I'm always poking around for Hong Kong based food blogs so I thought it's time to share some of my favorites! But before I jumped into my findings. I want to first share with you an overview of what I've observed over the past couple of years here in the States.
Food blogging in the States has been developing into something that everyone is familiar with these days. Well, I guess blogging itself really have taken off quite tremendously. Judging from lots of food blogs that I stumbled upon on, there is a enormous amount of mom food bloggers who blog from typical Americana families, a handful of foodies, and another handful of people who actually cook food for a living. The vibe is quite sophisticated when you read about some of these blogs.
While some are so well-known that they take advertisers, others are running just like a personal journal. The well-established ones are sometimes very inspiring and those bloggers really know the ins-and-outs of the blogging business. Their content drive great traffic, generate engagement on social media, encourage others to re-pin well-photographed food photos one after the other. A lot of these bloggers actually blog full-time as a profession. They go to blog conferences around the country and have attracted a swirl of followers, and have really built up their audience or fan base. The whole thing is kind of like an ripple effect and the food blogging community just keeps getting bigger and stronger. Other resources also play an important role in shaping the food blogging world, including well-established food magazines: Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Saveur, Gourmet. There are also websites like Epicurious, Serious Eats, Food.com, etc... They all set the bar for food bloggers and their influence is quite huge.
Hong Kong, however, it's just not like it. Knowing from past experiences when searching for a recipe of a Hong Kong style dish, I know there's just not too many Hong Kong food bloggers who actually cook then blog about the recipes they used. But this time I wanted to be optimistic. I sat down in front of my computer hoping I could catch more than two fishes that in fact do offer cooking in their blog, at the end I was only able to place a couple in the bucket.
Understanding that after all, most Hong Kong people just don't have the time and the space to cook. The food culture is totally different there. Eating out is the norm – breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Siu Yeh (宵夜) – good food is never hard to find. On the other hand, space is also limited as many locals live in small apartments. That obviously narrowed the idea of doing anything inside the house when you're sharing a small space with others in the family. If you've been to Hong Kong, you know that you've got choices to make when it comes to food. When all these choices present themselves, it's easier to take advantage of them rather then cramping into your small apartment and cook.
When going through pages after pages of links, I often do see bloggers who blog about Hong Kong cooking and Hong Kong style foods but many of them that I've seen or read are from the States, the UK, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, etc... Some of those blogs do have very good content and design, and many of them are useful and inspiring. However, I really wanted to get those who are based in Hong Kong – the people who are closest to the food culture there.
With all that said, I've rounded up a group of bloggers who are passionate about food and are based in Hong Kong. Rather it's food that they've cooked or places that they've been to, I appreciate their drive to share that on the web so people, like me, can get a glimpse of the Hong Kong food blogging scene. Since food blogging is still a small community there, a lot of them already know each other through social media, self-host gatherings and such. It's really nice to see that they are in the same loop but also sharing their own take on food.
Lastly, I want to point out that this is just a roundup of some of my favorites that I've come across. The list is not in any particular order. Most of them are written in English with a few that are written in Traditional Chinese towards the end of the list.
Note: If you are one of the bloggers below and have any question regarding this list, please feel free to e-mail me at make(at)saucy-spatula(dot)com.
nom nom, K
Blog: Mochachocolata RitaBlogger: Mochachocolata Rita Mochachocolata Rita is a blog that features a daily perspective on the Hong Kong food culture. Her posts are also very diverse, ranging from world travels to recipes to trying out new eateries. Photos are always gorgeous and inspiring. Reasons why I read Mochachocolata Rita: fun, diverse, beautiful photos, interesting point-of-view Follow Mochachocolata Rita on: Facebook // Twitter // Instagram
Blog: Gregoire MichaudBlogger: Gregoire Michaud Chef Michaud, who grew up in a food-oriented family in Switzerland, now lives in Hong Kong. He has worked at a number of hotels, including the Broadmoor, Beau Rivage, Regent, and Four Seasons. Chef Michaud has been mastering his pastry skill since he was young and had published four cookbooks. Besides being a chef and food activist, he also likes to get involved with local charities. You can also see him in action on tv shows. Be "wow-ed" with his dessert recipes and the technical stuff. Reasons why I read Gregoire Michaud: passionate, original, range of content, inspiring Follow Gregoire on: Facebook // Twitter
Blog: Hong Kong Food BlogBlogger: Anna Anna is a native Hong Konger who has blogged about the food culture in Hong Kong as well as interesting restaurants that she's been to. She usually posts every other week or so. Some of her most popular posts include Dim Sum Brunch Special, Hot Pot Specialty Restaurants in Hong Kong, and Chinese Food Carving. Reasons why I read Hong Kong Food Blog: honest, personal, passionate, informational
Blog: Life as a Bon VivantBlogger: Jason Tse Jason has been blogging about food as well as travel and culture since 2009. On the homepage of Life as a Bon Vivant, you can see a list of places that he's been to, including Paris, Seoul, Bali, and Amsterdam. He's also blogged about authentic Hong Kong cuisine and local trips like Ngong Ping 360 + Tai O. Reasons why I read Life as a Bon Vivant: authentic, range of content, informational, enthusiastic Follow Life as a Bon Vivant on: Facebook // Twitter // Instagram
