5 Things You Can’t Miss At Wuhan’s Street Food Mecca
Travelogue
Travel Information
Eunice Tan explores Wuhan’s famous food street Hubuxiang, treating her taste buds to an array of flavours and shortlisting five foods you cannot miss out on.
By Eunice Tan - September 17, 2019
A gem undiscovered by mainstream travellers, Wuhan boasts rich culture and experiences. Just like any culture, food is an unspoken staple. Mention Wuhan’s food and Hubuxiang (户部乡) also known as Hubu Alley is never left out.
The food street stretches about twice the length of Bugis Street and has been around for more than 20 years. According to a local, Mr Mu Yi Yang: “It is famous for breakfast and was the go-to place for locals to enjoy Wuhan’s authentic street food. Now, with developments and new stores, it is more of a tourist attraction.”
Outside the food street, one can hear the hustle and bustle among the sea of authentic delicacies and eager foodies. Store workers promote non-stop, calling out “shuai ge” or “mei nu” to patronise their stalls.
With every brightly lit unit reaching out with open arms, I did what any typical Singaporean would do – eat from the one with the longest queue. Thus, I first tried the pork ribs at Yi Gen Pai Gu.
Pork ribs (30 yuan, S$6) at the replica
Yi Gen Pai Gu (一根排骨) store
Their speciality Xiang La Wei (香辣味) pork ribs had an unexpected crispiness at first bite. The flavour of spices caught me by surprise and burned the back of my throat. Just as I was about to try another store, I saw a growing queue at the replica store just seven units away. I decided to give this dish another chance and joined the line.
I ordered the same flavour for the same price. Surprisingly, what was an overkill or lacking in the authentic ribs, was perfect in the replica. Crispier, less spicy and saltier. The juicier and more tender replicated ribs proved that sometimes, originals may not always be better.
“Signature weird flavour” potatoes
(10 yuan, S$2) at Shan Ah Mei (山阿妹)
At Shan Ah Mei, they sell seasoned roasted potatoes.
A staff recommends Zhao Pai Guai Wei (招牌怪味), translating to “signature weird flavour”, explaining that “the combination of sweet and sour is weird”.
Their special homemade sweet and sour sauce complements the chilli and I am not surprised that they survived more than ten years with a simple dish like this.
Traditional street food is what Hubuxiang was originally about, but if you had the taste of Wuhan’s classic street food elsewhere, coming here is also an opportunity to explore new street food territories.
Fries with ice cream and sauce (20 yuan, S$4) at
One Meter
Among the multitude of traditional food that Hubuxiang had to offer, One Meter’s fries stood out. The addictive fries are sold with ice cream, compensating for the fries’ lack of salt. It is three times the size of the standard Macdonald’s fry and the generous portion makes it a good sharing snack.
Don’t walk away if there is a queue because they have three branches here, proving to be a favourite.
Bamboo glutinous rice (15 Yuan, S$3)
at Nong Shen (农神)
At Nong Shen, I was intrigued by the pyramids of smoking bamboo sticks. Strip one open and yellow glistening glutinous rice is revealed. It is light and sweet with a strong banana taste hitting the tastebuds first before leaving a subtle after-taste of mixed fruits. This makes it a nice break from savoury and strong flavours that dots Hubuxiang. Into a lighter dessert that is not too sweet? This is it.
Durian cheese pancake (30 yuan, S$6) at
Miao Xiao Mi (猫小咪)
I wouldn’t forgive myself if I left without trying the durian cheese pancake at Miao Xiao Mi. Despite sounding repulsive, trust me when I say this is one dish I will miss. The store has a policy that if it does not taste good, you can get your money back.
Strings of cheese follow each slice, durian overflowing. The sweetness of the durian greets me before the saltiness of cheese does. I reached for another piece without hesitation. They can keep my money. However, don’t be swayed by the long queue at another durian pancake store, Bing Bi Te, because you would mostly be paying for dough.
At the end of my feast, my taste buds left with a sense of satisfaction that I haven’t felt in a long time. With an affordable array of street food gathered in one place, it would be a loss to give Hubuxiang a miss the next time you are in Wuhan.
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