From greasy roadside dai pai dongs to rambunctious cha chaan tengs showcasing the best of Cantonese cuisine and Hong Kong’s food culture, this Hong Kong food guide shows where it’s worth packing those calories on for your next trip.

Summary

If you don’t believe this city lives every day at a pace faster than an MRT in Singapore could break down, you need to experience their food culture just once. Expect to share tables in cramped spaces, get berated for taking too long to finish your meal, and be asked to leave the moment you’re done.

Interior of Busy Kam Wah Cafe - Hong Kong Food Guide

External forces aside, there’s nowhere else to taste Cantonese cuisine as authentic. We’ve scoured and compiled these must-try places that’ll leave you exclaiming “hou sek” (delicious), with halal recommendations for our Muslim friends too.

Psst, a little tip: while Hong Kong is notorious for its bad service standards, see it as a unique Hong Kong experience. A day in Hong Kong isn’t complete till you’ve been yelled at by a middle-aged auntie for taking too long to order your food. #truestory (tl;dr: Don’t take the scoldings too personally, that’s how it is!)

Price Range Guide (per pax):
$ — under HK$50 (~S$8.30)
$$ — HK$51 – HK$100 (~S$8.50 – ~S$16.70)
$$$ — above HK$101 (~S$16.90)

Cha Chaan Teng (茶餐廳, Cafes and Coffee Shops)

The hallmark of Hong Kong casual dining with fuss-free breakfast fcood. To eat up and go is the name of the game. Also, we’re not going to keep repeating ourselves: if the menu has classic Hong Kong milk tea in it, you’d be a fool to not order it.TM

1) Kam Wah Cafe (金華冰廳)

Traditional Hong Kong Breakfast Food at Kam Wah Cafe and Bakery - Hong Kong Food Guide

Get freshly-baked pineapple buns (菠蘿包 / bo lo bao) — aptly named after the crusty top’s resemblance to the fruit — with a hearty slice of butter (HK$10, ~S$1.70), and traditional flaky egg tarts (HK$5, ~S$0.85) at Kam Wah Cafe. Even at its busiest the waitstaff get your food on the table in less than 1 minute. Seriously.

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 6:30AM – 11:30PM
Address: 47 Bute Street, Prince Edward (太子弼街47號地下)
How to get there: Walk 4 min from Prince Edward MTR Station, Exit B2

2) Chrisly Cafe (華星冰室)

Interior of Chrisly Cafe - Hong Kong Food Guide

Unassuming on the outside, Chrisly Cafe‘s chic enclave comes complete with booths decked in mahjong tile prints. Expect to wait at least 15 minutes to get in!

Scrambled Egg with Black Truffle at Chrisly Cafe - Hong Kong Food Guide

People usually go for their creamy and milky Scrambled Egg with Black Truffle served on toast (HK$46, ~S$7.90). For more traditional fare, their breakfast combo (served 7AM – 12PM) is value for money — HK$38 (~S$6.50) gets you scrambled egg with toast, macaroni soup with ham and coffee / milk tea.

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 7AM – 11PM
Address: 107 Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Mong Kok (旺角西洋菜南街107號地下) (and 4 other branches)
How to get there: Walk 3 min from Mong Kok MTR Station, Exit B2

3) Mido Cafe (美都餐室)

Interior of Mido Cafe - Hong Kong Food Guide

We particularly love the old school vibes permeating Mido Cafe. Their menu spans 2 whopping A3 pages, serving from traditional Hong Kong to Western food, and everything in between.

Food at Mido Cafe - Hong Kong Food Guide

Their chicken fried rice (HK$60, ~S$10.30) was really fragrant and the baked pork chop rice in Macanese style (HK$88, ~S$15) had a pleasant tanginess from the tomato base. The buttery french toast (HK$22, ~S$3.80) is popular too.

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours: 9AM – 9PM (Closed Wednesdays)
Address: 63 Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei (油麻地廟街63號地下)
How to get there: Walk 4 min from Yau Ma Tei MTR Station, Exit C

4) Australian Dairy Company (澳洲牛奶公司)

Toast with Ham and Eggs at Australia Dairy Company - hong kong food journey 31

The long-standing debate on which is superior — Australian Dairy Company or Yee Shun Milk Company (next point) — may never be solved, but one thing universally agreed upon is to never order the macaroni soup here. But the fluffy and milky scrambled eggs with toast (炒蛋多士, HK$24, ~S$4.10) here will be worth your time.

Word of caution: Staff here are notoriously known to be exceptionally rude!

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 7:30AM – 11PM (Closed Thursdays)
Address: 47-49 Parkes Street, Jordan (佐敦白加士街47-49號地下)
How to get there: Walk 2 min from Jordan MTR Station, Exit C2

5) Yee Shun Milk Company (義順牛奶公司)

Steamed Milk Pudding at Yee Shun Milk Company - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Travelfoodiemy.blogspot.com

The first thing you’ll notice are the glass windows with racks upon racks of Yee Shun Milk Company‘s famed cold steamed milk puddings, named “Steamed Milk in Two Filns [sic]” on the menu (HK$36, ~S$6.15). Reason being the 2 layers of film that form at the top from the cooling process — don’t be turned off by it, it’s meant to be there!

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If you’re feeling snacky, get their no-frills beef and egg sandwich (HK$33, ~S$5.60) as well.

