Hong Kong’s comfort food? The rise of ‘two-dish-rice’
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- Опубліковано 30 тра 2024
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A humble species of eatery has become increasingly popular in Hong Kong, especially among residents who savour frills-free food to fill their stomachs. The restaurants serving low-cost “two-dish-rice” dishes, once found mostly in poorer neighbourhoods, are gaining acceptance across all social classes. The trend is widely seen as a reflection of the city’s lacklustre economic recovery since the pandemic, but foodies say the eateries have cemented a place for themselves in the city’s culinary culture. The Post examines the charm of two-dish rice and what its popularity says about the city’s post-Covid dining habits.
Related story:
How ‘2-dish-rice’ meals went from Hong Kong workers’ staple to culinary classic sc.mp/jmjte
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The cost of living seems to be increasing every year, making it harder to keep up.
Indeed , it's becoming quite challenging to manage expenses.
I've actually managed to stay ahead of the curve. I'm even contemplating early retirement.
@@JessicaKeith-uj1jq Impressive! How did you achieve that?
@@ScottLarrry Our family got introduced to a financial consultant”DESIREE RUTH HOFFMAN .” about four years before my dad retired. That was what changed things, and I think my retirement income will be on the right track, luxury cars and trips
Absolutely, DESIREE RUTH HOFFMAN has a knack for analyzing market trends and helping clients make informed decisions.
We have it in Malaysia and Singapore since 40 years back, and extremely popular among office workers and students since it is so reasonable and offers wide range of selection.
cai png 💪
Zha fannnn
Cai fan yasss
Hidup !!!
Well not economical anymore 😂
“ Not healthy”for 5 bucks and all the veggies looks like delicious and healthier than what you can get here in the states for 5 bucks
I just hope they don’t use trans fat that’s my only issue
Those are processed foods and obviously not healthy.
@@channe3049 how come it is processed food? it looks just like normal stir-fried dishes. It's oily obviously so it can be seemed unhealthy, but compared to hamburgers and pizza, it is relatively healthy and not processed in my opinion.
Yes actually looks quite healthy depending on what you choose.
Healty? $30 acai fakin bowl....
Growing up in Penang in the 80's, my friend mother was from Fujian, China, she operated such food stall in front of her house. Everything was gone by 2pm daily. They own the 2 story house in a prime location!!! Her mother passed away around 89 years old. Hard working woman!
Great story
In Malaysia, this has been the staple for the chinese for umpteenth years. Here we call it chap fan, mix rice or economy rice. Mostly self service, customers will usually choose 2 to 4 dishes with rice and cost is usually less than 3 US dollar.
Nasi Campur
Let me take it a step further, they had this forever in Panda Express in the US, it's called the 2 item combo. And this is America we're talking about, in the mall not in Chinatown.
@@inathoiehohs8551 Whats it cost? This food is so fast and delicious, why are people going to McDonalds and stuff instead? Why isn't it everywhere?
It's used to call economy rice for it being what it is. Then the menu evolve into fancier and more variety but the prices went up so much more. Now the variety is lesser and quality worsen but price remains the same. Should be call luxury rice 😂
@@inathoiehohs8551yeah sometimes u just want something to fill the tummy but at least meet the minimum nutrition benchmark hence this dish. The lady seller in the video aptly put it's because the vegetable option makes it more attractive when u need to fillfill your daily vitamin, protein and carbo. The tri color diet which is essential to Asians. The price play an important role and sometimes in cafe's they don't serve enough vegetables in a dish but it already cost you a bomb
Two dish shops are great for preserving the local food culture of Hong Kong, because these dishes are just as same as the home cooked meals of many families.
Not "home cooked". "cage cooked".
@@close_all_tabs Yeah so home, I'm sure New Yorkers can relate.
I wouldn't call this "less healthy" especially when all other options around me are junk, processed or fast foods.
Yeah, was wondering what she was talking about. You can eat so much food and not get fat as long as its not processed food.
Exactly, the reporting is kinda ignorant. This is much healthier than fast food
Yes, this is the closest option to healthy and fresh home cooked food. It is clearly better than western fast food or pork belly.
