Most Instagram – Friendly Dishes in Hong Kong
Andrea Lo
Ever seen a group of Hong Kong diners huddled over their food, each with their smartphones raised before them? Yes, in this town, your camera eats first. And with so many beautifully presented dishes, how could you resist? Check out some of Hong Kong’s most Instagrammable dishes below – and we challenge you to not touch your iPhone once. Go on, just think about all those “likes”…
Hot custard buns, Yum Cha
These adorable buns have taken Hong Kong foodies’ Instagram accounts by storm. The brainchild of the folks behind trendy dim sum restaurant Yum Cha, the bestselling custard lava buns are supposed to be squeezed until its fillings explode for maximum effect (and for social media currency). Even if you’re not into food photography, it’s hard to resist taking a snap of these sweet morsels.
Wagyu beef boat noodles, Samsen
This flavoursome bowl of goodness, consisting of al dente noodles in a super-thick broth with plenty of juicy, tender beef, comes courtesy of Thai restaurant Samsen. It’s hard enough to resist this fragrant dish as it is, and with such an awesome presentation, we wouldn’t blame you for snapping the hell out of this dish before digging in.
Mapo burrata, Second Draft
Tai Hang eatery Second Draft specialises in unique fusion offerings, and the mapo burrata is such one pick. Inspired by mapo tofu, an unforgivingly spicy dish from China’s Sichuan province, this creation uses a ball of burrata in place of tofu. The result? A exquisitely presented dish that takes the east-meets-west thing to a whole new level.
Dessert tray, La Vache
La Vache was one of the first to bring the single-item menu trend to Hong Kong, and on it you’ll find Parisian-style steak frites. Truth be told, it’s not quite the only thing on there: the SoHo restaurant’s dessert tray is to die for, too. A colourful collection of delicious sweet treats, the dessert tray boasts the likes of tarte tatin, profiteroles and Hong Kong crowd favourite, millefeuille, which consists of layers and layers of delicate pastry between cream and caramel. Snap away.
Rendang bao, Mrs Pound
Hipster favourite Mrs Pound is not just known for its highly Instagrammable decor (it’s a speakeasy-like joint disguised as a Chinese stamp shop with a secret button that you press for entry). The Southeast Asian-inspired bites here will have you snapping away from all angles before taking a bite. Spicy Malay dish beef rendang is wrapped up in a bun, stamped with a Mrs Pound chop, and served inside a mini steamer basket. What’s not to love?
Andrea Lo is a freelance journalist and translator based in Hong Kong. After cutting her teeth in the industry as a staff writer at a lifestyle magazine, she embraced the freelance life in 2015 and hasn’t looked back. She spends her time exploring the best of Hong Kong’s dining and nightlife scene, trialling new fitness trends, and travelling to exotic locales – all in the name of “research”.