I ate a lot of things that surprised me when I lived in Hong Kong in my mid-20s, often from carts hidden from street view in back alleys or larger street-side stalls known as dai pai dong. And I have to say, save for one unfortunate dinner that included fresh sea urchin, I never regretted these impromptu meals.

Street snacks made by “hawkers,” i.e. licensed street vendors, in Hong Kong are often amazing noshes. And way back when, they also were cheap enough to fit our budget as a young married couple just starting out in the then crowded British territory. (It was handed back to China in 1997 after 156 years of British rule.)

Jeremy Pang’s “Hong Kong Kitchen” takes me back to those crazy, tasty days in a location that now ranks as the fourth most densely populated country or dependency in the world with more than 7 million residents.

The cookbook’s 70-plus recipes explore everything from dumplings to bao to noodles and desserts, along with “tips and tricks” from a Hong Kong kitchen.

One recipe that jumped out immediately was for mouth-watering fried pork chop sandwiches, which — in keeping with Hong Kong-style eating — are prepared with the chop bone kept in.

“Hong Kongers love all things pork,” Pang writes in the headnotes. “Pork offal, porky snacks, roasted pork bao, braised pork, sweet and sour pork ... You name it, we can cook it.”

The dish takes a little bit of planning, as you have to marinate the pork chops for at least an hour before cooking them.

But I agree with Pang when he writes: “The crisp outer edges and succulent meat of the pork chop are guaranteed to make your mouth water.”

I hated that I had to share the bounty with my husband.

The sandwiches can be served in a cheap crusty roll, a soft bap or a homemade bun — whatever you desire.