@@dzus Chinese people deem most meals not home made unhealthy because of MSG and high amount of salt. Also stir fry is considered unhealthy because we also can steam or braised foods instead of stir fry, The beef brisket they talked about is unhealthy because it's red meat. A lot of chinese dishes has a focus on vegetables instead of meat.
@@dzus Ignorant? only from you that does not understand what is and isnt healthy in chinese culture. I lived in Causeway Bay which is in this video and what winnie said is 100% right.
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In Singapore, we have it too and it is everywhere. It is called the 'caifan 菜饭' stalls here.
i always eat cai fan for lunch. only $3 SGD for 2 dishes - 1 meat 1 vege
Also called 杂菜饭.
@@geekrouteNowadays, add a little something close to $5 leow. 😂
is it in foodcourts? And tge menu is same everywhwe from apartment, mall, to hospital foodcourts? 😂
Singapore portion sizing feels pathetic compared to this
In Indonesia, this type of restaurant is all over the country, we call it 'Warteg', (Warung Tegal), Warung (shop), Tegal is the place in java where the people have started it for a very long time. Even you can see this in Bali too.
nasi rames indeed 😁
sego kucing😂
It's not just cheap but mainly the wide range of choices. Some of these food stallss even have things like steamed whole fish, lobsters and other seafood. It's quick, convenient, tasty, healthy (duen to the range of proteins and vegetables available, and some of the shops offering dishes like home cooked meals) and economical. It's no wonder that it's a recipe for success
I had that at a food court in china town SGD, steam fish $10, vegetables with tofu from another store for $6,fresh mango juice $3.50. Portions were big and enough for 2
@@judymckee5992 wow $3.5 for mango juice and steamed fish for $10 is very cheap
nobody with a brain will order seafood
@@kasajizo3136 , It is so expensive but I love it.
These shops are growing due to the poverty in Hong Kong. A limited portion of the population earns enough money to purchase healthy food from supermarkets.
I dont think coz of poverty most of hkg peoples worked long hours n it very convenient
This is not poverty, they were not homeless.
@@Flyinghigh888 Go buy a dictionary. Dumb people write comments like yours.
@@pennyc8252 Very cheap so the poor can afford it.
@@worldlife9834 no the poor eat instant noodles and simple rice dish at home. these shops are for people who realize that normal sit down restaurants never ever give a proper portion of vegetables and cost at least twice as much
In Thailand, we call this ร้านข้าวแกง (Raan Khaw Gang) it means Rice and curry shop. You can select up to 4 types for 35 to 60 baht ( 1 - 1.8 USD). Some shops offer all you can eat buffet for 60-70 baht (1.8 - 2 USD).
It has been around in part of south east asia for a long time, there's even a song about it ~ 这个那个 (The Caifan Song).
For only $5 USD their foods look better, healthier, and have more choices than a $10 2-entree Panda Express (US)
$10 isn't bad if you don't have to tip and the workers get a fair wage.
Panda Express is pretty much Mcdonalds of Chinese food.. junk food
@@yijiequ662 Why's it junk? Chinese food is not heavily processed. Only bad thing is frying. Even at McDonalds it depends what you a choose. The small burgers is completely ok.
@@TheBoobanthe food at panda is cooked in heavy sauces including sugar or sweet sauces which is not indicative of healthy Chinese cooking so panda is extremely unhealthy. It’s very different from how my mom makes Chinese food. She never uses sugar in her cooking.
@@steveh5882no sugar, even bitter melon? 🙂 if that's her will, wow!
AKA nasi Padang and economical rice in Malaysia/singapore etc
Nasi Kandar too..... 😁
Nasi Campur
Nasi Pandang in Singapore must ask abang to buy, cina buy will kena tax become super ex.
@@mercuryscioable if you took many dishes then yes... what do you think this is like chai fan?
warung tegal (warteg) in Java island, Indonesia
This takeaway food has been a staple meal for many Malaysian Chinese for decades. We called it Mixed Rice and the price are charged according to the number of dishes the customers chose and not restricted to two dishes. But the portion in this HK Two-Dish rice seemed bigger. 😂
Cai fan. Common in Singapore
Yup it’s true. You can find them in Coffeeshops and Hawker Centres.
