Image Source: mobile-cuisine.com
Hong Kong would like to join the food truck trend. However, the government appears to be confused about how to handle the laws that would govern the food trucks. In the first place, Hong Kong has a vibrant street food industry and is one of the attractions of the city. Whenever someone comes to Hong Kong, it has become a must-do to try the street food.
According to Commerce Chief, Greg So Kam-leung, the idea of having food trucks in Hong Kong came from the Finance Secretary who appears to have been inspired by the Hollywood movie, Chef and has been met with opposition from restaurants and street food hawkers. On the other hand, there is a segment of the local population that supports the idea of having food trucks because it would elevate the standards of hygiene in street food.
Street Food of Hong Kong
Aside from the food night markets and cheap eat restaurants, street food can be found on many streets of Hong Kong but more so on these 3 streets:
Graham Street – Located in Victoria City, Graham Street might never see a food truck since the street fare is famous for being delicious and cheap with vendors who speak passable English. The problem with Graham Street is the amount of foot traffic especially during the lunch hour. This food market is over 160 years and has vendors who sell everything from dry goods to street food and fresh uncooked food. The government has plans to tear down this market because it badly needs rehabilitation. In its place, the Urban Renewal Authority plans to 4 high rise buildings.
Causeway Bay – The street food vendors can be found in the back alleys of Causeway Bay. The most common food to buy is the Chinese congee which is a little like rice porridge, dim sum, grilled octopus, noodle soup, dry noodle dishes, and Chinese delicacies like tripe, fish balls, tofu, and intestines.
Temple Street – Temple Street is best known as a place to go at night for shopping and enjoying tasty after-dinner snacks. There are all kinds of food here especially the Dai Pai Dongs or cooked food area. Many of the vendors sell seafood and one does not need to speak Chinese to enjoy the food. It is customary to just point at what you want to buy and hand over the money. Of course, the seafood is always cooked fresh so there is that strong odor of fresh fish, crab, and shrimp.
With these and other streets around Hong Kong, it is perplexing to imagine food trucks taking their place. For now, there is no concrete plan of action since the government is still organizing the plans for possibly converting some street stalls into food trucks.