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 12PM – 12AM
Address: 63 Pilkem Street, Jordan (佐敦庇利金街63號) (and 2 other branches)
How to get there: Walk 1 min from Jordan MTR Station, Exit C2

6) Cheung Heung Tea Restaurant (祥香茶餐廳)

Egg Tarts at Cheung Heung Tea Restaurant - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Landlopers.com

Cheung Heung Tea Restaurant‘s popularity has been uprising since Kennedy Town MTR opened, with its famous egg tarts (鬆化蛋撻, HK$4, ~S$0.70) and pineapple buns (鲜油菠蘿包, HK$8, ~S$1.40) selling out tray after tray.

For a full meal they have a special set (特餐, HK$36, ~S$6.15) comprising a bun with ham and sunny side up, noodles of your choice and milk tea (or coffee, but why would you do that?).

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 5AM – 6PM
Address: 107 Belcher’s Street, Kennedy Town, Western District (西環堅尼地城卑路乍街107號)
How to get there: Walk 3 min from Kennedy Town MTR Station, Exit B

7) Lan Fong Yuen (蘭芳園)

Food at Lan Fong Yuen - Hong Kong Food Guide

Dubbed the pioneers of the classic Hong Kong sock-pulled milk tea (HK$21, ~S$3.60), Lan Fong Yuen serves decent chow too.

The Traditional French Toast with Kaya (HK$37, ~S$6.30) is delightfully rich, while the Chicken Chop with Spring Onions and Vegetables (HK$55, ~S$9.40) on the dry instant noodles menu is super filling; the pungent spring onion sauce is pretty killer. Both sets include a hot tea / coffee.

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 7:30AM – 6PM (Closed Sundays)
Address:
2 Gage Street, Central, Hong Kong (中環結志街2號) (and 2 other branches)
How to get there: Walk 7 min from Central MTR Station, Exit D2

8) Honolulu Coffee Shop (檀島咖啡餅店)

Egg Tart in Honolulu Coffee Shop - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Kumory.blogspot.com

Think you have a flaky personality? Try and match up to Honolulu Coffee Shop‘s famed egg tarts (極品蛋撻, HK$10, ~S$1.70) boasting 192 layers in its pastry crust — not sure who counted, but we believe it.

This unrelated-to-actual-Hawaii coffee shop also boasts a huge menu of the usual suspects from eggs to noodles to rice.

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 6AM – 12AM
Address: G/F & Mezz Floor, 176-178 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai (灣仔軒尼詩道176-178號地下及閣樓) (and 2 other branches)
How to get there: Walk 5 min from Wan Chai MTR Station, Exit A4

9) Café de Coral (大家樂)

Variety of dishes to choose from Cafe De Coral menu - Hong Kong Food Guide

We weren’t sure where to categorise this, but Cafe de Coral has an equally speedy eat-up-and-go tempo as cha chaan tengs, except in a Westernised, fast food environment.

Enter any of their 170-over branches and expect an eclectic mix of cuisines from Cantonese to Western, with regularly-changing menus! While their food is nothing to write home about (it started out mainly served the busy working class), they’re ridiculously affordable (a meal averages HK$30, ~S$5.10), easy to find, and enough to satiate ’em hunger pangs.

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 7AM – 9:30PM
Address: Everywhere (171 branches)

Also read: 12 Top Eats in Hong Kong — A (very) Honest Food Review

10) Sun Heung Yuen (新香園)

Eggs and Beef Sandwich at Sun Heung Yuen - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Travelwritingssp.blogspot.com

Sun Heung Yuen is so famous for their scrambled egg and beef sandwich (馳名蛋牛治, HK$21, ~S$3.60), a yellow-and-red banner with the dish’s name is plastered right below its signboard; not ordering one while you’re there would almost seem like a mockery.

Each sandwich is actually made-to-order, and is one of the rare cha chaan tengs to use fresh rather than corned beef.

Price Range: $
Opening Hours:
24/7
Address:
38 Kweilin Street, Sham Shui Po (深水埗桂林街38號A地下)
How to get there: Walk 2 min from Sham Shui Po MTR Station, Exit C2

Dim Sum

If you haven’t had dim sum in Hong Kong, have you really been to Hong Kong? Everyone loves these delicately crafted morsels, each densely packed with shrimp, pork, and whatnot. The sight of smoke billowing from the bamboo baskets is enough to titillate the senses.

And as the late Lydia Shum once said, “Once you put one in your mouth, you feel like you’re on top.” The only problem is knowing when to stop.

1) One Dim Sum (一點心)

One Dim Sum in Hong Kong - Hong Kong Food Guide

One Dim Sum‘s chic enclave looks relatively classy, but this former one Michelin-starred restaurant is humble, absolutely delicious AND affordable — nothing below HK$30 (~S$5.10). At peak periods expect to queue for an hour, but their numbered ticket system allows you to roam the streets before returning.

You won’t regret ordering their siew mais topped with prawn roe, fragrant carrot cakes and silky smooth prawn cheong fun — you have our guarantee. Sweeten up the experience with their signature mango custard rolls too.

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours: 11AM – 12AM (Opens 10AM on weekends)
Address: Shop 1 & 2, Kenwood Mansion, 15 Playing Field Road, Prince Edward (太子運動場道15號京華大廈地舖1-2號)
How to get there: Walk 2 min from Prince Edward MTR Station, Exit A

2) Lin Heung Tea House (蓮香樓)

Update: Lin Heung Tea House (蓮香樓) is permanently closed as of 10 Aug 2022

Hungry Patrons at Lin Heung Tea House - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Hk01.com

People flock to Lin Heung Tea House for the food as much as the authentic yum cha experience in traditional style — sharing tables, dim sum pushcarts and lots of aggression. Nowhere else will you see people chase after an old lady with so much gusto.

