A Must-Try in Your Lifetime: Hong Kong’s Century-Old Alleyway Snacks Reimagined in Taipei

Located at 425 Queen’s Road West in Sai Ying Pun, “Bok Kee” Roast Meat and Noodles has been in business for over 40 years and has long been a local “neighborhood eatery,” well known among residents in Sai Ying Pun. According to Michelin, Bok Kee’s self-prepared range of roast meats is sold in limited quantities daily: only 8 roast geese, 40 roast ducks, and only one large piece of roasted pork belly per day, selling out quickly. Michelin especially reminds diners that if you want to try the roast pork, you must arrive before 2:00 PM, and for roast goose, before 4:00 PM—otherwise, you might leave empty-handed.

With a history of 128 years since its founding, Snake King Fen is said to have been passed down through four generations. The restaurant is located at 30 Caine Road in Central and is famous for its Tai Shik snake soup, making it the oldest snake soup shop in Hong Kong. In its early days, Snake King Fen used wooden carts to sell its wares around the streets of Central, moving to its current location in the 1960s. The humble and unassuming decor doesn’t betray the exceptional home-style cuisine within. Generations of owners at Snake King Fen have insisted on the quality and freshness of ingredients, never compromising for cheaper alternatives despite rising prices. What makes Snake King Fen’s snake soup famous is its generous portions and richly aromatic broth. A single bowl contains meat from five types of snakes (mountain rat snake, water snake, golden-footed snake, white flower snake, and three-strip snake), along with abalone, fish maw, ham, shredded chicken, wood ear fungus, shiitake mushrooms, and dried tangerine peel—nine ingredients in total.

The soup base is made from fresh ingredients such as pork bones, chicken bones, and snake bones, combined with Shaoxing wine and simmered for over two hours—a labor-intensive delicacy that has become the nourishing staple that has kept Snake King Fen thriving for half a century. In addition to snake soup, Snake King Fen’s herbal soups are also extremely popular and change with the seasons: examples include winter melon shoot and preserved kidney soup, snow fungus with sea coconut, and winter melon with dried scallop and conch. Each soup is simmered for at least three hours, resulting in a light yet flavorful broth that is soothing and sweet—an excellent choice for health and nourishment.

 

Originating in Yuen Long District, New Territories, Hong Kong, Ho Dai Doh Noodle House was established in 1948. Initially operating as a street vendor selling Cantonese-style noodles, it moved to its current location on Fook Choi Street in 1961, where it has remained for over 50 years. It now also owns a food factory and five specialty noodle shops. “Ho Dai” has always insisted on making its noodles in-house, using dried sole fish broth, premium flour, top-grade shrimp roe, and fresh eggs. To ensure all noodles are smooth, flavorful, nutritious, and free from alkaline taste, every step of the production process is meticulously controlled and supervised by master noodle makers to guarantee high quality. Ho Dai Doh Noodle House offers 11 types of noodles for selection: shrimp roe noodles, wide shrimp roe noodles, deluxe shrimp roe noodles, dried scallop noodles, egg noodles, wide egg noodles, duck egg noodles, vegetarian noodles, carrot noodles, spinach wide noodles, and deluxe shrimp roe. Each type has its own unique flavor and texture. Thanks to its dedication, it has received special recommendation from Michelin and is considered one of the leading icons of Hong Kong street food.