Hi everyone! This is Yvonne from ETUDE HOUSE Hong Kong Team! I am really excited to be able to join as a News Square writer! Although I wouldn't call myself a local guru, but I hope to share with you some hidden gems within Hong Kong!

As you know, most Hong Kongers love to eat, and we have no qualms about admitting it! This week I would like to share one of the food streets in Hong Kong! If you are looking for something cheap, local and with lots of variety, you won't be disappointed by Shau Kei Wan Main Street East (筲箕灣東大街)!

Before launching into the nitty-gritty, let's talk about some history of the place. For those of you who are not familiar with Chinese, the name of Shau Kei Wan came from the pail shape of the bay ('Shau Kei' means pail, 'Wan' means bay in Cantonese). The special shape served as a great typhoon shelter for local fishermen. With the large number of fisherman habiting in the area, there were number of temples dedicated to popular fisher folk deities, like "Tin Hau" (天后), "Tam Kung" (譚公) and "Yuk Wong" (玉皇). One can still visit these temples today, as they serve as a testimonial of the fisherman life back in the 1800s. In the early 1900s, this area was known as a center for shipbuilding. Today, Shau Kei Wan no longer hosts any shipbuilding or fisherman business, but it is very much a vibrant community.
Now let's look at some of the famous local eateries that have blossomed in Shau Kei Wan! Get ready for some drooling food snaps!

Just like its name, Master Low-Key is hidden in the back corner of Main Street East. The shop is best known for its Hong Kong snack - Egg Waffle (also known as eggette, egg puff, bubble waffle). Although it has already opened for years, you can always spot a line outside the eatery regardless of the time of the day, day in the week. The shop was recently featured on a celebrity cooking show "The Twelve Feng Taste," attracting even more locals to get a taste of the famous waffle.

All egg waffles are freshly made, cooked with right amount of time to capture the crunchy outside and a slightly melted inside. The pastry batter was adjusted to strengthen the egg and butter flavor, ensuring a right amount of sweetness. If you have stomach for more, try their regular waffle too! They will definitely worth your $16.

On this windy day with 10°C weather (it is considered as very cold in Hong Kong), there is still a 15 minutes wait! It shows you just how much the waffle is worth the wait!

Just right next door of Master Low-key Food Shop is another gem! Featuring its famous boneless fried chicken, aren't you drooling by just looking at this picture?

This tiny store is known for removing the chicken bones by hand to ensure its high quality production. Chicken is dipped into a special Five-Spice powder mixture (commonly contains Cloves, Chinese Cinnamon, Sichuan Pepper, Star Anise and Fennel Seeds) before frying it before your eyes. Adding just the right amount of spiced salt on top of the freshly made chicken, and there goes the Hong Kong styled fried chicken for you!

The mixture of crispiness with the juicy and meaty inside is undeniably addictive! You will easily want to buy a new batch after devouring the first. Check out the other Hong Kong snacks they provide - fried fishballs, Siu Mai etc. – if you have extra room in the stomach.

Other than Hong Kong snacks, there are other countries represented in Main Street East as well! And guess what? It's just around the corner from the other two eateries! Many locals embrace the Indonesian State House satay/sate skewer because of its affordable price (under $10 per stick)! Ranging from beef, pork, chicken to more unique ones like eel and squid, you can test out the type you like best. All skewers are marinated in their rich signature satay sauce, which has a bold peanut flavor to it. If you are good with spicy, don't hesitate to ask for it!

If you're looking for a full meal, get their Nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice) ($32) as a complement to your bold satay flavors. End with a Chendol ($12) to complete the meal!

※ Note that the above three eateries don't provide seating area, be ready to demolish these goodies on the street, be it rain or shine!

Enough about snacks, how about we go try something more filling? There are two famous local options, both located within 1 minute walking distance from each other! They are known for their local delights – Fishballs and Beef Brisket.

You can easily spot this store by the crowds waiting outside the door. You'd be lucky if you managed to get seated within 10 minutes! But don't let that detour you from visiting, because the food will be worth the wait. The briskets here are very flavorful and the famous fish balls are bouncy. If you're craving for something sweet, go with their toast with butter and condensed milk!

Similar to On Lee Noodles, there is often a crowd outside of this restaurant as well. Although it serves a wide range of noodles and rice, make sure you try their spring-onion fishball noodle as it showcase the fresh fish taste. The squid balls are also very rich in flavor, along with the tender briskets. If you want to take some for hot pot, no worries! They provide take-away service for a variety of meatballs! Other than that, remember to buy some fried fish skin if you are craving for crunchiness, always compatible with noodles!

After introducing all these eateries, the most important question is - How to get there? All you need to do is to take MTR Chai Wan line (Blue Line) to Shau Kei Wan station, exit at Exit B2. After walking up the long corridor, turn right, and you'll be right in Main Street East!

There are actually many more local gems in the area that I have yet to visit and discover. Next time if/when you visit Hong Kong, don't forget to explore the local side on top of visiting The Peak, Big Buddha and Ocean Park!