eat there, you can imagine how great their food is. It’s definitely a dinner spot as it doesn’t open until 4 pm.  To avoid the crowds, I’m advising that you show up much later.

Without looking at the menu, all of us know exactly what we want each time (because we just order the same dishes every time). Here is the list:

1) Chicken congee – this is a must try, because it is so different from what you have had. Plus, it comes in a hotpot. The taste of the chicken is just so fresh and tasty. I can even taste the green onion in the congee; it is just a perfect match!

2) Deep-fried fish balls – they are not the typical fish balls, but made with a different kind of fish. However, not everyone will like this taste, such as my sister.

3) Deep-fried pigeon – not everyone would think that this is normal, but as someone once said the Cantonese will eat everything that can move, so how can you blame us? Do not be embarrassed, but use your hands to dig in to eat this one! Just watch out for the hot juice to splash out when you bite into it.

Looks yum? I would say so.

You can obviously eat more than that, and my list is not that short. However, these three things are something I highly recommend. I am sure you will leave with satisfaction, because it should only cost you around 200 HK dollars (30 CDN). Oh and remember to leave some room in your stomach and go to the store located next door for dessert.

I was too full after dinner, so this was my take-out!

The dessert store is very well-known in Hong Kong. I remember I saw a pair of popular couples eating there with their caps on. Even some Hong Kong artists are risking their chances to be recognized with no make-up to eat there, so it must be yummy. But, do not be worried about finding seats, because the store is huge. Not only does it have a large capacity, it has a long menu. It has a variety of choices. You will have a huge headache just from reading through the menu, because you will want to try every one of them. However, for me, I just know what I want – a cold black sticky rice (photo above). It is not sticky at all; instead it is liquid, just like a typical Chinese sweet soup.

This will definitely be a great way to wrap up your day: with a fulfilled stomach and a few pounds to carry after the whole trip.