Hong Kong's $150 Dinner Costs More Than My Last Vacation, Tastes Like History
KEY POINTS
- •Hong Kong evolved over 180 years from fishing villages to a food scene mixing Cantonese roots with British-American imports like macaroni and evaporated milk.
- •Street food culture is fading while Michelin-rated dining offers exotic dishes from Chinese forests, and meals range up to 1,200 Hong Kong dollars per person.
- •Cocktail bars now favor Chinese liquors over Western spirits, reflecting the city's diverse international chef influences and evolving culinary traditions.
Hong Kong’s culinary saga reads like a historical novel with a price tag—for the humble diner, that is. From its origins as a cluster of tiny fishing villages 180 years ago, it went on to blend Cantonese dishes with British macaroni and canned evaporated milk, proving imperial leftovers are the original fusion cuisine. Fast-forward to present day where Michelin meals sing songs of obscure Chinese forests and $150 dinners are casually served next to street food fading like my motivation on Monday. Meanwhile, cocktail bars are swapping vodka for mysterious Chinese liquors, because nothing says progress like ordering drinks you can't pronounce. All this, in a city where a quick meal is approximately $38 USD, food nostalgia meets global chef guest stars—and your wallet screams quietly.
Share the Story
Hong Kong’s menu: from humble fishing bites to $150 meals so fancy you’ll need a second mortgage. Meanwhile, street food fades like my patience for pricey hipster cocktails using ingredients even the chefs haven’t heard of.
You know a city’s fancy when its street food vanishes faster than my hopes for affordable dinners, replaced by $150 historical reenactments on a plate.
Hong Kong’s food scene evolved from cans of evaporated milk to cocktails featuring random Chinese liquors, probably aimed to confuse tourists and locals alike.
Source: Eater | Published: 12/23/2025 | Author: Janice Leung Hayes
More Articles in World News
Sydney Sweeney's $1M Flop, Trump-Approved Jeans & Bathwater Soap Fiasco
Digital Nomad Trapped in Lisbon FOMO, Ends Up BFF Ghosted
Traveler Confirms Small Towns Are America’s Scenic Waiting Rooms
France Bars Kushner For Skipping Meeting, Diplomacy Moves To Ghost Mode
600 Passengers Experience Freddie Mercury Tribute Inside Parked Planes at Freezing Munich Airport
US Ambassador Won’t Work in France Until He Actually Talks to French People
Australia Rushes To Tell Other Commonwealth They Also Think Prince Andrew Is Awkward
Trump Debates Iran Strike Like It’s a Yelp Review, Military Advisory Optional
