Dai Pai Dong

A Hong Kong food legend

So you want to try real Hong Kong street food?
It doesn't get any more genuine than this!

A dai pai dong is a sort of open-air food stall that used to be a mainstay in the streets of Hong Kong. It offers fast and easy local food at wallet-friendly prices. Through the years, they have fed generations of locals, but now there are fewer and fewer that remain.

History

The name means "big plate stall" and came from a particular type of restaurant license plate that allowed the holder to operate a stall. The license was created after WWII as a means of survival for the families of the many people who died.

The food stalls became very popular and were found all over Hong Kong. With plastic chairs and folding tables crowding out into the open streets and the cheapest, simplest food possible, the locals used to frequent these places all the time for cheap and fast food. In fact, they are still very popular with their customers.

However, as the years have gone by, the authorities have become increasingly concerned that there might be health problems involved with the restaurant hygiene and they have encouraged the shops to close down or to improve their standards. Of course, the post-war generation that originally ran the stalls is passing on as well.

But with time, Hong Kong people have also become wealthier and perhaps their tastes have gravitated towards more expensive food. Chain store type cha chaan tengs in particular are popping up everywhere around town, with a lot in common with fast food restaurants from the west. They do not have the same feeling, and they are typically more expensive too.

Either way, the number of dai pai dongs has dwindled over time, to the disappointment of many locals who see it as an important institution in Hong Kong food tradition. Still, there are a few left. The official licensed ones are mostly found in the districs of Central and Sham Shui Po, but many food outlets around Hong Kong actually adopt a similar style. Even if they are not quite as "ghetto", humble eateries are common all around the city.

On the menu

Going for simplicity, these places are not air-conditioned and offer low-price classics of Hong Kong food like:

noodle soups and bowls of rice, with or without cuts of roasted meat

To be honest, these restaurants are not really tourist attractions, so be prepared that the staff may be a bit confused that you show up and that they may not speak much English.

Do not worry though, you will be fine. In a worst-case scenario, in Hong Kong there are always more places where you can get food nearby.

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