Where can I find the best curry fish balls in Hong Kong?

The best curry fish balls are at street stalls in Mong Kok (especially along Fa Yuen Street), Shau Kei Wan, and Temple Street Night Market (Jordan). Look for stalls with a constant queue — that's the mark of a fresh batch. Cheung Chau island also has famous fish ball shops.

What are curry fish balls made of?

Fish balls (yu daan) are made from minced fish paste (usually from yellow croaker or other white fish), shaped into balls, and boiled or fried. Curry fish balls are simmered in a spicy, aromatic curry sauce that's thinner than Indian or Japanese curry but packed with flavour.

Are curry fish balls spicy?

The spice level varies. Most street stalls offer mild to medium spice — the curry is flavourful rather than fiery, with notes of curry powder, turmeric, and sometimes chilli oil. Some vendors offer a 'spicy' version with extra chilli for those who want more heat.

How much do curry fish balls cost?

A skewer of curry fish balls (usually 5–6 balls) costs HK$10–15. A takeaway bowl with 10–12 balls is around HK$20–30. It's one of the cheapest street snacks in Hong Kong and perfect for a quick bite while exploring the city.

What other street snacks pair well with curry fish balls?

Curry fish balls are often enjoyed alongside other skewered snacks like siu mai (pork dumplings), lobster balls, squid tentacles, and fried tofu. Many street stalls sell all of these from the same cart, simmering in different sections of the curry pot.

Best Curry Fish Balls in Hong Kong — Street Food Guide

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Curry fish balls — ga lei yu dan — are Hong Kong street food’s greatest hits single: cheap, instant, slightly addictive, and sold absolutely everywhere. Bouncy fish balls simmered in a bubbling vat of curry, served on a skewer or in a paper cup, HK$7–12 a pop. There is no wrong time for them. There is definitely a wrong vendor — more on that below.

The texture is everything. Good ones have that QQ bounce — springy, almost rubbery-chewy, from well-pounded fish paste. The curry should cling to each ball, aromatic with turmeric and curry leaves, with heat that builds rather than blasts. The sad truth: a lot of stalls serve flour-heavy balls in thin, one-note curry. The good ones are in dai pai dongs and cooked-food centres, not the Instagram stalls.

Where to Find the Best Curry Fish Balls

Mong Kok Street Food Stalls

Kowloon’s street food capital, covered in our Mong Kok Street Food guide. Around Fa Yuen Street and the Ladies Market after dark, vendors compete on recipe. Look for the deepest, darkest pot with a visible film of spice on top — that’s flavour, not neglect. The flip side: tourist-marked stalls near the MTR exits charge double for half the quality. Walk two streets in.

Temple Street Night Market — Yau Ma Tei

The classic Yau Ma Tei night market experience: decades-old stalls, secret spice blends, curry that coats each ball beautifully. It’s atmospheric, cheap, and chaotic — plastic stools, shouting, steam. Expect a HK$10–20 mark-up over neighbourhood prices because, well, tourists. Go after 7pm; the stalls are firing up and the crowd is at its best.

Sham Shui Po — Budget Street Food Capital

Sham Shui Po is where the value lives — skewers from HK$7, and fish balls that skew fresher because locals won’t accept worse. Walk Pei Ho Street and follow the steam. Timing note: go late morning or late afternoon; stalls shut between 3–5pm more often than you’d think. Nothing fancy, nothing touristy, everything delicious.

What to Watch For

If the fish balls are pale and the curry is watery, walk away. If the vat is bubbling and the balls bounce back when you poke them with the skewer, you’ve found the real thing. And carry cash — the best stalls have never heard of cards.

The Verdict

GO WITH CAVEATS — HK$10 gets you a perfect street snack if you skip the tourist stalls and follow the locals; treat it as a tasting exercise, not a destination meal.

Explore more Hong Kong food guides: Mong Kok Street Food · Sham Shui Po Cheap Eats · Late Night Food

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Best Curry Fish Balls in Hong Kong