Hitting the streets of Hong Kong unprepared is not all that advisable; although it does make for a potentially interesting time as we found out. Armed with a small guide, a not very good idea of what we were doing, or where we wanted to go, but with food at the centre of our exploration we tentatively hit the streets of Hong Kong to find dinner.

We’d read there was a nice market at Stanley Street so from our base at the JIA Hotel we hopped in a cab and headed along the surprisingly pleasant coastline to our destination.

A total tourist area, although a very nice one, as a result the food and drinks here were European focussed and expensive (about £6 for a half of beer). But if you’re hankering for fish and chips or a burger this is an ideal place to go. 

We grabbed some Nachos and carried on the journey for our ‘authentic’ Hong Kong treat.

There are plenty of nice looking bars around the Soho area. It is a fun way to eat and drink while travelling the world’s longest series of covered escalators. The ‘Mid-levels Escalator’ zig zags its way up to The Peak and just when you think it can’t go in it really does. But you can jump off as you pass a nice looking bar, pub, bistro or restaurant and continue escalator hopping from bar to bar.

Kowloon’s Knutsford Terrace is a draw for those seeking outdoor drinking options but as usual this seemed too ‘easy’ for us to opt for - plus the drinks were (once again) very expensive. So we spent our time pounding the streets on a hunt for our version of ‘local’ and ‘interesting’ drinking holes.

What did we find? Probably the equivalent to our sports bars back home but these were focussed entirely around electronic Darts and made for good people watching with both men and women getting totally involved and animated in the fine sport.

Still on the search for food we headed to Temple Street Market in Kowloon. A night market selling everything from Osama Bin Laden covered notebooks (we kid you not) to kitsch jewellery and kids clothes. 

We spotted a bustling food stall and headed there. Unfortunately we were taken by surprise and commandeered by an enterprising restaurant owner who hoodwinked us in to her less-popular stall which was very close to the one we were aiming for.

After barking orders at us to “sit down sit down” on rickety plastic chairs we duly did as we were told as a pastic menu (with pictures) was thrust in to our hands.

We made our choices; Chicken with rice and Salted Duck with rice and that is exactly what we got. Served in a hot pot we couldn’t open the lid - it was so hot. A man’s arm shot over and took them off to expose the delights of our dinner. Nothing more, nothing less and with zero flavour - what were we expecting.

Swilling it all down with a very big bottle of syrupy Chinese beer did little to enhance the taste and neither did the half a bottle of Soy Sauce.

The best food we found was not Chinese but Vietnamese dishes from a cute and friendly restaurant in Mong Kok and a Penang Curry from Tsui Wah Restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui.

We know there is a huge range of Michelin Starred restaurants in Hong Kong and plenty of great places to eat but our search took us on a different path - maybe next time we’ll find that ideal Chinese Meal in HK.