At last, food trucks roll onto the streets of Hong Kong

On a bright Saturday afternoon in Hong Kong, an 80-person line wrapped around the back of the Space Museum, just steps away from Victoria Harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui. But this wasn’t a crowd waiting to stargaze.

Instead, they were lining up to try one of the city’s first-ever food trucks.

Known as Pineapple Canteen, this vibrant yellow truck serves up traditional Hong Kong pineapple buns, famous for their domed shape and sugary crown. It was one of three food trucks to debut on February 3, as part of the Tourism Commission’s two-year pilot program.

By the end of March, 13 more food trucks will join the fleet, stationed at eight popular tourist spots across the city, including the Central Harbourfront, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Ocean Park.

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Ready to serve

Launched during the Chinese New Year holiday, Pineapple Canteen sold 600 pineapple buns on its opening day, with an estimated 2,000 sold by the end of the weekend. Alongside the classic pineapple buns, the truck also offers modern twists, including ones filled with fresh cream and diced pineapple, or stuffed with savory pork chops.

“I’ve never run a food truck before, but I thought it would be an exciting challenge,” says Carrie Lam, the operator who also runs Tan Sing Café, a family-owned cha chaan teng diner. “We wanted to put a twist on the classic pineapple bun, so we used Japanese cornmeal for a crunchy exterior, and filled it with fresh pineapple and cream for a refreshing, smooth taste inside.”

Just a short ride across Victoria Harbour on the historic Star Ferry, the Bao & Buns food truck – a branch of Los Angeles-based Book Brothers – served up American-Chinese fusion bao at Golden Bauhinia Square, near the Wan Chai Exhibition Centre.

Stuffed with barbecued duck, chicken, beef, or pork, these soft, steamed buns quickly drew a crowd around the truck's striking red exterior.

“I got inspired by food truck culture in Los Angeles and wanted to bring that to Asia, starting with Hong Kong,” says Raymond Wong, operator of Bao & Buns. “From here, we’re planning to expand into China and Southeast Asia, as food trucks are still a relatively new concept in this region.”

Ma Ma’s Dumpling, parked in Wong Tai Sin Square near the famous temple of the same name, was the third food truck to join the scene over the weekend. Located about a 20-minute taxi ride northeast of Tsim Sha Tsui, the truck sold Chinese-style dumplings to a steady flow of tourists and locals passing by.

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What took so long?

Prior to the pilot program, food trucks in Hong Kong were limited to temporary appearances at private events. The city had no regulations in place for public food trucks, preventing them from operating legally.

With the introduction of a new Special Purpose Vehicle category, under the Food Factory License framework, the government has created a formal licensing process for food trucks, although no new applicants will be accepted during the two-year pilot phase.

Preparing for launch

It took almost a year to bring Hong Kong’s food truck initiative to life.

In March 2016, the Tourism Commission opened the program for submissions, inviting individuals, restaurants, and businesses to pitch their ideas. Out of 192 applicants, 51 were selected to compete in a cook-off held last July, judged by a panel of government officials, food experts, and tourism representatives.

Ultimately, 16 restaurants, both local and international, were selected to participate, including Beef & Liberty, a well-known burger joint in Hong Kong.

Beef & Liberty’s food truck, launching later this month, will feature their signature Notorious PIG – a slow-roasted pork shoulder sandwich – alongside classic American comfort dishes like beef burgers and mac 'n' cheese.

“Venturing into the food truck world was always part of our plan, and it now fits perfectly into my lifestyle,” says Uwe Opocensky, executive chef at Beef & Liberty. “Street food is a huge part of Hong Kong’s culture, and I believe this program will bring great food back to the streets.”

Maureen Loh, a celebrated Hong Kong chef, will also debut her food truck, Mein by Maureen, this February.

A pioneer in molecular gastronomy in Hong Kong, Loh is best known for her Maureen noodle bar in Wan Chai, where she offers tasting menus and her signature lo mein noodles with sous vide toppings, including duck, shrimp, chicken, ribs, and foie gras.

“For my food truck, I wanted to create a dish that reflects Hong Kong, since I was born and raised here,” says Loh. “That’s why I’m featuring my signature noodles on the truck.”

Behind the wheel

In cities like San Francisco, Paris, London, and New York, food trucks have emerged organically, offering a fun yet practical way for chefs to experiment with new ideas without the commitment of a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

However, in Hong Kong, the food truck program is far from spontaneous. As part of the government’s initiative, the new food trucks will be stationed at eight designated tourist locations, rotating every two weeks.

A companion app, HK Food Truck, shows users where and when to find each truck. Long lines might suggest that customers are fine with the wait, but some locals argue that such organization goes against the true spirit of food trucks.

“Looking at the history of food trucks globally, there’s an element of spontaneity that’s key to their success,” says Kenneth Ip, a Hong Kong architect. “The idea of fusing Korean bulgogi with a taco to create the perfect Korean-Mexican fusion, like Los Angeles' Kogi BBQ truck, is born out of the Filipino-American owner marrying into a Korean family, not a corporate decision made in a boardroom by men in suits.”

Despite the program's planned structure, Ip hopes the food trucks can revive a part of Hong Kong's culture: street food. The number of street food vendors in the city plummeted from 50,000 in 1974 to just about 6,000 in 2016, following the government’s ban on new licenses in the 1970s.

“It would be incredibly exciting if food trucks could bring back that street food culture, while also supporting the local culinary start-up scene,” Ip adds. “Launching a new restaurant in Hong Kong is tough with the high costs and market conditions. For a young chef with a bold idea, a food truck could be the perfect way to spark the next big culinary trend.”

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