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This post was originally published on November 9, 2017. It has since been updated multiple times
[latest update, May 17, 2018]
Has it been one month already?
Temperatures are finally cooling down here in Hong Kong to tolerable temperatures. People are starting to go outside, and I’ve enjoyed hiking the many beautiful trails that exist all over Hong Kong. I’m still looking for a permanent apartment, and our shipment from the US has not arrived yet. Despite still feeling a bit temporary, I am definitely starting to get a feel of Hong Kong and what it’s like to live (and eat!) here.
I’ve only been here for a month, but I’ve already started receiving requests from friends who plan on visiting Hong Kong for recommendations on where to eat.
So . . . I decided to write this post!
I will caveat this entire post by saying that I’m still learning. However, I have also done a sizable amount of research, and I think I have a decent handle on many of the best places to eat in Hong Kong for visitors.
Please enjoy the list! I fully intend on writing more detailed write ups on most (if not all) of the restaurants listed in below. Over time, I’ll continually update this post with new favorites, as well as add hyperlinks to posts that describe each restaurant in more detail.
Enjoy, and feel free to recommend your own favorites for me to try in the comments!
Best Places to Eat in Hong Kong for Visitors
Hong Kong Traditional Breakfast
If you come to Hong Kong you must experience traditional Hong Kong breakfast from a Hong Kong style eatery called a cha chaan teng, literally “tea restaurant”. These are old school, no-nonsense, casual breakfast spots where prices are cheap, the dining space is cramped, everything moves lightening fast.
Try Hong Kong classics like Hong Kong milk tea (or maybe yuānyāng - a tea/coffee blend), flaky egg tarts, poloyau (pineapple shaped sugar encrusted buns served with cold butter) and Hong Kong style French toast (deep fried - sooooo good).
There are many cha chaan tengs that are well known throughout Hong Kong. Most of them include all of the basic specialties, but certain ones specialize in certain items. Some of the best that I have tried include Yee Shun Milk Company (Jordan) for their signature double skin milk pudding, Australian Dairy Company for their incredible egg sandwiches, Lan Fong Yuen (Central, TST in Chungking Mansion) for Hong Kong milk tea, and Kam Fung Bakery (Wan Chai) or Kam Wah Bakery (Mongkok) for freshly baked poloyau (pineapple shaped buns with a slab of ice cold butter). I’ve tried French Toast at both Kam Fung Bakery and Lan Fong Yuen and both were quite good.
Egg Tarts
All of the Hong Kong breakfast places have egg tarts and every one I’ve tried has been quite good. I’ve tasted fresh-out-of-the-oven ones from Kam Fung and they were excellent.
Tai Cheong Bakery is probably my favorite. It is probably the most famous one in Hong Kong and they make a version with a cookie-like shortbread crust that I love. They also make other versions, such as the traditional flaky crust as well as a Hokkaido milk version. People line up at the original location in Central for the famous egg tarts, though there are locations around the city. I like to get them at the outposts near Wan Chai MTR or the Star Ferry in TST if it’s open.
Dim Sum
Dim sum is the quintessential Hong Kong brunch, and it’s one of the few Hong Kong cuisine types that is actually quite prevalent in North America. Still, you have to enjoy it at the source, and below are some of the best ones we’ve tried.
For high end, try Lung King Heen in the Four Seasons Hotel, which boasts gorgeous views, impeccable service, and top notch dim sum items. Here you have the option of ordering Krug champagne or high end teas with your brunch. Everything is made with care and presented beautifully. On top of that, there are some interesting dim sum items that feature more exotic ingredients, like abalone or bird’s nest. Expect to spend $50 - $75 USD per person for dim sum.
Most people don’t spend that much for dim sum, and honestly, you can get excellent dim sum at every price point. Some of my favorite mid-point dim sum which allow reservations (important!) include Lei Garden (1 Michelin star), Fu Sing, and Tsui Hang Village.
All of these places are very popular and I would highly recommend that you pre-book a table. I generally like Lei Garden for all around excellence, Fu Sing makes amazing charsiu baked buns, and Tsui Hang Village has the best charsiu pork. On my to-try list? Cuisine Cuisine, which comes highly recommended!
The most famous dim sum place is 1-Michelin starred Tim Ho Wan, which offers fantastic dim sum at crazy low prices, but also does not accept reservations. Be prepared to queue up, maybe an hour or more, for their tasty dim sum items. They recommend four signature items (baked charsiu bun, turnip cake, brown sugar steamed cake, and pork liver rice roll), and we agree that those items are top notch and worth ordering. However, the rest of their dim sum dishes are fine, but you can get equally good ones (or even better ones) at the other mid-priced places I mentioned above. If you want the old school Cantonese feel with the pushcarts, Maxim's Palace is a popular place that does all of the classic Cantonese dishes at a reasonable price. Prepare to line up or use the Gulu app to reserve a place in line remotely.