Rush for the nearest vacant seat you can find, and make a dash for the carts the moment you see them, because popular picks like their pig liver sausage (lup cheong) siew mais (HK$28, ~S$4.80) and cheong funs (HK$32, ~S$5.45) disappear quick.

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours: 6AM – 11PM (Dim sum till 4PM)
Address: 160-164 Wellington Street, Central (中環威靈頓街160-164號)
How to get there: Walk 5 min from Sheung Wan MTR Station, Exit E1

3) Dim Sum Square (聚點坊點心專門店)

Dim Sum Square - Hong Kong Itinerary

Regularly making it onto best dim sum restaurant lists (including this article), Dim Sum Square is famed for their “snow-capped” Crispy BBQ Pork Buns (HK$19, ~S$3.20) with a crusty exterior. Other dishes like their har gow and chee cheong fun (both HK$22, ~S$3.75) are also frequently raved about.

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours: 10AM – 10PM (Opens 8AM on Sundays)
Address: Fu Fai Commercial Centre, 27 Hillier Street, Sheung Wan (上環禧利街27號富輝商業中心地下)
How to get there: Walk 4 min from Sheung Wan MTR Station, Exit A2

4) Tim Ho Wan (添好運點心專門店)

Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Travel-and-discover.blogspot.com

A Michelin 1 star holder since 2015, Tim Ho Wan is inarguably one of the most famous dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong — if not the most — with branches all over the world including Singapore. With that said, it may not be worth the trip for Singaporeans, but more so for our international friends.

Despite its upmarket look prices are actually super affordable. You can’t miss their signature Baked Bun with BBQ Pork (酥皮焗叉燒包, HK$20, ~S$3.40), and Pan Fried Radish Cake (香煎羅白糕, HK$15, ~S$2.55).

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours: 10AM – 9.30PM
Address: 9-11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po (深水埗福榮街9-11號地舖) (and 4 other branches)
How to get there: Walk 6 min from Sham Shui Po MTR Station, Exit B2

5) Chau Kee (周記點心)

Golden Lava French Toast at Chau Kee Dim Sum - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Gourmetyan.blogspot.com

If you live by the mantra of #SimiSaiAlsoSaltedEgg, Chau Kee is right up your alley with their “Golden Lava” French Toast (HK$30, ~S$5.10), oozing buttery, golden goodness after getting cut. Their “high SES” Siu Mai with Black Truffle and Crab Roe (HK$26, ~S$4.40) is also something special.

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours: 8AM – 6PM (Closed Mondays)
Address: Shop H1, Tung Lee Mansion, Water Street, Sai Ying Pun, Western District (西環西營盤水街東利大厦地下H1號舖)
How to get there: Walk 4 min from HKU MTR Station, Exit B1

6) DimDimSum (點點心)

Food in DimDimSum - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: I-got-it-from-my-mama.blogspot.com

What’s better than salted egg custard buns? Salted egg custard buns (金沙肥猪仔, HK$23, ~S$3.90) in the shape of cute lil pigs, from DimDimSum. Their pineapple buns (真係菠蘿包, HK$21, ~S$3.60) are also uniquely stuffed with custard and pineapple chunks, a literal homage to its name.

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours: 10AM – 1AM
Address: Man Kin Building, 28 Man Wui Street, Jordan (佐敦文滙街28號文景樓地下)
How to get there: Walk 4 min from Austin MTR Station, Exit A

7) Sun Hing Restaurant (新興食家)

Sun Hing Restaurant Dim Sum - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Thedesk.com.hk

Traditional handmade goodies out even before the sunrise, Sun Hing Restaurant is a popular breakfast joint especially amongst University of Hong Kong students nearby — an obvious hit when nothing’s over HK$25 (~S$4.25).

There’s no English menu, so if you don’t know what to order your best bets are the classic salted egg custard buns (皇牌流沙包), crab-meat siew mai (蟹膏燒賣皇), har gow (新興蝦餃皇), and crispy sticks of deep fried milk (香脆炸鲜奶). Shiok!

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours:
3AM – 4PM
Address: Shop C, 8 Smithfield Road, Kennedy Town, Western District
西環堅尼地城士美非路8號地下C號舖
How to get there: Walk 3 min from Kennedy Town MTR Station, Exit B

Roast Meats

1) Yat Lok (一樂燒鵝)

yat lok restaurant - hong Kong itinerary

Endorsement by the late Anthony Bourdain + (now former) one Michelin-star = waits up to 30 mins for a table in this gritty hole-in-the-wall establishment, Yat Lok.

The real star of the show is their roast goose drumstick (HK$108 with rice, ~S$18.50), but if you don’t want to fork out the extra HK$50, the other parts aren’t too shabby. Also worth trying is the char siew (HK$61 with rice, ~S$10) — soft and flaky unlike any BBQ pork we’ve tasted, which could explain why it usually sells out first.

