I've been to Hong Kong a couple of times, safe to say perhaps once a year. The beauty about each and every city that I choose to revisit is, there is always something new, something different for me to experience.

This trip, I explored an area new to myself - Sham Shui Po. I might have vaguely stumbled upon one or two of its streets during my previous visits to Hong Kong since I tend to walk (a lot) during my travels, but definitely it was my first time exploring the area.

I visited Sham Shui Po on a Sunday, and that was surely the best decision I made that day. While everywhere else was filled with humans on the streets, in the malls, in restaurants, Sham Shui Po, still a developing area for tourism in the city, was bustling with life as well, but (thankfully) with a more manageable crowd.

The streets of Sham Shui Po. There are flea markets held on Sundays and it's very interesting to see the locals and/or foreign workers here shopping. It's a very different sight from the usual Hong Kong that we tourists know of.

I had a light breakfast at the hotel so that I could save all my stomach space for a nice, hearty breakfast at a Cha Chan Teng (茶餐厅 ). I LOVE dining at Cha Chan Tengs in Hong Kong, although sometimes the speed at which services, food and people move here can be so fast it gets a little intimidating for the tourists who're used to a slower pace of dining. But tbh, as long as you do not hoard the seats, it should be fine!

I have already bookmarked Sun Hang Yuen (新香园) prior because there were lots of Google reviews on this place which is supposedly known for their beef and scrambled egg sandwich. There are 2 outlets in Sham Shui Po itself and we went to the one at Yu Chau Street! It seemed like this might be the newer outlet of the 2 because the interior looked pretty new. Even the staff were rather young and could speak English. They also have a English menu so there's no need to worry about communication issues if you can't speak Cantonese here.


We ordered the signature beef and scrambled egg sandwich to try of course, and IT WAS REALLY GOOD.


After grabbing a bite at Sun Hang Yuen, we took a stroll around the area, and found Man Fung Building which is located a few streets down from Sun Hang Yuen at Tai Nan Street.

Hong Kong has always been a popular destination for its "instagrammable" urban architecture, and Man Fung Building is one of the less discovered ones since Sham Shui Po is not that popular among tourists yet.

It's easy to miss out on this building if you happen to be walking right under it, but cross the road and you'll be pleasantly surprised by the pop of art and color the building offers. The nondescript residential building was transformed by a Madrid based artist (Okuda San Miguel) with his mural during one of the city's street art festivals in 2016. It's both a beauty to admire on its own, and also to capture for your instagram feed goals ;)


If you're a fan of local, traditional snacks and food like I am, you may want to pop by Kwan Kee Store (坤记糕品) located just outside exit A1 of Sham Shui Po station. They sell lots of local kueh and has been around for a long time.



I was saving my stomach space for other food so I didn't manage to try out the sweets at Kwan Kee, but just down the stretch along the same street is Kung Wo Beancurd Factory (公和荳品店). I loveeee beancurd (豆腐花) so we popped by for a quick bite! Kung Wo Beancurd Factory has also been around for many years and their nostalgic interior looked attractively inviting. There is also a 2nd storey for seating to accommodate the peak hour crowd.


Taste wise, the beancurd tasted very homely - not the smoothest of beancurd I've had - but it was a good mix of sweetness and soya taste that made the bowl of goodness feels so much like home. I also learnt that the locals here like to add brown sugar as a topping to their beancurd, and it was actually very good!!! I'll probably try that here in Singapore next time too hahaha.


If you're looking for something local to eat in Sham Shui Po, I saw a long queue for Man Kei Cart Noodle. Wanted to try it, but the queue was really too long so I gave up.


After our dessert stop at Kung Wo, we walked further to YHA Mei Ho House Youth Hostel. As the name suggests, a part of the building complex is actually a youth hostel, where travelers can put up at. What's special about YHA Mei Ho House Youth Hostel is that it is the last remaining "H" configuration residential block in Hong Kong, while the rest has been demolished. The preserved residential building is part of the Shek Kip Mei Estate, and within YHA Mei Ho House Youth Hostel itself, you can find a gallery to learn more about the estate from the 1950s.

I was actually mainly there to check out the cafe within the Youth Hostel, which was surprisingly huge and spacious for Hong Kong city standards, and every section was very nicely decorated, and the food menu wasn't overpriced too! This is definitely a place worth spending a chill afternoon at catching up with friends and also learning more about the history of the place even if you aren't planning to stay at the hostel for the night.

There are in fact so many more interesting places I've bookmarked on my google maps but I had no time and stomach space to check them all out! It's true that Hong Kong has amazing food and endless things to explore :P If you're planning of your next escapade to Hong Kong, perhaps spend an afternoon at Sham Shui Po. But before that, don't forget to get your flight tickets via Skyscanner for the lowest and most competitive fares out there! :)

Love,
Xin Lin

Note: This post is in collaboration with Skyscanner Singapore and Hong Kong Tourism Board. All opinions are my own.