Wonton Noodle Soup (Wonton Mee)
Mak’s Noodle and Ho Hung Kee are the most recognized wonton noodle shops because they each have a Michelin star. However, locals also flock to Tsim Chai Kee, across the street from Mak’s, which serves huge portions at a super reasonable price. Locals love it for the value and the fact that the restaurant focuses on just one thing and does it very well.
The homemade chili sauce at Tsim Chai Kee is amazing and goes with the soup really well. The meatballs are HUGE and the overall portion size is very generous. Noodles at Mak’s are more al dente and the soup is more alkaline in flavor compared to Tsim Chai Kee. Portion sizes are also much smaller yet cost more. Certain Mak’s locations (e.g., the one at TST) offer other dishes besides wonton noodle soup, so it’s a better choice if you want variety. Or you can do what we did, try both Mak’s and Tsim Chai Kee in one evening since they are across the street from each other (!).
Congee + Noodle Shops
Speaking of congee, congee and wontons often go hand-in-hand, and there are numerous casual congee shops that also offer wonton noodles, dim sum items, and other casual dishes. These places usually don’t take reservations, have quick service, are relatively inexpensive, and have great food.
Tasty Congee and Noodle Wantun Shop has locations throughout Hong Kong (IFC, other locations) and is excellent. Michelin-starred Ho Hung Kee (known for its wonton noodle soup) also has excellent congee. Try an abalone congee if you’re willing to pay the premium. It’s pricey but soooo worth it. Otherwise, try the classic century egg version, which is my other favorite. Trusty Congee King in Wan Chai does a fabulous version with scallops and pork liver which uses fish broth as a base. Try their unusual rice dumpling as well.
Roast Meat
Hong Kong is really well known for its charsiu (BBQ meat) and it’s a quintessential dish you must try if you are here. Kam’s Roast Goose is one of the most popular, but be prepared for long lines! They don’t take reservations and lines take up to an hour or more. The goose is fantastic though, and well worth the wait. Don't come too late (aka around 8PM or so), because they may run out of goose for the day.
Joy Hing Roasted Meat in Wan Chai is another tiny hole-in-the-wall place that has been open since the Qing Dynasty. Their roast goose is excellent, and it's definitely an experience watching the the flurry of activity in the tiny open kitchen while sharing tables with strangers. If you need a quieter place that takes reservations (and we did for our party of 10!), Yung Kee Roasted Goose Restaurant is a traditional favorite (open since 1958) and does a fine job at all the classics.
Our favorite high end roast pork is the iberico roast pork from Mott32. Our favorite traditional mid-end roast pork thus is from Tsui Hang Village (Tsim Sha Tsui), which served one of the most tender and well-balanced pieces of pork belly we’d ever had. Fu Sing (Causeway Bay) also makes excellent roast pork and (most importantly) an incredible baked charsiu pork bun that rivals or arguably beats the one at Tim Ho Wan.
Modern Chinese
One of my favorite places to take friends is Social Place, a moderately priced, trendy restaurant that takes a modern spin on dim sum. The restaurant is most known for its roasted pigeon, but everything is excellent, from the black truffle baos that are shaped like shiitake mushrooms to the charcoal custard buns filled with salted duck egg yolk.
The pigeon is indeed fantastic, and it’s definitely fun to go with a larger group to sample the menu. Even if you go alone, they do have a small sampler steamer basket that allows you to try five different dim sum bites - perfect for the solo diner! Yum Cha is another similar type restaurant which makes cute looking dim sum, including their signature yellow "vomiting" baos.
3-Michelin starred Bo Innovation focuses on Hong Kong cuisine reinterpreted in a modern way. They use a lot of edgy molecular techniques while incorporating super traditional Cantonese themes and cultural references. The whole dinner is an experience that is definitely unique, very interesting and fun.
Cantonese / Hong Kong
On the high end, there are several very well known Cantonese/Chinese places. Try Man Wah in the Mandarin Oriental for excellent Peking duck or two-Michelin starred Duddell’s for elegant Cantonese food in a beautiful, art-filled space. Mott32 is famous for its Peking duck as well as its amazing iberico roast pork and creative dim sum items. Sun Tung Lok (2 Michelin Stars) serves traditional high end Cantonese fare where you can choose between all different grades of abalone as well as other exotic Chinese delicacies (think bird's nest, shark's fin, and the like). Seventh Son makes a fine suckling pig (must be ordered in advance) as well as many other traditional, high-end Cantonese fare.
