Hong Kong Food Adventure: Aberdeen & Ap Lei Chau
This food adventure explores the areas of Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau in Hong Kong, venturing beyond the typical tourist spots to experience local cuisine and culture. The journey includes iconic dishes and unique dining experiences.
Exploring Aberdeen
A Fishing Village History
Aberdeen, located on the other side of Hong Kong Island, is deeply rooted as a fishing village and port. The Aberdeen Harbour was once home to approximately 150,000 people living full-time on boats. While the community of boat dwellers has largely disappeared, glimpses of the past remain among the modern boats and yachts.
Taking a Sampan to Ap Lei Chau
The adventure continues to Ap Lei Chau, located just across from Aberdeen. Transportation to the island is via a sampan, a flat-bottomed traditional fishing boat made of wood. Traditionally, fishing families lived on these sampans. These days, they primarily serve as ferries. The short ride offers a unique perspective of the Aberdeen typhoon shelter, one of many in Hong Kong. These shelters provided safe mooring for boats during typhoons.
Ap Lei Chau: Duck Tongue Island
An Island of High Density
Ap Lei Chau, known as "duck tongue" in Cantonese due to its shape, is reportedly the second most densely populated island in the world. Nearly 90,000 people reside on an area of just 1.3 square kilometers.
Iconic Boat Noodles
The first stop on Ap Lei Chau is to experience the iconic boat noodles. A local vendor operates from a sampan, moving to a new location each day, either on the Ap Lei Chau or Aberdeen side. This makes finding him part of the experience. Boat noodles are becoming increasingly rare in Hong Kong, making this a unique opportunity.
A Delicious Combination
The presenter orders a combination of duck leg, char siu (barbecue pork), fishball, and rice noodles with vegetables. The broth is described as salty, umami, and flavorful, creating a warming and comforting bowl of noodles. The experience is enhanced by watching the noodles being made on the sampan, offering a taste of local culture.
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Duck leg: Tender and flavorful.
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Char siu: A less intensely sweet version than typical Hong Kong char siu.
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Fishball: Bouncy, juicy, and perfectly balanced in flavor.
Typhoon Shelter Crab & Seafood Market
Sourcing Seafood
Down the road from the boat noodles is a seafood market where fresh seafood can be purchased. On the second floor is a food court where you can have your seafood freshly cooked.
Typhoon Shelter Crab: An Origin Story
The goal is to try typhoon shelter crab, a Cantonese dish that originated in the typhoon shelters of Hong Kong. The presenter is advised to order both a male and a female crab to enjoy the full experience. The male is larger, while the female contains more roe.
Aromatic Flavors
The typhoon shelter crab is a visual and olfactory spectacle. It's made with a generous amount of chili and garlic. The dish is a deviation from typical Cantonese cuisine, which tends to emphasize the original flavors of the ingredients.
A Dish Born of Necessity
The presenter describes the history of the dish, how it developed as a way to preserve seafood during typhoons. With limited access to fresh ingredients or refrigeration, fishermen deep-fried seafood and cooked it with ingredients that could be stored at room temperature, such as garlic, chilies, and black beans.
Enjoying the Crab
The female crab is full of roe, described as salty and umami. The crab meat is sweet, moist, and juicy. The overall experience is enhanced by licking the flavorful chili-garlic mixture off the fingers after handling the crab.
Fish Skin & Soy Sauce Noodles
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Crispy Fish Skin: The presenter also tries crispy fish skin, resembling a chip. It's salty and reminiscent of pork crackling.
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Soy Sauce Noodles: Another Hong Kong classic is soy sauce noodles. The noodles are small with an al dente texture and a slightly crunchy mouthfeel. Sesame seeds add to the flavour profile.
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Braised Beef Brisket: Lastly is braised beef brisket, described as super tender and rich in flavor. It is salty and slightly sweet.
Amoy Soy Sauce
The presenter highlights the importance of soy sauce in Chinese cooking, recommending Amoy brand for its quality. Amoy is the top-selling soy sauce in Hong Kong and is available in supermarkets worldwide. They offer both light and dark soy sauce and also a typhoon shelter sauce for replicating the dish at home.
Bite-Sized French Toast
The Perfect Ending
The meal concludes with bite-sized French toast, a personal obsession of the presenter. This version features peanut butter sauce on top, instead of peanut butter inside, making it buttery, crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside.
A Memorable Experience
The presenter concludes by expressing satisfaction with the day's adventures, highlighting the sampan ride, boat noodles, typhoon shelter crab, and the local atmosphere of the food court. All these experiences are highly recommended for visitors seeking a different side of Hong Kong.
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