Price: $$
Opening Hours: 10AM – 9PM (Closes 5:30PM on Sundays and PH)
Address: 34-38 Stanley Street, Central (中環士丹利街34-38號地舖)
How to get there: Walk 4 min from Central MTR Station, Exit D2

2) Kwan Yu Roasted Meat (君御燒味)

Soy Sauce Braised Pigeon at Kwan Yu Roast Meat - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Migrationology.com

Get your usual roasted offerings of goose, char siew and pork belly (siew yok) at Kwan Yu Roasted Meat (all HK$31 with rice, ~S$5.30), and if you’ve always been curious about soy-braised pigeon (HK$42, ~S$7.10), you can get your fix here — tastes like duck, to be honest!

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 9AM – 10PM
Address: 102 Electric Road, Tin Hau, Hong Kong (天后電氣道102號地下)
How to get there: Walk 3 min from Tin Hau MTR Station, Exit A2

3) Kam’s Roast Goose (甘牌燒鵝)

Roast Goose at Kam's Roast Goose - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Manlee662004.blogspot.com

Famously affiliated with Yung Kee (we shan’t go into the literal grandfather story), the roast goose (HK$280 for half, ~S$47.60) served at Kam’s Roast Goose is often compared to Yat Lok’s, both being Michelin 1-star holders. Their BBQ Pork Belly (HK$155, ~S$26.40) is also extra fatty for those who enjoy a greasy surprise.

Price Range: $$$
Opening Hours: 11:30AM – 9:30PM
Address: Po Wah Commercial Center, 226 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai (灣仔軒尼詩道226號寶華商業中心地舖)
How to get there: Walk 4 min from Wan Chai MTR Station, Exit A5

4) Joy Hing Roasted Meat (再興燒臘飯店)

Three Treasure Rice from Joy Hing Roasted Meat - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: 4travel.jp

A restaurant that literally stood the test of time (since the late Qing Dynasty), Joy Hing Roasted Meat still draws long queues that focuses wholly on its roasted meats. Get the holy trinity of roasted duck, chicken and char siew with the “three treasures rice” (三寶飯, HK$42, ~S$7.15) to sample the best of everything affordably.

Price Range: $
Opening Hours:
9.30AM – 10PM (Closed Sundays)
Address: Block C, 265-267 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai (灣仔軒尼詩道265-267號地下C座)
How to get there: Walk 5 min from Wan Chai MTR Station, Exit A4

5) Ho Lee Fook (口利福)

Food at Ho Lee Fook - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Holeefookhk.tumblr.com

Dishing up mod Asian cuisine primarily with Chinese, Taiwanese and Cantonese cooking styles, Ho Lee Fook‘s “modernly old-school” decor strikes a contrast with its cosmopolitan menu.

Exterior of Ho Lee Fook - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Holeefookhk.tumblr.com

Their roast meat platter (HK$478, ~S$81.40) comprises roast goose, soy sauce chicken and Kurobuta char siew, and a must-try main is the roast Wagyu short ribs with jalapeño purée, green shallot kimchi and soy glaze (HK$488, ~S$83).

Though prices might make budget travellers go “Ho Lee Fook” in another way, it’s guaranteed money well spent for those who do!

Price Range: $$$
Opening Hours:
6PM – 11PM (Closes 12AM on Fri – Sat)
Address: 1-5 Elgin Street, Soho, Central (中環蘇豪伊利近街1-5號地下)
How to get there: Walk 8 min from Sheung Wan MTR Station, Exit E1

6) Po Kee (波記燒臘粉麵店)

Noodles with Roast Goose Leg at Po Kee - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Myfavoriteguide.wordpress.com

Head to Po Kee early in the day in order to snag their popular Noodles with Roasted Goose Leg (HK$90, ~S$15.30), with your choice of either rice or glass noodles — they sell out real quick! But even if you miss it, you can also get it with roasted duck leg for half the price, or normal cuts of duck or goose from HK$32 (~S$5.45).

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours:
11:30AM – 8PM (Closed Sundays)
Address:
 Shop P, 425 Queen’s Road West, Western District (西環皇后大道西425號P舖地舖)
How to get there: Walk 1 min from HKU MTR Station, Exit B1

7) Fu Sing Shark Fin Seafood Restaurant (富聲魚翅海鮮酒家)

Fu Sing Shark Fin Seafood Restaurant Char Siew - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Thatfoodcray.com

Its name might say otherwise, but it’s not uncommon to see people patronising Fu Sing Shark Fin Seafood Restaurant just for their fatty and succulent char siew (HK$118, ~S$20) — many even tout theirs as the best in Hong Kong. They’re also popular with their selection of dim sum, like the Tim Ho Wan-esque Baked BBQ Pork Buns (HK$42, ~S$7.15)

Price Range: $$$
Opening Hours: 11AM – 11PM (Opens 10:30AM on Sundays)
Address: 1-3/F, Sunshine Plaza, 353 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai (灣仔駱克道353號三湘大廈1-3樓) (and 2 other branches)
How to get there: Walk 5 min from Causeway Bay MTR Station, Exit C

Seafood

Seafood restaurant prices are generally on the higher end for obvious reasons, so be prepared to shell out a fair bit when you enter one — prices are more often than not seasonal, so you won’t know how much to budget unless you ask on the spot. Sai Kung, in the eastern part of Hong Kong, seems to be a popular spot for seafood since the public pier is there.

1) Sai Kung Sing Kee Seafood Restaurant (勝記海鮮酒家)

Sai Kung Sing Kee Seafood Restaurant - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Missneverfull.com

Spoilt for choice at the Sai Kung Public Pier, lined with nothing but seafood restaurants? Walk further down and you’ll see Sing Kee Seafood Restaurant, one of the only few seafood restaurants with a Michelin star.

