Ghana Organic Food Market (Exotic Food)

Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Highly Recommended)

Address: 58號舖 shop no, 58 Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong (Located within Chungking Mansions)
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/9vaTHigZuBWUbQtm7
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.) 

WARNING: This Food Review will contain Photos and Video of Philippines Balut being consumed. If you are the Squeamish type, DO NOT view the Photos or Videos in this post. 🙅‍♂️ If you are Uncomfortable at any Point about this Food Review, just Stop Reading and Walk Away. 🚶 Do not come Screaming, Shouting, Condemning or Protesting in the Comments Section. Thank You.

🇵🇭🥚 Philippines Balut = HKD13.00 Each

No Service Charges

There are No Menu Available at this Eatery/Restaurant.

Chungking Mansions 重慶大廈 is the place where I stayed in Hong Kong and its actually a Huge Complex with Multiple Hostels within. 🏨 There are actually many such "Mansions" around, but this one is particularly Famous (Notorious) because of its Seedy Reputation in the 1990s and its also the location where the Famous 1994 Arthouse Movie Chungking Express was filmed. 🇭🇰📽️

Credits to Youtube Channel: HD Retro Trailers for this Movie Trailer.

Quite Nostalgic to see Brigitte Lin 林青霞, Takeshi Kaneshiro 金城武, Tony Leung 梁朝偉 and Faye Wong 王菲 in their Prime during Hong Kong's Golden Age of Cinema in the 1990s isn't it? 😄

Today, Chungking Mansions 重慶大廈 is a Melting Pot of Cultures catering to Backpackers of all Nationalities 🎒 and while I didn't think its as Bad as its Reputation, it does still have a Seedy feel to it that I don't recommend Ladies or Children to go especially during the Night Hours. 🌃🤔

This place though, is where I finally have the chance to taste the Infamous Balut from the Phillippines! 🇵🇭😄

Location of the Actual Shop:

When you enter Chungking Mansions from the Main Entrance, follow the Signages at the Ceiling pointing to Blk E. 👉🪧 You will eventually see a Pinoy Eatery on your left. 🇵🇭 The Grocery Shop that sells Balut is right next to it.

The Pinoy Lady that mans the place is a Very Jolly and Friendly Person 💁 and she was surprised and delighted that I wanted to try Balut. 🇵🇭🥚😄 That said, Balut isn't available all the time so you need to be lucky. I got her to help me reserve 4 Baluts and I passed her the Money in Advance. 👍 Hahaha I admit I was abit Kiasu here lah, I was scared that they would be sold out fast when they did arrive. In the back of my mind, I was also thinking if she will just cheat my money and say she never received any Advance Payment from me. 💵😅 

I was Absolutely Delighted when I came to collect them later in the Week and she actually remembered me and passed me the Baluts. 🇵🇭🥚 She even called me "Ah! The Balut Guy!" hahaha! Kudos to her Integrity! 😄❤️ She also advised me that they are currently Cold 🥚❄️ (probably delivered in an Ice Container), I should let them sit in Hot Water for a Few Minutes before Consuming. 😋

🇵🇭🥚 What is Balut?

Balut is a Fertilized Developing Duck Egg Embryo 🦆🥚 that is Boiled or Steamed and eaten from the Shell commonly sold as a Street Food in Philippines, 🇵🇭 Cambodia 🇰🇭 and Vietnam. 🇻🇳 (Source: Wikipedia) In Layman's terms basically this is a Duck Egg that is eaten when the Embryo within is Half Developed. 🦆🥚

Outwardly, there is nothing special looking about the Egg. It looks just like any other normal looking egg out there. 🥚🤔 When you crack into it, the first thing that happens is that there is a Embryotic Fluid that will flow out. 💦 You are supposed to suck it out first. This Fluid is Blackish in Colour, looks Absolutely Horrific. 💦😳 Actually taste like an Egg if its in a Liquid Form. 🥚💦 I kindda like this taste for some reason, has a Very Nice Warm Eggy Sort of Taste. 🥚😋

Now when you peel off the Shell, the Whole Thing looks Horrifically Veiny, like some Unspeakable Lovecraftian Horror Nightmare! 😳 This Veiny Membrane is the part that will freak out most people because it does looks Disgusting. 😳 Even I was abit turned off when I saw how Disgusting it looked. 😅


From here, there are 2 ways of eating it:

1st Way of Eating: The Normal Way 😋

According to my Pinoy Friend, he would dip it in Vinegar, and just bite into it without looking at it. 🥚😋 He admits that it is also Horrific Looking for him. 😅 I didn't have any Vinegar or Condiment with me so I just ate it plain.