I didn't realize these economy rice shops were not that big in HK before Covid era. I'm a big fan of nasi padang, campur, economy rice shops so super stoked HK has bunch of these shops now😋
We have that here in the Philippines in many "karinderya" and we call it budget meal. Although the serving is much less for around 1usd, sometimes it also comes with a soup 😊
Do you mean pagpag? The ultimate Filipino budget meal 😅.
This nation never fail to seeking attention
@@sakuraisp6974 real 😂
Actually, something more similar to the “this- this rice” is what we call “turo turo” which means “to point”
@@zendude123 google it what is carinderia in Philippines
Better than those overpriced instant noodles sold HK cafes, this is known as "economical rice" in Singapore and common in neighbourhood eateries and high end foodcourts.
This is what we called economy mixes rice in Malaysia. I’m surprised this concept is new to HK.
It's not new, they've been around in HK forever...however there's been an explosion in more opening up, so now they are almost everywhere in the city
It’s not, but the sudden surge of these types of establishments is.
@@_davidboxingsigns of the economic decline under the great leadership
They in HK have always thought...it's ... unhealthy..😂🎉
This is nothing novel, in South East Asia there is a lot of this type ranging from restaurants to hawkers with varied price level where the can pick the cheapest just 1 side dish to 3 or more side dish
I go to these shops as most of them provide vegetables and healthier albeit limited options like steamed tofu. The business model makes sense
In Malaysia we just call this 杂饭
Singapore already have this kind of two dish rice many years ago. We called cai png. Its cheaper. Less then HK30
$5 for a generously portioned healthy meal, with the option of oyster, is a steal; a better price than most Starbucks coffee.
If I live in Hong Kong, I would go there daily - cheaper than cooking at home and the rest of the family can get what they want.
It’s like saladbar in whole food supermarket in the states, many middle class go there to get lunch ( protein+veggies)Decent choices, better price than a sit-down restaurant , controllable calories. It’s not all about price. It’s just a better business model, no need to associate everything with the economy and make it a compromised narrative.
Cheaper than when I make myself my own cantonese food in Europe...❤
we call it Plate-lunch in Hawaii, and it comes with 2 scoops rice and 1 scoop mac-salad, and protein.
are you talking about hawaiian bbq like bbq chicken, katsu chicken, short ribs, bbq beef? or is it some other premade proteins?
i live in hawaii and i'm astonished at how large the plate lunches are. sometimes stretch them to three meals.
I loved getting these when I was in Hawaii
We call it soup kitchens in canada
a Plate Lunch could include those dish options @@sting40121
equivalent to £5-6, way better than a cold ham sandwich in uk.
You must be shopping in all the wrong places then…
quite common in taiwan, called bientang
This looks like great value and so much choice, fish and oyster too, so it doesn't get boring. And if the place is busy the food should be relatively fresh. I would happily eat at these places for lunch if my workplace was near one.
This is common in Singapore and Malaysia. Why is this even considered news.....
for real...this is just regular food. It's dumb they even named it like its something new
Thailand too, pretty much every SEA country.
Because you literally named two countries that are NOT Hong Kong. Get over yourself.
What is the “crowdsourced map” which pinpoints these shops that is mentioned in the video? Keen to get access to it
This is similar to the food court restaurants in North America like Manuchu Wok or Szechuan Szechuan. Except prices here are like double or triple the price. 😅
All those places are Americanized takes on Chinese food.
HK quality and portion looks larger and better than in SG. Probably costs more too. Oh well.
SG back then there’s a campaign by the govt on the calories intake. Like amount of rice, veg and meat etc. Been like that portion for the longest time already. Even army cookhouse also more or less the same… 😂
@@vennsim71 Better be China Chinese. Have you seen how much they eat? Even the thin girls eat more than our obese recruits in NS. Lol. Genes matter LOL.
Huge portions compared to Singapore. 😮. Portions in SG are at malnutrition levels compared to HK.
Singapore portions are miniscule and they are only getting smaller.
@@inathoiehohs8551 Right now, the cheaper ones, they serve up 1 tablespoon portions of veggies, how to get any smaller? Those shops that charge SGD6-7/USD5 have more decent portions but they are still no where near what is seen in the video.
Hong Kong customers eat larger portions.