As with most seafood restaurants around Hong Kong, you pick your own catch from the tanks outside and decide how you want them done — steamed, grilled or fried. If you don’t want to think, opt for any of their set meals starting from HK$698 (~S$118.80) for 2 pax — all of which include their acclaimed Deep Fried Abalone with Salt and Pepper.

Price Range: $$$
Opening Hours: 11AM – 11PM
Address: 33-39 Sai Kung Tai Street, Sai Kung (西貢西貢大街33-39號地舖)
How to get there: Walk 7 min from Sai Kung Public Pier

Pair your visit to this restaurant with some of Sai Kung’s lesser-known sights in your itinerary!

2) Under The Bridge Spicy Crab (橋底辣蟹)

Under the Bridge Spicy Crab - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Hungryhongkong.net

Spice lovers will especially love the eponymous Under The Bridge Spicy Crab that’s deep fried with chilli garlic and salt, up to 5 levels of spiciness. The Deep Fried Mantis Prawns are also a must-try.

Price: $$$
Opening Hours: 6PM – 6AM
Address: G/F-3/F, Ascot Mansion, 421-425 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong (灣仔駱克道421-425號雅閣大廈地下至3樓) (and 2 other branches)
How to get there: Walk 3 min from Causeway Bay MTR Station, Exit C

Dai Pai Dong (大排檔)

Literally translating to “big licence stall”, dai pai dongs are outdoor food stalls that once represented the soul of old school Hong Kong from the 1940s serving cheap, homely food — nothing better than stir-fried goodies with smokey, never-wash-the-wok-for-10-years wok hei (we’re kidding about the washing part, but you know what we mean).

Sadly, they never stood the test of time — less than 25 remain in Hong Kong. Sort of like tze char restaurants in Singapore, dai pai dongs are best visited in groups of 4 or more.

1) Chan Kun Kee (陳根記)

Chan Kun Kee Dai Pai Dong - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Hongkonglifefile.com

Choose to seat in the open air or sheltered area with ceiling fans at Chan Kun Kee, and order the deep fried cuttlefish in salt and pepper (椒鹽鮮魷, HK$78, ~S$13.25) and braised pigeon (紅燒乳鴿, HK$56, ~S$9.50).

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours: 6PM – 1AM
Address: No. 3-5, Wo Che Estate Market, Sha Tin (沙田禾輋邨街市大牌檔3-5號)
How to get there: Walk 12 min from Fo Tan MTR Station, Exit A

2) Oi Man Sang (愛文生)

Food at Oi Man Sang Dai Pai Dong - Hong Kong Food Guide

Deep into the gritty streets of Sham Shui Po, it’s hard to miss Oi Man Sang when seats are sprawled across the roadside with smoke billowing out of an outdoor kitchen. Get their sweet and sour pork and crispy oyster omelette (each HK$88, ~S$15), and wash them down with beers from HK$23 (~S$3.90) a bottle.

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours: 5:30PM – 12:45AM
Address: Shop C, 1 Shek Kip Mei Street, Sham Shui Po (深水埗石硤尾街1號C地下)
How to get there: Walk 7 min from Sham Shui Po MTR Station, Exit A2

3) Sing Kee (盛記)

Stir Fried Clams at Sing Kee Dai Pai Dong - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Kumory.blogspot.com

Dishes at Sing Kee come in smaller portions, which is more ideal if you’re with a smaller group. Most items go between HK$50 and HK$70 (~S$8.50 – ~S$11.90), which applies to even their seafood! Their scrambled eggs with shrimps (蝦仁炒蛋), stir fried clams in bean and chilli sauce, and squid in salt and pepper (椒鹽鮮魷) are worth a shot.

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours: 11AM – 3PM, 5PM – 11PM
Address: 82 Stanley Street, Central (中環士丹利街82號舖)
How to get there: Walk 6 min from Hong Kong MTR Station, Exit C

Rice (Claypot, Congee, etc.)

1) Mui Kee Congee (妹記生滾粥品)

Food at Mui Kee Congee - Hong Kong Food Guide

You wouldn’t think much could be fleshed out of congee, but try Mui Kee Congee‘s that are cooked for 5 hours, with their secret combo — fish stock and pork bones. The result is flavourfully gao (rich), with a texture so smooth it’s almost milky.

Besides the classic century egg porridge (HK$34, ~S$5.80), the fish belly porridge (HK$39, ~S$6.60) is also excellent. Don’t forget to top it off with fried youtiao (HK$11, ~S$1.90)!

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 7AM – 3PM (Closed Tuesdays)
Address: 3/F, Shop11–12, Fa Yuen Cooked Food Centre, Fa Yuen Street Municipal Services Building, 123A Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok (旺角花園街123A號花園街市政大廈3樓熟食中心11–12號舖)
How to get there: Walk 3 min from Mong Kok MTR Station, Exit B2

2) Four Seasons Pot Rice (四季煲仔飯)

Chinese Mushroom and Chicken with Rice at Four Seasons Pot Rice - Hong Kong Food Guide

Situated in a nondescript alleyway, plastic curtains hang from the entrance of Four Seasons Pot Rice, pretty much sealing in all the grime in the air. You might want to dump your clothes in the washer after a meal here.