When you bite it like this, the Bite Texture is almost no different from eating a Regular Boiled Egg. 🥚🤔 There are No Bones, 🚫🦴 No Meat. 🚫🍖 And although you can see Little Feathers, 🪶 you can't taste them. 🤔 The More you Chew, the more you feel it also taste abit like 皮蛋 but only very slightly. 🥚🤔 Eggy Taste is very prominent. It's like a Very Very Eggy Boiled Egg.

I ate my 1st Balut Cold ❄️ and 2nd Balut heated up. 🔥 The Pinoy lady is right, heating it up a little does make it taste slightly nicer than eating it Cold. 👍 Adding some Salt or Vinegar like how you normally add for a Boiled Egg will also help. 🧂 Do note, there is One Particular Part of Balut that is Particularly Hard and Tough like Rubber. 🤔 It is Edible, but it's hard to chew and its Tasteless. According to my Pinoy friend, he usually throw it away. 🚮

2nd Way of Eating: The Hardcore Way 😈

I'll be honest, I don't know if anyone eats Balut this way. (Not even my Pinoy Friend eats it this way) 😅 but if you have the chance, do give it a try. 😅 Now, to eat this 2nd Hardcore Way, Separate the Chick Part from the Yolk Part. 🐣🍳 (Refer to Photo to see them Seperated) They can be easily separated. Throw away that Hard Rubbery Part if you find it.

THIS Way of Eating is Hardcore because right now you ACTUALLY can see the Chick with its not yet formed Dead Eyes staring back at you. 🐣😳 All you need to do is Eat them Separately. 

Wow... its VERY HARDCORE to actually Chew the Chick. 🐣

Because the Texture is not Pleasant at all as it is Very Mushy. 😖 It tastes Exactly how you would imagine crushing a Soft Animal right between your Teeth. 🐣 If you cannot Mind over Matter here, you may just puke it out. 🤮 

But if you can stomach it, you will be able to actually taste the Chick's Feathers 🪶 and a Very Quick Shot of Duck Meat 🦆🍖 and maybe even abit of Soft Bones. 🦴🤔 Sort of like eating a Very Mushy Duck Nugget?

As for the Yolk that you seperated earlier, this is much more palatable and taste almost like a Regular Egg Yolk. 🥚🤔 Had you eaten the Balut whole the Normal Way, the taste of this Yolk completely overtakes the Subtle Delicate Duck Meat taste of the Chick. 🥚🐣

The more I eat Balut, the more I feel it also has a Similar Taste Profile to Oysters. 🦪🤔 It taste like the kind of food that people eat as a Aphrodisiac, 😍 and my Pinoy friend confirm that yes some people eat Balut for its Aphrodisiac properties. 😍😅 So Lads, if you want to be a Wild Stallion in Bed, go eat Balut and Oysters together! 🥚🦪 Hahaha! 

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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts

Eating Balut feels like eating a Biology Lesson. 👨‍🔬😅 Especially when you seperate the Chick from the Yolk, you can actually see its Guts and Intestines already formed within. 🐣😳 There is no Sugarcoating this, this Dish looks Absolutely Horrific yet I also find it Strangely Fascinating. 🤔 I don't know if we can call it Cruel to eat it like this because we also eat Eggs, 🥚🤔 just that this Egg is slightly more Developed.

I reckon this dish was probably first invented when some Egg Farmer found a couple of Unhatchable Chicks and probably didn't want to waste them and just ate them? 👨‍🌾👩‍🌾🥚 Thats just my Theory on this. 🤔

Paying HKD13.00 (S$2.20) for each Balut doesn't feel Expensive to be able to try something that we can NEVER EVER eat in Singapore. Would I try this again? I mean I don't mind if I can add some Condiment to it instead of eating it Plain like I did. 🥚🧂 Personally I felt eating 4 Baluts felt too Jelak. 🥚😛 I feel 2 is the Nice Comfortable Limit for me.

I am more Impressed about this Shop that sold me this. 👍 Not only was the Pinoy Lady so friendly, she really remembered me and had integrity to pass me the Balut when i reserved them in advance. ❤️ So if you are in Hong Kong 🇭🇰 and would like to try some Balut, 🇵🇭🥚 I can totally recommend this place! Highly Recommended! 😄