We have that in Mexico, usually with two or three-dish-rice establishments, they sometimes saved me in college
In Indonesia for a very long time, it called Nasi Campur, every province have their own side dish. One that most popular is WARTEG (Warung Tegal), in Jakarta area, not in Business District of course, the cost can start from 10K IDR, less than 1 USD.
I live in a 2mx2m cubicle room in Apliy St, Sham Shui Po, Exit C fr MTR
🤣🤣🤣
Recently visited the U.S. and went to a similar food service. Two dishes plus rice came to USD $20 (HKD $157). At HKD $50 you are getting a bargain in HK. P.S.: food tastes better in Hong Kong. Won't touch upon my cost at a McD's.
Here in Rowland Heights, CA we have a restaurant called Hsin Hsin Shan May Deli where you can get three dish rice plus free soup for $9.50 USD. In contrast I can get three different dishes of rice, mash potatoes, salad, sausages, meat cutlet, bread, Borscht or other soups for about $5 in a Ukrainian chain restaurant called Puzata Hata.
During the city’s economic hi peak not many really looked at these food shops. Now Hong Kong is really changing.
Reupload?
Yes. I guess my comment annoyed them.
It looks quite healthy to me...lovely vegetables 💚
Just had this in Singapore today. 2 dishes with rice only S$3.80 or less than US$3 😂 But the Hong Kong version looks like a much bigger and substantial portion.
Pretty much anywhere in Asia had this.
Dayum, $5 bucks for 2 sides and rice? That's not only cheap for HK, its incredibly cheap for the US. Over here, panda express costs 10 bucks for 1 side with rice.
America has ridiculous food prices
@@Ffoo_ffighterbut they have higher wages per hour so your point is invalid
@@gfuah1499maybe 20 years ago but in America in last 2 years, people are having a hard time buying McDonald's. Some areas have $18 big Mac combos.
“May not be the healthiest choice”… this is a lot healthier than much of the American diet and also much yummier than a western style salad which is basically cold grass.
For an island region it has an astonishing variety of cuisines. I have tried and liked several, some healthier than others. One relative chose the unhealthy way for too long and now it’s coming back on him.
Bless the workers in these establishments for working in such a fast paced and hot environment. I imagine the doing such high volume makes places like this sustainable considering the cost of the ingredients.
You guys are an admirable channel.
In mainland a 2 dish rice cost less than 20 RMB. Oh... that comes with a side of seaweed and egg drop soup too
its like 10-15$ rmb in my home town
@@brianko5720 你是哪里人呀
@@LazyBrownWizard 八成东北吧
@@soapcang696 我是河南开封
this is something new? In Singapore this has existed since as long as I can remember. we call it Cai fan (mixed dish rice). very common and easily found in any hawker center
I’m pretty sure it’s everywhere 😂 I’ve had this before in Toronto Chinatown
need more of these shops here in vancouver
I'm surprised two-dish-rice places have recently became more popular. I'm near the Philadelphia area and anytime I would go to a mall for the past decade and a half, I would always get either a 2 dish or 3 dish combo.
This has been staple in Malaysia and Singapore for decades! 😂
wow is like american-chinese mall food from every state, I hope the food are less sugar and salty from there.
Or Panda express.
We have had this since there was a Chinese take out. Dozen here in San Francisco. You can also upgrade to THREE dishes in most for just a nominal charge.
I must try this on my next Visit.
Hong Kong 🇭🇰 as an entertainment center is finished after the National Security laws were introduced.
- Talents have left. Businesses have gone. Empty office buildings are all over the former British colony.
Meanwhile, we are still waiting for dub@! prince to come.
🤣🤣🤣
Very similar to Malaysia and Singapore. In Kuala Lumpur and most cities in Malaysia, it's also called Economy Rice or Mixed Rice, locals call is Chap Fan. There are many varieties here too, ranging from Malay, Indian, Chinese as well as Vegetarian options.
They have this in New York for many years. Exactly the same thing in chinese restaurants and in some chinese bakeries too. At first it started with about $5 for 4 dishes and a soup but now in recent years it has increased in some establishments and for less dishes and sometimes no soup.
Huh not panda express
@jasyillnel4402 there used to be these restaurants in chinatown that that are opened just for these not just panda express
This type of meal is already so common in Mainland China and overseas, especially among Chinese working professionals and students here in the US. Don’t know why it’s such a major change in lifestyle for HKers.
