Lonely Planet World Food Hong Kong (Lonely Planet World Food Guides) (Paperback)

~ Richard Sterling (Author), Elizabeth Chong (Author) "Hong Kong is more than a Special Administrative Region, it is a process in which things are changed, enriched, even sundered..." (more)
Key Phrases: yum cha houses, wok chi, dai pai dong, Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui, Lan Kwai Fong (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Hong Kong cuisine is the world in your mouth. Emperors, colonialists, sailors and stylists have all brought ingredients to this culinary microcosm. And in turn Hong Kong has given the world the flavors of the orient, the occident and all in between. On yum cha trolleys, at chic bars and in this guide you’ll taste the invention and innovation of Hong Kong. So whether you crave Peking duck, snake soup or high tea, Hong Kong cuisine will surprise and delight.

• includes a culinary tour of Macau
• the essential guide to the culture of food & drink in Hong Kong
• markets & shopping in Hong Kong’s hidden alleyways
• celebrating moon festivals & appeasing hungry ghosts
• the definitive culinary dictionary, a quick reference glossary and useful phrases for every food & drink occasion
• tantalizing photography and recipes

From the Publisher

Lonely Planet’s "World Food Hong Kong" provides detailed maps, delicious recipes and detailed accounts of rituals and customs so that anyone can infuse the flavor of Hong Kong into their own kitchen.

• includes a culinary tour of Macau • the essential guide to the culture of food & drink in Hong Kong • markets & shopping in Hong Kong’s hidden alleyways • celebrating moon festivals and appeasing hungry ghosts • the definitive culinary dictionary, a quick reference glossary and useful phrases for every food and drink occasion • tantalizing photography and recipes

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; illustrated edition edition (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1864502886
• ISBN-13: 978-1864502886
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 4.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #699,161 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lonely Planet World Food Hong Kong, September 14, 2001

By	Jeremy Emmerson "GlobalChefs" (Austin) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Back in 1991 I set off for a twelve-month global journey. With me I had a few essentials, money, clothes, my wife and a collection of Lonely Planet Travel Guide Books. After a few weeks in India we found that the books were as essential to our survival as food and water. We went on to use the Lonely Plant Guide Books (or the LP as we termed them) though out Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, North American, Canada and Mexico. Sometimes our travels would be so fast and furious that we would not read about our next destination until we had arrived the town's bus depot. We grew to love and trust the LP - it never let us down. As you might imagine I was therefore thrilled to receive their latest departure in to travel writing "World Food Hong Kong ". Furiously I dived in to its pages. When I saw that pocket size book was written by Richard Sterling a guy who would - quote " go anywhere and court any danger for the sake of a good meal" I new I would be in for an interesting literary adventure.
Richard Sterling's other titles include; Dining With Headhunters; The Fearless Dinner; and the award wining Travelers' Tale. His much-applauded writing has won him praise from The James Beard Foundation and kudos from the Lowell Thomas awards.
The book 's contents are broken down fourteen chapters -
World Food Hong Kong starts with the essential aspect of understanding the domains cuisine culture. Sterling enlightens us on the island's history, flavors and influences. My learning began. It would seem that Hong Kong's cuisine is a melting pot of the nations tastes with the addition European influences; olive oil, ketchup and asparagus all worked themselves in to the fabric of the island's "local" cooking.
Staples and specialties are next; rice, noodles, tofu, meat, sauces flavorings - the list continues as do the lessons. We all know that in 1295 Marco Polo introduced the noodle to Italy but did you know he made his mark on the Chinese too; he introduced the kiss? The content continues with Drinks, Home Cooking, and Celebrating with Food. Food as Medicine is where I must pause to narrate. Sterling reminds us that the Chinese believe that "food, medicine and health are all part of the same continuum. This is derived from the Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang, which applies as much to human health as it does to the cosmos. When all in the universe is in its proper balance, harmony reigns. But in a condition of imbalance, we risk ill health, misfortune violence and destruction. Lesson: Seek balance!" If you are seeking balance try the Yin Yang soup or if you are feeling peaky there is always the Lizard soup chicken and cloud fungus.
Seeking knowledge of unusual foods? Then move to the next chapter "The Bold Palate". These are foods for the brave. How about preserved eggs, snake or baby mouse wine? That is right the wine is made by preserving still-suckling baby mice in rice wine. Apparently this is jolly good for rejuvenating the body's organs. For those who have survived the journey thus far normality is ahead. Shopping and Markets, where to Eat and Drink, Understanding the Menu and a modest Recipe Section are all a great read. The where to eat chapter covers the complete dining gambit from the very upmarket Peninsular to low down street food and must try dim sum.
For the gourmet traveler the book finishes with a handy English to Cantonese culinary dictionary a must have for those who want to appear to know their jellyfish from their junk food.
As I close I am relived to say the Lonely Planet does it again, a captivating unpretentious little book, nit just physically but also financially suited for anyone's pocket. - Written By Jeremy Emmerson GobalChefs

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a helpful and fun book, even if u dont plan adventure-eating, September 12, 2002

By	Larry Mark "editor of MyJewishBooks.com" (nyc) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

... This is an informative and enjoyable book, and lets you delve into Hong Kong culture and eating culture in a way the other books don't. The inside cover has a quick reference of several Cantonese terms in English and Chinese characters, including counting numbers and the very important "ngoh5 hei6 sou3 xig6 ge3" (I am a vegetarian). The book closes with over 50 pages of Cantonese phrases (including "I am ill", "I am pissed", "I want to throw up", and "Thank you, that was delicious"; a glossary of foods and terms; and a Hong Kong culinary dictionary (explains the main ingredients and cooking method). Each transliterated word is coded with the proper intonation, distilled into 6 basic tones. There are 200 beautifully photographed pages of places to eat (from concept to neon to mobile dai pai dong, to street restaurants); a discussion of the banquet; and analyses of staples, such as soups and noodles, rices and meats, and sauces. There are sections on shopping, picnics, utensils, medicinal foods, and "chinese table rules" (no vertical chopsticks please).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eating in Hong Kong, July 3, 2006

By	a person "who loves to cook" (CO United States) - See all my reviews

Last year when we headed out to Hong Kong, I was surprised to see this food guide. Since I am very familiar with Cantonese food, I was interested to see how Hong Kong might differ from New York City, Los Angeles, or Vancouver. This guide was incredibly helpful in describing not only the different foods available in different areas but the customs of eating and what we would see. Where my husband has often considered hotel food to be surprisingly mediocre, in Hong Kong, we were told to go to hotel restaurants. The rent is so high that the restaurant's in hotels essentially are subsidized for their space and therefore some of the best dining experiences can be found in hotels. But I digress. This is not an expensive guide and definitely worth the money for the amount of familiarization it provides.