Blog: The Chinese Soup LadyBlogger: Lisa & Tracy Tong Soup in the Chinese cuisine and diet plays such an important role. It's an item on the menu that you would see often as part of a meal. The Chinese Soup Lady's story is touching yet thoughtful. I haven't came across a food blog that only talks about soups so I was real delighted to know about this blog. The Tong sisters do a really good job on explaining the purpose of consuming soups and the purposes of the ingredients that go into each one. Soups are eaten all season around in the Chinese diet - check out the soups you can make for fall and refer to the techniques when you need to. The Chinese Soup Lady has gained an outstanding Facebook fan base with close to 2,000 likes. So next time when you're wanting to make a traditional Chinese soup, you know where to go to get your recipe! Reasons why I read The Chinese Soup Lady: authentic, informational, unique Follow The Chinese Soup Lady on: Facebook
Blog: e*ting The WorldBlogger: Janice Leung Janice, a.k.a e-ting, has started this blog back in 2004. There's no doubt about her passion for food - from her recent restaurant review to her involvement with the local organic farmers’ market (Island East Markets). She has also been in TimeOut HK's special Food Issue and was listed as The City's Best Food Blogger. She is definitely living and breathing the Hong Kong food scene and that's exactly why she's one of my favorite HK based food bloggers. Also check out her FABULOUS write up on Sassy Hong Kong. Reasons why I read e*ting The World: inspiring, fun, informational, passionate Follow e*ting on: Facebook // Twitter
Blog: HungrySuBlogger: Suzanne Guan Browsing through the homepage, you can already smell the "foodie" in HungrySu. I admire her dedication on posting so frequently. Her reviews on restaurants often include prices and ratings, and not to mention all the beautiful photos. Some of my favorite posts are Yardbird, Mango Tree, and Lily & Bloom. Reasons why I read HungrySu: informational, inspiring Follow HungrySu on: Facebook // Twitter// Instagram
Blog: Taste Hong KongBlogger: Anonymous I can finally say that I've found the first HK based food blogger who actually blogs about cooking and recipes! Taste Hong Kong has opened its doors since 2009. Its recipes are Asian driven, ranging from Green Tea Pudding to Taiwanese Sticky Rice to Thai Fried Fish Cake. Take a look at her 2012 archive here and get a glimpse at the stuff that she has made. Reasons why I read Taste Hong Kong: original, educational, fun, inspiring Follow Taste Hong Kong on: Twitter
Blog: Gastronomous AnonymousBlogger: Anonymous The first thing I noticed on GA is its content. Just by looking at the Archive navigation on the right, you'll see the amount of posts since 2010. GA gets updated quite frequently and the blog has a really personal quality to it which I appreciate. Reasons why I read Gastronomous Anonymous: informational, fun read
Blog: ChopsticFixBlogger: Michelle Ng Michelle has been writing about food on ChopstixFix since 2010. You know she's active in the HK food scene from posts like Blue Butcher and Lupa. Her creative writing makes her blog a fun read. With Facebook likes of 238 and counting, I hope ChopsticFix continues to grow as one of HK's top food bloggers. Reasons why I read ChopsticFix: fun read, informational Follow ChopsticFix on: Facebook // Twitter
Blog: The Dim Sum DiariesBlogger: Ale Wilkinson The Dim Sum Diaries is one of my favorite bloggers who writes restaurant reviews. Her reviews seem to be the most in depth and interesting. I also love her bio and how 'real' she is. The mission of The Dim Sum Diaries is simple – she'd like to share with others her opinion on the places she's been to. Some of my favorite posts include, The Boathouse, Goodness gracious meatballs of flavour, Kau Kee, and Cafe Roma. If you're wondering about what the restaurants are like in Hong Kong, you must check out The Dim Sum Diaries. It's better than what you would find in a guide book. Reasons why I read The Dim Sum Diaries: honest, fun read, passionate, informational Follow The Dim Sum Diaries on: Facebook // Twitter
*** The followings are written in Traditional Chinese ***
Blog: 搵食能手資料網/Seek for FoodBlogger: Phil Chui Phil has been blogging on Seek for Food since 2009. Its content consist of restaurant reviews, food news, and sometimes other topics he's into outside of food. What I like about Seek for Food is the details in his reviews. And almost every item he reviewed it is accompanied with a photo which is super helpful. He's a frequent blogger who pumps out about 20 posts per month which is pretty high among other bloggers. Reasons why I read 搵食能手資料網/Seek for Food: fun read, honest, informational Follow Seek for Food on: Facebook
Blog: Gourmet KCBlogger: KC With 4,505 Facebook fans and counting, KC often blogs more than 31 times in a month. Like other bloggers, he writes about places he's been to and things he's eaten. For those who can't read Chinese, you should still browse through some of the photos that are posted on his blog. They give you a pretty good idea of what the Hong Kong food scene is like – you name it, Hong Kong's got it. Check out these places KC has been to: a typical Hong Kong style diner (Cha chaan teng), a Japanese Ramen Shop, Won Pung Won (Korean), Carnevino by Mario Batali, a local Indian spot, various Dim Sum places, even bars! Hope you'll enjoy his blog as much as I do. Reasons why I read Gourmet KC: amount of content, authentic, informational, enthusiastic Follow KC on: Facebook
Blog: OL 醉愛廚房Blogger: Anonymous I found another blogger who actually cooks! What I like about OL 醉愛廚房 is her range of content. She makes desserts, bread and other yummy foods, talks about kitchen products, and even alcohol! Reasons why I read OL 醉愛廚房: range of content, passionate Follow OL on: Facebook
That concludes my findings so far of my favorite Hong Kong based food bloggers. Hope you saw some good photos and got to know more about Hong Kong through its food culture!