The chinese mushroom and chicken with rice (HK$59, ~S$10) strangely lacked the signature smokiness of claypot rice, but what really bumped up our experience was their crispy, artery-choking deep-fried oyster cake (HK$42 for 2 pieces, ~S$7.20). Yum.

Crispy Oyster Cakes at Four Seasons Pot Rice - Hong Kong Food Guide
Deep-fried Oyster Cakes.

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours: 4:30PM – 12:30AM
Address: 46-58 Arthur Street, Yau Ma Tei (油麻地鴉打街46-58號)
How to get there: Walk 1 min from Yau Ma Tei MTR Station, Exit C

Noodles (Wanton, Beef Brisket, etc.)

1) Chee Kei (池記雲吞麵)

Fresh Shrimp Wonton Noodles at Chee Kei - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Growingwiththetans.com

Don’t be too intimidated by Chee Kei‘s all-out, full-service restaurant — it’s slightly more upscale, but well worth the price for the quality. Serving dinner sets after 3PM, for HK$100, (~S$17), you can get their fresh shrimp wonton noodles (real plump and delicious wontons) with a choice of drink and generously-portioned side vegetables (we like the braised mushrooms).

Price Range: $$$
Opening Hours: 11AM – 11:30PM
Address: 84 Percival Street, Causeway Bay (銅鑼灣波斯富街84號地下) (and 6 other branches)
How to get there: Walk 2 min from Causeway Bay MTR Station, Exit A

2) Ho Hung Kee Congee & Noodle (何洪記粥麵專家)

Wonton Noodles at Ho Hung Kee - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Whereisfatboy.blogspot.com

Around since 1946, Ho Hung Kee earnt its Michelin star with their signature House Specialty Wonton Noodles in Soup (HK$40, ~S$6.80 / HK$58 for large, ~S$9.90), but their Stir-fried Rice Noodles with Beef (basically beef horfun, HK$108, ~S$18.40) is also a hit with the crowd.

Price Range: $$$
Opening Hours: 11:30AM – 11PM
Address: Shop 1204-1205, 12/F, Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay (銅鑼灣軒尼詩道500號希慎廣場12樓1204-1205號舖) (and 1 other branch)
How to get there: Walk 1 min from Causeway Bay MTR Station, Exit F2

3) Sing Heung Yuen (胜香园/勝香園)

Tomato Noodles at Sing Heung Yuen in Hong Kong - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Saladblog.com.hk

There are only 2 places I’ve ever seen people rave about tomato broths — Hai Di Lao, and Sing Heung Yuen. While technically a dai pai dong, their star dish is really just the tomato instant noodles / macaroni from HK$27 to HK$36 (~S$4.60 – ~S$6.10) depending on your choice of toppings: eggs, bacon, ham, luncheon meat, sausage, beef and chicken chop, among others.

If tomato ain’t your thing, Kau Kee Beef Brisket (next point) is right opposite.

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 8AM – 5PM (Closed Sundays)
Address: 2 Mei Lun Street, Central (中環美輪街2號排檔)
How to get there: Walk 6 min from Sheung Wan MTR Station, Exit E1

4) Kau Kee Beef Brisket (九记牛腩)

Kau Kee Beef Brisket Noodles in Hong Kong - Hong Kong Food Guide

Beef Brisket with Rice Noodle in Broth sets you back HK$50 (~S$8.50), but if you wanna get fancy you can try Kau Kee‘s Special Beef Brisket in Broth for HK$180 (~S$30.70) — we didn’t get that for obvious reasons.

You can also get yours with e-fu noodles for an additional HK$5, which seems to be a more popular choice, or the dry variant which oddly costs slightly more at HK$72 (~S$12.30).

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours: 12:30PM – 10:30PM
Address: 21 Gough Street, Central (中環歌賦街21號地舖)
How to get there: Walk 6 min from Sheung Wan MTR Station, Exit A2

5) Chiu Hing Fishball Rice Noodle (潮興魚蛋粉)

Chiu Hing Noodle House - Hong Kong Food Guide

Trust our taste — head straight for the Special Beef Brisket Noodles (HK$40, ~S$6.80) with thin egg noodles – way springier and tastier than the other choices. The beef was also extremely tender, flavourful, with the right amount of awesome fat — almost melt-in-your-mouth.

Top up HK$10 (~S$1.70) and you can get a cold drink as well — milk tea, obviously.

Price Range: $
Opening Hours:
24/7
Address: 78-84 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai (灣仔軒尼詩道78-84號地下) (and 6 other branches)
How to get there: 4-min walk from Exit B1, Wan Chai MTR Station

Also read: 7D Hong Kong Outdoor Itinerary — Exploring A Different Side of the Concrete Jungle

Street Snacks (Bread, Egg Tart, Egglets, etc.)

Chances are you’ll spend a large part of your trip walking around the streets of Hong Kong because everything is more or less walking distance from one another. So why not grab a quick street snack while you’re at it?

1) Lee Keung Kee North Point Egg Waffles (利強記北角雞蛋仔)

Egg Waffles at Lee Keung Kee Northpoint Egg Waffles - Hong Kong Food Guide

Who would’ve thought egg waffles (gai dan zai), essentially waffle batter in a bubble wrap-esque form, could draw long-ass queues? Lee Keung Kee North Point Egg Waffles‘ battered storefront, if anything, adds to its old-timey charm and they dish out egg waffles (HK$23, ~S$3.90) really quick — perfect if you’re just passing by and feeling snacky.

