Important public service announcement incoming: we are now officially in Halloween month. What better way to get ourselves ready for the festive day than by indulging in treats coloured in Halloween’s signature colour? We’ve searched high and low to find the best (and most unexpected) black-themed foods. Behold; a feast of darkness as pitch-black as the night!
[pro_ad_display_adzone id="73367"]
Photo courtesy of WeekendHK
1. Black dessert soup
From humble origins as a food stall to a Michelin-recommended brick-and-mortar shop, Kai Kai Dessert Shop has come a long way. This family-run business is famous for their dessert soup, and a favourite of ours is their
Black Sesame Dessert Soup ($20). The chefs at Kai Kai stir-fry the sesame seeds in-house to unleash its rich aromas and, after a rigorous rinsing process, the sesame is filtered through a stone mill. The gooey mixture goes straight into a heated giant pot before being served warm to discerning customers.
Kai Kai Dessert Shop, G/F, 29 Ning Po Street, Jordan | (+852) 2384 3862
Photo courtesy of @stephanieeeefong
2. Black grilled cheese
No Milkshake No Life is no stranger to aesthetically-pleasing dishes, especially with such a too-cool-for-school name. They are known for their outlandish milkshakes, but today’s spotlight lands on their
Crazy! Spicy Sichuan Chicken! Cheese! ($92) sandwich. A damn spicy dish for all the heatseekers out there, chicken is combined with different cheeses and enclosed in a bamboo charcoal sandwich. When you cut and pull it apart, you get a drool-worthy picture of pulled cheese dangling between two black bread pockets. Charcoal is said to have a lot of health benefits and also helps with digestion, so even with all that cheese, we can still (kind of) say we’re having healthy food.
No Milkshake No Life, Shop A, G/F, 31–37 Hill Road, Shek Tong Tsui, Western District | (+852) 6471 3339
3. Black steamed shrimp dumplings
Steamed shrimp dumplings are known for their crystal-clear skin, but HEXA turns things around with their signature
Steamed Shrimp Dumpling in Bamboo Charcoal Wrapping ($80). The translucent dumpling skin is mixed in with activated charcoal powder for a black coating, then brushed with gold paint for an elegant, elevated touch. Not sure how we feel about taking dim sum out of the steamer basket for presentation, but it sure is luxurious!
HEXA, Shop OTE 101, G/F, Ocean Terminal Harbour City, 3–27 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 2577 1668
Read more! Check out the best colour-coordinated cafés in Hong Kong.
4. Black water
When BLK first hit the stores, it caused a global uproar: how can water be black? Let’s clear things up: there are no artificial dyes or colour added to BLK and they use purified alkaline water sourced from springs and aquifers in the United States and Canada as the base. So where does the black come from? Turns out that nutrient-rich fulvic acid and humic minerals are naturally dark in colour, and because of their rich health properties, BLK is loaded with fulvic and humic minerals, making the water black! These minerals help the human body break down, absorb, and transport key nutrients and are mined deep from the earth’s surface, so you’d (literally) be drinking the deep essence of the earth!
BLK, locations vary
5. Black chicken soup
Known as ‘black chicken’ in Chinese, we’re actually referring to a special breed known as Silkie chicken in English. The reason why it is called ‘black’ chicken is due to their skin. Known for its abundant health properties in Chinese medicine, black chicken is particularly popular amongst women and anyone who has poor blood circulation. The best way to unlock its benefits is to stew the chicken for a long period of time with other Chinese medicinal herbs, and the end result is a hot pot of soup best for winter days.
Soup Master in Kwun Tong serves great
Black Chicken Soup with Fish Maw and Mushrooms ($68), one of the many soups that use black chicken. The store is co-owned by a young couple, who cook everything themselves and offer a different speciality soup every day. It’s hard not to like it if what you’re selling is really just the flavour of home-cooked meals.
Soup Master, Shop A01, G/F Fook Cheong Building, 63 Hoi Yuen Road, Kwun Tong | (+852) 5502 2462
6. Black baguette
Bread is typically, you know, bread-coloured... so can you imagine eating black bread? You can try some at Parisian import Gontran Cherrier, the newest bakery on the block. Their extensive range of baguettes includes a black option, where squid ink is mixed with the dough before shaping and baking. Imagine walking down the street with your Halloween costume, the wind blowing through your hair as you sink your teeth into a black baguette. We’d say that’s a pretty spooky sight indeed.
Gontran Cherrier, Shop B205–B207, B2/F, K11 Musea, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 3468 2430
Read more! Check out these 11 products in Pantone’s 2019 colour of the year, Living Coral.
7. Black tart
Here’s another for the dessert lovers: a black tart! As one of Hong Kong’s premier patisseries, Sweet Fashion House is responsible for some of the city’s most beautiful pastries and cakes. Their black tart, named
Carbon ($38) (loving the theme!), and is made with sablé tart shell, caramelised pumpkin seed, and toffee cream, and decorated with an ultra-aerated sponge.
Carbon would be the perfect treat to bring to any Halloween-themed party!
Sweet Fashion House, Shop G16, Lee Garden 3, Causeway Bay | (+852) 7072 0303
8. Black and white toast
Time to get in on some black and white action! Café Match Box is known for their modern renditions of classic
cha chaa teng dishes, and one of their most popular signatures is the
Black and White Toast ($26). Using sesame paste as a base, the toast is halved and covered in black paste, then drizzled with condensed milk to give the dish an extra boost of moisture. It’s the perfect combination to balance out the thickness of the sesame paste with the sweetness of condensed milk. Make sure to rinse your mouth with a gulp of water after, or you’ll be picking out bits of blended sesame from your teeth all night!
Café Match Box, Shop C&D, G/F, 57 Paterson Street, Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay | (+852) 2868 0363
Read more! Check out where to find the best Halloween costumes and makeup in Hong Kong.
Photo courtesy of Nestle
9. Black ice cream
Newly launched in July, Nestle’s newest additions to their ice cream cone collection include an all-black
Ice Cream Cone ($12)! Chocolate cookie-flavoured ice cream is covered with milk chocolate chips, then laced with milk chocolate around the side of the cone. When you’re finished with the ice cream layer on top, you can bite into the black waffle cone to amp up the cookie flavour!
7-Eleven,
locations vary
10. Black risotto
We sure couldn’t finish this list without bringing up squid ink, one of nature’s finest (and most delicious) dyes. Regarded as a high-end ingredient, Italian cuisine loves taking full advantage of it in all kinds of pasta and risottos. Castellana’s signature dish,
Black Garlic Carnaroli Rissotto and River Prawn, includes not only one, but
two black ingredients: squid ink and black garlic. Aged garlic is blended into the risotto rice, sautéed with squid ink sauce, and topped with a delicately-cooked river prawn. It is a truly elegant dish with flavours to match. Just be sure to wipe your mouth and rinse several times before you crack a smile, or you might scare people with your black-stained teeth!
Castellana, Cubus, 1 Hoi Ping Road, Causeway Bay | (+852) 3188 5028
Read more! Find
spootacular things to do with your kids for Halloween or explore the rest of our
Food & Drink section.
[button color="#008bd2" size="medium" link="https://localiiz.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=c2964a434922598f5d8ee53ff&id=07d327a2e8" icon="" target="true"]Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter[/button]
