HONG KONG · MONG KOK & YAU MA TEI

Mong Kok & Yau Ma Tei Route

Mong Kok, its signs blotting out the sky, and Yau Ma Tei, lit by the Temple Street night market. Charcoal claypot rice, skewered curry fish balls, egg waffle straight off the iron, Australia Dairy's steamed milk, stinky tofu in the street, and typhoon-shelter crab. A Hong Kong route through street food, evening into night.

🚇 MTR Mong Kok & Yau Ma Tei🚶 ~150 min on foot🍽 6 dishes

What Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei are

Mong Kok is a Kowloon quarter known for one of the highest population densities on earth. Signs crowd out over the streets, and the Ladies' Market and Sai Yeung Choi Street pack stalls and shops without a gap. South lies Yau Ma Tei, where the Temple Street night market rises after dark. That street of fortune-tellers, dai pai dong and stalls is the Hong Kong old-town night itself. Shopping and clamour by day, the smell of stalls and cooking by night. Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei are a stretch where the city's food is packed at ground level.

What to eat at the market

Street food takes the lead. Curry fish balls on a bamboo skewer are the walking staple, the heat chosen at the stall. Egg waffle baked in an iron mould is the Hong Kong waffle — crisp outside, airy within. As night deepens, gather at the street tables of Temple Street over charcoal claypot rice and typhoon-shelter crab fragrant with fried garlic. Strong-smelling stinky tofu is a plate worth trying once on this street. For something sweet, there is the smooth steamed milk of Australia Dairy. You pair the light one-handed bites with a plate to settle into, along the flow of the night.

How to walk this route

Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei come into their own from evening into night. Starting from Mong Kok station, thread the stalls of Sai Yeung Choi Street and the Ladies' Market, head south, and make for Temple Street in Yau Ma Tei. The night market lights up after dark, and claypot rice and dai pai dong grow livelier the later it gets. Most stalls are cash only (Hong Kong dollars), signs mostly in traditional Chinese. Dishes like typhoon-shelter crab are market price, so check before ordering. It is crowded and full of hot fried and charcoal food, so it's safer to step aside than to eat walking. Hours are a guide; confirm on the spot.

Route map

Mong Kok Stn → Ladies' Market & Sai Yeung Choi St → Temple St (night market & street food)　·　numbers match the dishes below

The dishes on this route (6)

Tap through to each shop and dish

飯1RiceTemple St Claypot Rice Stall×Claypot Rice煲仔飯Rice cooked in an unglazed clay pot, topped with lap cheong sausage or bone-in chicken and left to steam. When it arrives you pour on sweet soy and stir it through, down to the crust (fan jiu) at the bottom. It cooks slowly, so you order once seated and wait. Best eaten on the street tables of Temple Street on an autumn or winter night.Nearest MTR Yau Ma Tei, Exit CPrice ~HK$60 串2SnacksMong Kok Fish Ball Stall×Curry Fish Balls咖喱魚蛋Yellow fish balls on a bamboo skewer, coated in curry sauce and handed over. The balls are springy and light, the sauce a mix of sweet and hot. You can adjust the heat — ask for laat and it lingers on your lips. One skewer as you walk, said to be the taste of a Hong Kong schooldays, the classic snack.Nearest MTR Mong Kok, Exit E2Price ~HK$15 甘3SweetsMong Kok Egg Waffle Stall×Egg Waffle雞蛋仔Batter poured into an iron mould of hemispherical dimples, grilled on both sides over charcoal or a griddle. Fresh, the outside is crisp and the little balls inside are airy and hollow, sweet with the scent of egg. You tear it off one bead at a time. Matcha and chocolate versions have grown, but plain (yuan mei) shows the aroma best.Nearest MTR Mong Kok, Exit E2Price ~HK$25 甘4SweetsAustralia Dairy Company×Steamed Milk & Scrambled Egg Toast燉奶 / 炒蛋多士The steamed milk pudding is more fragile than a custard; dip a spoon and the surface quivers. It comes hot or cold, and the white version made from egg whites alone is a signature too. Toast filled with soft scrambled egg is a staple. Service and turnover are so fast there's no lingering.Nearest MTR Yau Ma Tei, Exit CPrice ~HK$40 串5SnacksTemple St Stinky Tofu Stall×Stinky Tofu臭豆腐Fermented tofu dropped into hot oil. The smell is strong, but fried, the outside is firm and the inside light and airy — milder than you'd fear. Dressed with sweet sauce and chili sauce, eaten off a bamboo skewer. You smell the stall before you see it, so follow the scent.Nearest MTR Yau Ma Tei, Exit CPrice ~HK$20 魚6SeafoodTemple St Dai Pai Dong (seafood)×Typhoon-Shelter Fried Crab避風塘炒蟹Crab chopped into pieces, stir-fried over high heat with a mound of fried garlic, fermented black beans and chili. The golden garlic layered at the bottom of the plate is fragrant and clings to the meat. You crack the shell by hand and eat with your fingers, so you'll want a wet towel. The price is market rate — ask before ordering — and it's right for sharing among a few.Nearest MTR Yau Ma Tei, Exit CPrice market price, from ~HK$200

Go to this area's page →

Language:日本語中文 EN