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 11AM – 11PM
Address: 178 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong (尖沙咀彌敦道178號地下) (and 4 other branches)
How to get there: Walk 4 min from Whampoa MTR Station, Exit B

2) Mammy Pancake (媽咪雞蛋仔)

Mammy Pancake - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Luxurysocietyasia.com

A favourite side-by-side contender to Lee Keung Kee, Mammy Pancake gets more playful with flavours like white sesame, matcha, cheese and everyone’s most / least favourite #SimiSaiAlsoSaltedEggYolk (nothing above HK$30, ~S$5.10)!

If you’re only slightly adventurous though, you can’t go wrong with chocolate chip (HK$22, ~S$3.75).

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 1PM – 9PM
Address: Shop K1B, 36 Man Tai Street, Hung Hom (紅磡民泰街36號地下K1B舖) (and 10 other branches)
How to get there: Walk 1 min from Whampoa MTR Station, Exit A

3) Hung Hom Egg Waffles (紅磡雞蛋仔)

Hung Hom Mango Pancakes - Hong Kong Food Guide

Aside from normal egg waffles, Hung Hom Egg Waffles serves up a different twist using fluffy, cakey pancake with fruity toppings like mango, which is their most popular (沙律淨芒班戟, HK$18, ~S$3.10). It’s basically Hong Kong’s rendition of Harajuku’s dessert crepes.

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 12PM – 8PM (Closed on Thursdays)
Address: No. 2, Polly Court, Taku Street, Hung Hom, Hong Kong (紅磡大沽街寶利閣2號舖)
How to get there: Walk 4 min from Whampoa MTR Station, Exit B

4) Sai Kung Cafe & Bakery (西貢咖啡餅店)

Pineapple Bun with Butter at Sai Kung Cafe and Bakery Hong Kong Food Guide

Sun’s out, buns out: take a short walk from Sai Kung Pier to Sai Kung Cafe & Bakery and their freshly-baked pineapple buns are out to seduce you from a standalone rack. These soft and fluffy buns would give Gardenia a run for their money. Get yours with a thick slab of butter (HK$16, ~S$2.70) and you’re headed for bo lo bao heaven.

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 7AM – 9:30PM (7:15AM – 11PM on weekends)
Address: 6-7 Kam Po Court, 2 Hoi Pong Square, Sai Kung (西貢海傍廣場2號金寶閣6-7號舖地下)
How to get there: Walk 5 min from Sai Kung Public Pier

Desserts

It doesn’t matter how late you have your dinner in Hong Kong; there’s always room and time for dessert! Most dessert places in Hong Kong close real late, which means a sweet treat is always round the corner when you want it.

1) Kai Kai Dessert (佳佳甜品)

Kai Kai Dessert - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Seewide.com

The definite go-to place for traditional Cantonese desserts, tong sui. Try the Tang Yuan in Ginger Sweet Soup, and Black Sesame Soup (both HK$20, ~S$3.40). If you prefer something cold, a Chilled Mango Sago Cream with Pomelo (HK$32, ~S$5.40) is always good.

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 12PM – 3.30AM
Address: 29 Ning Po St, Jordan (佐敦寧波街29號地舖)
How to get there: Walk 3 min from Jordan MTR Station, Exit A

2) Heart’s Dessert (甜入心)

Caramel Coconut Pudding at Heart's Dessert - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Thatfoodcray.com

Phones and cameras at the ready — Heart’s Dessert pulls all stops to help get you that perfect Instagram shot of your dessert, with Caramel & Coconut Pudding (pictured above, HK$39, ~S$6.60) comprising coconut jelly at the base with coconut milk, then topped with a caramel pudding. (Psst, they have a durian one too!)

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 2PM – 1AM (Opens 1PM on Sun, 1PM – 2AM on Fri & Sat)
Address: 57 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po (深水埗福榮街57號文昌閣地下B) (and 2 other branches)
How to get there: Walk 4 min from Sham Shui Po MTR Station, Exit B2

3) Ya Yu Tau Fu Fa (亞玉豆腐花)

Yin Yeung Ta Fu Hua - Hong Kong Food Guide

What makes Hong Kong’s beancurd / tau fu fa (or tau huey for us Singaporeans) special and different from Singapore’s is that instead of boiling down orange sugar into a syrup, they sprinkle it directly on top, giving the tau fu fa an added crunch.

What makes Ya Yu Tau Fu Fa‘s even more special is the Yin Yeung version (HK$9, ~S$1.50) where half the bowl’s slathered with black sesame paste, and the sugar is FREE FLOW! Um, the government’s 1-in-3-gets-diabetes statistic doesn’t apply when you’re overseas, right?

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 1PM – 1AM
Address: Shop 12, Wang Fung Building, 2 Fau Tsoi Street, Yuen Long (元朗阜財街2號宏豐大廈地下12號舖) (and 3 other branches)
How to get there: Walk 7 min from Yuen Long MTR Station, Exit A

4) Hui Lau Shan (許留山)

Mango Chewy Ball Set at Hui Lau Shan - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Jolingyeoh.blogspot.com

If you’re not a big fan of traditional desserts and want more “modern” desserts, you’re probably a millennial. You’re also probably going to love Hui Lau Shan, a dessert chain that gets lit with everything mango. Try the Pomelo + Mango with Sago Set (HK$40, ~S$6.80), that comes topped with mango ice cream, or the Mango Chewy Ball Set (pictured above, also HK$40).