I wouldn't say it's a major change in lifestyle for Hong Kongers, but people just ate elsewhere instead of getting this two dish rice due to the economic environment, as a student I always had this. nothing new, just more opened up because of the economic environment post-COVID.
HK is following Indonesia, Malay, SG. Call this nasi campur HK !!!
I mean they have that in Flushing NY for ages now, but it was 4 dishes and rice with soup. It also use to be $5 for the longest time.
In the Southeastern US we have a similar concept called a "meat-and-three." Usually a ton of Soul Food options with hearty portions at a reasonable price, and sometimes tucked away inside shared spaces with other businesses.
5$ US vs 14$ Canadian dollars (10$US) here in Vancouver for 2 items meal is an amazing deal.
Hello Chowmeins ✋🏻
in Indonesia it's called Warteg. u can choose beggie carb and proteins with super comforting flavor
We also have carinderias here in the Philippines with the same concept as this. Funny thing; it is also commonly called as "turo-turo" which also translates to pointing out the dishes that you want to order 😄
Unfortunately, this is still expensive for me. In the Philippines, my transportation is equivalent to 9.35 HKD and food to 6.68 HKD, very far from the 35 HKD prices 😭
Adjusting for income differences it’s basically the same and even slightly favourable for HK in the transportation front… gotta remember salaries average 5-10x higher in HK
Then don’t eat drink sea water man!! Everything also complain and make noise no wonder a lot of people hates you because of your noisy, arrogant, backstabbing and hypocrite attitude towards the locals 🤢
this is just traditional hong kong food. LOL.
Not only is this also a thing in Malaysia and Singapore, Chipotle and a lot of other fast casual places are like this, just with more carbs than rice.
this is known as cai fan in Singapore and in Malaysia before it was picked up much later in HK. one of the very common meals for most Chinese Singaporeans. the option can be endless and it is usually cheap.
for reasons that no one can figure out, the economy here is the worst it’s been in over 40 years.
these shops are helping people stay fed with affordable meals.
Students riots destroyed the economy and left those who can’t go else where stuck
$5USD is considered ‘cheap’??
Hk median salary 4,253 usd. 5 usd is cheap for them.
yes. compare it to the minimum wage and average salary. your location will be different. if you think it's expensive, you're probably earning far less than the average hong konger in our country. make sense?
$5 * 3 meals a day * 31 days = $465 a month
@@jefri4176 That’s still expensive, food should be around $2.50-3.50 max
@@kenichi407 Where I live average wage is higher than HK but I still feel like $5USD so ridiculous
They even have these in Canada. I remember over 20 years ago taking a friendt to Chinatown (Dundas/Spadina) to get new lenses for her broken glasses. She was shocked they could do it in about 30min and was cheap. While we waited for the glasses I took her to one of the food courts and they had these back then. She was stunned at the variety and quality for the price.
we got this all over in bc, mainly vancouver and richmond. 2-3 toppings with choice of rice/fried rice/ noodle
Hong Kong is no longer considered to be a business hub of Asia. Expatriates have better opportunities in Bangkok. Quality of life in Hong Kong is one of the worst in the world with expensive rents and medical care. Bangkok invested billions of dollars in their city while keeping businesses alive with low rents and open communication. Businesses operating in Bangkok have access to all of Asia while Hong Kong is limited to China. An article in the news highlights the desperation of Hong Kong to attract tourists. You can feel the unhappiness in the city by looking at the faces of employees. They aren't happy and their attitudes directly reflect that.
Stop talking nonsense! You have no idea what you’re talking about.
If you bring in money to Bangkok you get double taxed on it, so why would an expat want to go there for business?
yeah sure， comparing Bangkok with HK, is like comparing Thailand with China..... Boy, they are not in the same league, get over it.
