Dai Pai Dong (大排檔) has been a long standing item on every traveler’s agenda. In case it is new to you, Dai Pai Dong generally refers to open-air eateries. It translates to “food stall with a big license plate”, which refers to the piece of print license displayed in the restaurant.
Dai Pai Dong were first introduced by the government in the 1950s, helping to boost the local economy after World War 2. They then quickly became places where mainly the working class gathered for a quick meal, and socialized in groups. In the 1980s, the government started to buy back the license in order to promote public hygiene. Now there are only 25 licensed Dai Pai Dong left in Hong Kong, spreading around Sham Shui Po, Central, Wan Chai, and Tai O.
Dai Pai Dongs serve a few types of food, including stir-fried dishes, noodles, and freshly baked bread. If in doubt what local food to eat in Hong Kong, these are the no-brainers to go to. Apart from food, the experience of eating at a Dai Pai Dong is fun. Some Dai Pai Dongs still have their open-air kitchen outside on the street, you can hear the noise from the gas burners, chef sizzling food with the ladles clanking the wok, additional to the customer’s chatter.
The best experience at a Dai Pai Dong is to order a few heavily flavoured dishes, such as sweet and sour pork, salt and pepper squid, and stir-fried clams with black bean sauce, all of which pair perfectly with beer. Beer and cool drinks are essentials at Dai Pai Dongs because the dishes are full of “wok hei”, which is the secret behind these delicious dishes. “Wok hei” is an sensation created when food is stir-fried quickly on high, intense heat that the flavours of the food ingredients are sealed by evaporated seasoning attached to the surface. So be careful not to get your mouth burnt, and don’t forget the beers for bringing down the heat!
https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3042554/why-hong-kongs-surviving-dai-pai-dongs-are-still-loved-and
Enjoy the very local and unwinding vibes of the old Hong Kong that is fading away. Even though you have been to a Dai Pai Dong before, do try out another one. Even if you order the same dishes, you will get a different flavor and experience, plus a different side of Hong Kong people which you don’t always see.
https://myhktour.com/hong-kong-street-food/
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