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 1PM – 12AM
Address: Shop 2, Concord Building, 60 Soy Street, Mong Kok (旺角豉油街60號鴻都大廈地下2號舖) (and 38 other branches)
How to get there: Walk 6 min from Mong Kok MTR Station, Exit E2

Halal-Certified (清真)

Even though Cantonese cuisine uses a lot of pork, there are plenty of halal alternatives for our Muslim friends. The best part is that most, if not all halal outlets are located rather centrally, so it’s not like you’d have to go out of your way just to get halal food.

1) Islamic Centre Canteen (伊斯蘭中心餐廳)

Dim Sum at Islamic Centre Canteen - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Thebeachlovesme.blogspot.com

Get your dim sum fix at Islamic Centre Canteen, where everything is HK$20 (~S$3.40) and under — one of the cheapest around! Traditional classics like chicken siew mai and har gow are all available, as well as xiao long bao (steamed chicken dumplings in Shanghai style), something we didn’t manage to find in other dim sum restaurants!

Dim sum is only sold till 3PM, though the area would still sell other tze char-style dishes. Also note that you have to dress respectfully in order to enter the building, i.e. no singlets and/or shorts, and tables are reserved only for Muslims from Fridays to Sundays.

Price Range: $
Opening Hours: 10AM – 9PM (Dim sum until 3PM)
Address: 5/F, Masjid Ammar And Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre, 40 Salvation Army Street, Wan Chai (灣仔愛群道40號伊斯蘭中心5樓)
How to get there: Walk 8 min from Causeway Bay MTR Station, Exit A

2) Ma’s Restaurant (馬家莊清真館)

Interior of Ma's Restaurant - Hong Kong Food Guide

Not Cantonese cuisine per se but more Xinjiang, mutton lovers will love the food at Ma’s Restaurant, with Lamb Goulash (HK$27, ~S$4.60), Lamb Rolls (HK$52, ~S$8.90) and Fried Lamb Dumplings (HK$49, ~S$8.30) among others. Spice up your meal with the assortment of curries they offer as well.

Goulash at Ma's Restaurant - Hong Kong Food Guide
Goulash. Photo credit: Noodleandegg.com

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours: 11.30AM – 11PM
Address: Shop A, 21-25 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Sham Shui Po (深水埗長沙灣道21-25號地下A舖)
How to get there: Walk 5 min from Prince Edward MTR Station, Exit E

3) Wai Kee (清真惠記)

Wai Kee Duck Rice - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Etfoodvoyage.com

Wai Kee‘s duck rice (HK$60, ~S$6.70) shocked us with the thick slabs of tender duck meat liberally piled on top of fragrant white rice. What shocked us even more was the crunch from the skin, and the ensuing ooze of duck fat. That’s quantity and quality right there.

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours: 11AM – 6PM
Address: Shop 5, Bowrington Road Cooked Food Centre, 1/F, Bowrington Road Market, 21 Bowrington Road, Wan Chai (灣仔寶靈頓道21號鵝頸街市1樓鵝頸熟食中心5號舖)
How to get there: Walk 6 min from Causeway Bay MTR Station, Exit A

4) Islam Food (清真牛肉館)

Curry Mutton at Islam Food - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Islamfood.com.hk

The pan-fried beef buns (HK$38, ~S$6.50) at Islam Food are known to be explosively juicy, and people also often go for their curry mutton (HK$78, ~S$13.30) and hot & sour soup (HK$31 for small, ~S$5.30).

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours: 11AM – 10:45PM
Address: 1 Lung Kong Road, Kowloon City (九龍城龍崗道1號) (and 1 other branch)
How to get there: Take bus 75X from Lok Fu MTR Station and alight after 3 stops at Fuk Lo Tsun Road. Then walk 300m.

5) Warung Malang

Chicken Sate at Warung Malang - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Openrice.com

You know you’re in for the real deal when all the staff are Indonesians at Warung Malang. Expect authentic, unadulterated Indo food here like chicken satay (HK$120, ~S$20.40) and Nasi Goreng Spesial (HK$55, ~S$9.40).

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours: 10AM – 11PM
Address: 2/F, Dragon Rise, 9-11 Pennington Street, Causeway Bay (銅鑼灣邊寧頓街9-11號登龍閣2樓)
How to get there: Walk 3 min from Causeway Bay MTR Station, Exit F1

6) Ebeneezer’s Kebabs & Pizzeria

Lamb Kebab at Ebeneezer's Kebabs & Pizzeria - Hong Kong Food Guide
Photo credit: Theamazingeatlist.wordpress.com

For a good deal at Ebeneezer’s Kebabs & Pizzeria, get their set lunches which run from opening till 5PM: their signature lamb kebab for HK$65 (~S$11.10), or chicken biryani for HK$48 (~S$8.20) — both come with a free soft drink.

Price Range: $$
Opening Hours: 10AM – 1AM
Address: Shop G01C, Astoria Building, 24-38 Ashley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui (尖沙咀亞士厘道24-38號天星大廈地下G01C號舖) (and 13 other branches)
How to get there: Walk 3 min from Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station, Exit L5

Disclaimer: Food prices stated are accurate as of the time of posting. Prices in Hong Kong tend to increase year-on-year (or even month-on-month), so do keep us posted should you detect any discrepancies and we’ll update accordingly!


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6 COMMENTS

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