If you eat kosher, self-catering in HK is not impossible but it is not easy either. If you google “kosher products” and “hong kong” you will find a few addresses which you might find useful.
On the main island, you have basically two kosher stores:the JCC Koshermart (at the Jewish Community Centre) and Shalom Grocery.
The JCC Koshermart is stocked with imported kosher groceries, deli, meat and poultry products. Apparently it also offers freshly prepared dishes for Jewish Festivals as well as freshly baked breads and bakery products.
Shalom Grocery is located in Central, 61 Connaught Road, and holds a variety of Mehadrin Kosher products from Israel and the U.S.A.
However those of you who are familiar with kosher shops must keep in mind that these two stores are quite small and only offer a limited number of products such as canned food, snacks, buiscuits, some breads, wine and grape juice, a few dairy products and some frozen meat and fish.
Chabad of Hong Kong also mentions that “there is a wide variety of kosher products available in the Hong Kong Supermarkets.” I’d nuance this and say that there are some kosher products in some Hong Kong Supermarkets; most are products from the USA and Canada and bear printed hasgachot.
Thus you will find some kosher products at:
- Olivers in Princes Building
- Wellcome Supermarkets
- “Great” Supermarket, beneath Seibu Pacific Place which has a kosher section (products from Israel
While Oliver’s and Wellcomes certainly sell kosher products, don’t expect to find lot o f things there. I am not sure about the kosher range at Great’s but it can’t be very big since I didn’t see it when I went there. I did find a few kosher products scattered here and there around the shop though.
I’d suggest that if you see items you fancy, it is a good idea to buy them you might not find them as not all stores hold the same food.
Such a mine of information you are! So, have you been eating mainly vegetarian whilst in HK? How has it been?
Yes, mostly. I also went to a kosher restaurant but this is for another post.
Valuable information for kosher travelers (I’ve already told you could make a side career out of your kosher travel posts).
Do you know the U.S. hashgachot? Some are, ahem, more accepted than others.
Most of them are OU. I suppose this is rated as acceptable.
Very interesting!
My parents were in Hong Kong a few years ago, and IIRC, they were pleasantly surprised by how many kosher products were available.
I guess it is a lot considering the relatively low number of Jewish citizens and visitors but I find there is too little fresh stuff. I can’t live on biscuits and crisps alone. But there again I only have a limited view of what’s available.
When we were in Hong Kong we ate at a restaurant/grocery store on the second or third floor of a nondescript building just across the street and down the block from the Financial Center Mall. The meal was excellent and the store had an amazing variety of food. Since I don’t know the name of the place, I don’t know if it’s one you’ve referred to or not.
From the location and the description of the building, I’d say it is “Shalom Grill”. I ate there too and plan to write about it.