Chom Chom has tasty tasty Vietnamese street food in the heart of Hong Kong
We find Hong Kong’s hottest eats ’n’ treats
The VFC Wings (HK$108) from Chom Chom.Chom Chom
58 Peel St, Central
Tel: 2810 0850
Grub: Vietnamese street food
Vibe: Lovely, crowded, and fun. There’s an eclectic mix of music playing in the background, mostly hits from the early-to-mid-2000s, which you’ll find yourself singing along to.
Pro-tip: Get yourself a seat at the bar that overlooks the bustling kitchen section – that way you’ll get to see what the most popular dishes are before ordering your own.
Who to take: One or two of your best mates, or maybe your parents. We wouldn’t recommend bringing all of your friends here as, chances are, you won’t be seated together.
What’s hot: We recommend the roasted bone marrow if you’re not squeamish about that sort of thing, especially if you’ve never tried it before. The marrow is juicy, and served with slices of toast that are deep-fried to perfection.
The VFC (Vietnamese Fried Chicken) wings are a perfect balance of sweet, sour, and spicy. They’re also nice and crisp on the outside, yet still very moist on the inside.
The Roasted Corn Congee with Hokkaido Uni isn’t like congee at all, but is delightfully buttery, although it could do with a little more uni (sea urchin).
If you have a little more cash to splash (or if your parents fancy treating you!), get the shaking beef sharing plate. The beef is tender and flavourful. The order comes with rice, making this dish a meal on its own.
What’s not: Give the salt & pepper squid a miss. It’s nothing tremendously special that you can’t get elsewhere, for less cash. If you want to try the famous pho rolls, get here early, as they sell out quickly.
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You also can’t book in advance here, which means if you’re a party of four or more, there’s a chance you may have to wait 40 minutes or longer for a table.
If there’s one thing we’re not a fan of decor-wise, it’s that the tables are a little too crowded together – which is great if you really want to see what your neighbours have ordered, but less so if you’re after a little privacy. There’s no air-conditioning inside, either – which is not much of a problem now we’re going into autumn, but won’t be pleasant in the hotter weather.
Cost: Starters are HK$78. Dishes cost between HK$48 and HK$188. Desserts are HK$38-HK$138. Drinks range from HK$10 to HK$28.