Not all menus in Hong Kong have English descriptions, hence learning some Chinese characters can be useful. It is common that a shortened word is used, for example; 米 represents 米粉 mai fan (rice vermicelli).
Common ingredients
雞 gai (chicken) | 牛 ngau (beef) | 豬 chu (pork) | 鵝 ngo (goose) | 蟹 hai (crab) | 蝦 ha (prawn) | 魚 yue (fish) | 叉燒 char siu (barbecue pork) | 煙肉 yin yuk (bacon) | 火腿 fo tui (ham) | 餐肉 chan yuk (luncheon meat) | 豬軟骨 Soft pork bone (chu yuen guat) | 魚蛋 yue daan (Fish ball) | 鳳爪 fung jau (Chicken feet) | 蛋 daan (egg) | 飯 faan (rice) | 粥 juk (congee) | 麵 min (noodle) | 米 mai (rice vermicelli) | 河 ho (flat rice noodle) | 通 tung (macaroni) | 粉絲 fan si (Glass noodles) | 即食麵 jik sik min (instant noodles) | 丁 ding (Nissin instant noodles)
Cooking Methods
炒 chau (stir fried) | 煎 jin (pan-fried) | 蒸 jing (steamed) | 炸 zaa (deep-frid) | 焗 guk (baked) | 撈 lou (stirred) | 咖喱 ga lei (curry) | 鹵水 lou sui (braised) | 川椒 chuen jiu (Sichuan pepper) | 薑蔥 keong chung (ginger scallion) | 鐵板 tit paan (Hot plate)
Drinks
奶茶 naai cha (Milk tea) | 咖啡 ka fe (coffee) | 檸茶 ling cha (Lemon tea ) | 鴛鴦 Yuen yeung (coffee + tea) | 紅豆冰 hung dau bing (Red bean ice) | 熱 yit (hot) | 凍 dung (cold) | 走冰 jau ping (No ice) | 少冰 siu ping (Less ice) | 走甜 jau tim (No sugar) | 茶走 cha jau (Use condensed milk instead of evaporated milk)
Hong Kong Food Dishes
- 叉燒煎蛋飯 Char siu jin daan faan (Barbecue pork fried egg rice)
Char siu (叉燒) rice (飯) with fried egg (煎蛋)
- 雞扒即食麵 gai pa jik sik min (chicken chop instant noodles)
Chicken chop Instant noodles with fried egg is a common Hong Kong breakfast dish
- 乾炒牛河 gon caau ngau ho (stir-fry beef with flat rice noodles)
- 芝士焗豬排飯 ji si guk zyu paa faan (Cheese Baked pork chop rice)
- 火腿通 fo tui tung (macaroni soup with ham)
- 粟米肉粒飯 suk mai yuk lap fan (diced pork fillet with rice in corn sauce)
- 咖喱牛腩飯 ga lei ngau yuk fan (curry beef rice)
- 海南雞飯 hoi lam gai faan (Hainanese chicken rice)
- 銀芽肉絲炒麵 ngan nga yuk si chau min (Bean sprout shredded meat fried noodles)
- 鮮菌煎素鵝 xin khuan jin sou ngo (Fresh mushroom pan-fried vegetarian goose)
- XO醬薑葱焗肉蟹 XO jeong keong chung guk yuk hai (XO sauce ginger scallion baked meat crab)
- 瑞士雞翼 sui xi gai yik (Swiss Chicken wing)
- 蝦蒸蛋白 ha jing daan bak (Prawn steamed egg white)
- 煙肉春卷 (yin yuk chuen guen (Bacon spring rolls)
- 炒底 chau dai (white rice fried with egg)
Afternoon Tea/ Traditional Hong Kong Pastries
- 蛋撻 daan tat (Egg tart)
- 鹹蛋酥 ham daan sou (salted egg pastry)
- 老婆餅 lou poh peng (Wife biscuit) – Winter melon patry
- 鷄蛋仔 gai daan jai (Egg waffle)
- 西多士 sai do si (French toast)
- 菠蘿包, bolo bao (Pineapple bun) – This sweet buttery bun does not actually contain any pineapples. It gets its name from its pineapple-like crust on top.
- 缽仔糕 put jai gou (Red bean pudding/ Earthern bowl rice cake)
- 燒餅 siu peng (Glutinous rice pancake with red bean or peanut paste filling)