One more thing, remember Asia crisis in 1997, Thailand sank to rock bottom and could do nothing against the hedge funds. While Hong Kong Government took a large chunk from Soros. Honestly, if u r target by the Anglo Saxon, and you don't got the muscle, you will be on the menu....... ITS THE BIG GUYS TABLE, FOR SMALL COUNTRY LIKE THAILAND, U NEED TO LAY LOW AND LET THE BIG GUYS FIGHT. CHOOSE YOUR SIDES WISELY OR ELSE, like what the USA blinken said, YOU WILL BE ON THE MENU. While Mr. Yang of China in Alaska summit said to Blinken, Go eff urself, you don't have sheep to confront us...... As for present stage, HK IS THE TARGET OF THE ELITE OF ANGLO SAXON. YOU R LUCKY THAT CHINA IS TAKING ALL THE FIRE POWER NOW AND NOT OTHER COUNTRIES, LIKE YOURS.
@@123321ps Hong Kong is dead and Bangkok is vibrant. Two totally different leagues. Go cry baby.
These types of videos highlight the real situation in Hong Kong. Poverty and unemployment will reach new records in Hong Kong.
singapore in poverty too ? we have been having this kind of stalls since forever 🤣🤣🤣
@@oki148you got me 😂😂😂😂
While in the west, they have numerous homeless having the freedom to sleep everywhere and eat through food coupon..... Especially the beacon of the democratic country.........
US has the most homeless people
FYI, the unemployment rate in HK is 2.9%
These are meant to feed lower wage workers to meet their end to end meet. But Singapore, the price of economical rice has soared through the ceiling.
2 to 3 dish economical rice in Sg, the price is around 6-7 sgd
i love this. ate this all the yime wen i viited hk. so yummy
That’s how Chinese food has been served in the US 🤔🥡🥢🥠
I like how she carefully avoided blaming the CCP-police crackdown for the downturn in the economy….The current poor situation in HK is a much a CCP problem as it is a pandemic problems…..
its the hk rioters that made hongkong become a joke. most businesses prefer china shenzhen than hongkong
its more a consequence of the HK protests.
HKers blame the protesters for destroying hong kong and drove away mainland / overseas tourists. I guess when you watch too much white media, you'll end up with the fake western narrative
@@johnwu9168 The protests in 2019 was peaceful until the CCP-backed police then began to fire tear gas at the crowd and driving vans at them and provoking them….The CCP will always be a problem in China until they are overthrown by the people…..
@@johnwu9168 Yes I know that…Hence the CCP crackdown I was referring to…..
It's basically the missing link between cafeteria and take out cooking. I really wish we had something like this where I live
In Indonesia we called it warteg and it's way more cheaper at 1 USD you could get a full meal with rice eggs and veggies
My condolences to the millions of Hong kongers 🇭🇰 who lost their land, voting rights, and freedom of speech after being
- brutally crushed by the police and
- lied to by the Chinese regime's promise to keep their Hong Kong the same for 50 years
Did Hongkies have the right to vote and free speech under the British?
As far as I can recall your British master rule with an iron fist and gangsters and prostitution was rampant 😅
I'm retired, that is very nice to see those food options,
In the South we call it Meat & 3 ( invented in Nashville TN USA). The concept is you pick 1 meat plus 3 vegetables and it is also served with cornbread or rolls.
This kind of shop is a staple in Indonesia. It is called “nasi campur” or mixed rice.
This has been a long time in Indonesia. Although it's never limited to just 2 dish. And the places don't reheat the food as you can see, so some people may not be able to eat without getting their stomach upset.
I love eating these!!! I would usually share it with my mom and it's totally worth the price and it's so delicious! 😊
Malaysian here. My favourite capfan stall is when they sell Malay Chinese and Indian dishes.
I think this is pretty common around Southeast Asia. In Indonesia, they call this as 'Warteg".
I get a 2 dish here in San Francisco though the choice can be with Rice, Fried Rice or Chowmein varieties , cost $10 at Clement BBQ , I often get Fish Fillets in Black Bean Sauce , and Beef with Onion & Peppers
Better than those $5 fast food garbage combo meals in the US if they’re still any $5 meal deals left at all with this corporations made inflation.
I’d rather eat this than a burger & fries
It is very common in Thailand. When I was an office worker, I bought lunch at this type of food store every day Monday- Friday. It is just convenient, not fuss, no need to wait for my food order. Quickly ate my lunch, so I had plenty of time left to relax during the break. However, my mother also bought this meal set for me on the weekend. Just give me a break! No Kao Kaeng on the weekend please.