The Chairman is one of my favorite Cantonese restaurants in Hong Kong. It focuses on local and sustainable "eco-friendly" ingredients, sourcing certain items from its own farm in Hong Kong (not an easy feat!). Definitely splurge for their signature steamed fresh flowery crab - it's worth it! Another favorite is Kin's Kitchen, which makes a unforgettable smoked chicken that really blew our minds.
For moderately priced seafood, check out Chuk Yuen Seafood in Tsim Sha Tsui for its famous lobster baked in cheese (sound heavy and possibly not-that-great, but it’s surprisingly delicious), flower crab in wine, and other typical Cantonese dishes. One of our favorite moderately priced places is Crabtain in Wan Chai which makes an excellent crab congee as well as lots of excellent stir fry dishes for very reasonable prices. Solid chains in the area that are always popular (watch out for lines!) include Singaporean export Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, its lighter and slightly more upscale cousin Crystal Jade Jiang Nan and Hong Kong casual 24-hour institution Tsui Wah.
A very, very iconic Hong Kong local cuisine, typhoon shelter crabs supposedly arose from boat dwellers that used to live around Causeway Bay. Fishermen brought in fresh crabs from the harbour and set up shop in typhoon shelters, frying up these mud crabs with loads of garlic and spices. There are many places that make this well-known dish. A popular one (which happens to be a favorite of Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten), is Hee Kee Fried Crab Experts. Be prepared to get your hands dirty!
For a true local experience, check out a Dai Pai Dong (open-air food stall) or similar casual food in a Cooked Food Centre. One of the most famous (and arguably known best known by tourists) is Tung Po in North Point. Enjoy beer in large tea cups and experience a wide range of seafood dishes. I thought the food was delicious, though the prices were higher than a typical Dai Pai Dong (we spent around $30 USD per person, including drinks). I have yet to try a true outdoor dai pai dong, but I definitely plan to check one out sometime!
Other Chinese Cuisines
Hong Kong is a mecca for all types of Chinese food. We’ve tried excellent food from the Chiu Chow region of China at Come-Into Chiu Chow and Pak Loh Chiu Chow. Both are fantastic and offer a wide variety of authentic Chiu Chow cuisine (don't miss the oyster omelet!).
A popular no-fuss Sichuan place is Sijie Sichuan Private Kitchen which serves flavorful Sichuan dishes using lots of mala. Critics will argue that they tone down the spice for the Hong Kong palette. You can BYOB as well for a pretty reasonable corkage fee.
For people who really want serious, Sichuan-level spice, try 1-Michelin starred House of Qi, which left us all sweating and drinking lots and lots of water! If you want to avoid the crowds, consider Chili Fagara, which is just a little off the Central business crowd’s beaten path, for a Sichuan experience that is catered towards westerners.
I love Taiwan’s Din Tai Fung. There are three locations in Hong Kong, two in Tsim Sha Tsui and one in Causeway Bay. My favorite dishes to order are the traditional pork xiaolongbao (soup dumpling), black truffle xiaolongbao, taro xiaolongbao (dessert), pork and vegetable steamed dumplings, and the cold cucumber salad. I like how their stir fried vegetables use very little oil, feel light and healthy, yet pack quite a bit of flavor from garlic and the vegetables themselves.
China Tang (originally from London!) specializes in cuisine from Canton, Jiang-nan and Beijing and offers an extensive a la carte menu.
One of our all-time favorite bites is a pan-fried Shanghainese dumpling, also known as shenjianbao. Cheung Hing Kee Shanghai Pan Fried Buns makes incredible pan fried dumplings in huge pans that you can watch from the window on the street. Definitely try the truffle ones, which come piping hot and which you must scarf down (and try not to squirt hot liquid on yourself!) while standing on the street since there is no place sit. Definitely eat them right away - they really are best eaten hot!
There are a number of hot pot places in Hong Kong that are really fun. Most of them offer multiple styles, everything from Japanese shabu shabu with high end wagyu beef to creative broths that you could only find in Hong Kong. Our favorite is Megan's Kitchen in Wan Chai, which offers an excellent variety of high quality ingredients (hello Wagyu and Kurobuta pork!) as well as a vast number of broth choices, including several of their own creative concoctions. Golden Valley has the best Sichuan broth and a really huge and fun "sauce bar" where you can create your own hot pot sauce. They also offer local Hong Kong beef as well as other exotic offerings, though not as many high-end meat offerings compared to Megan's Kitchen.
Japanese
I frequent Tsuta Japanese Soba Ramen a LOT, partly because it’s so close to my apartment, but partly because I am always tempted by the black truffle smell that wafts out of the restaurant and envelops the surrounding area. This is the first ramen restaurant ever to receive a Michelin star. It’s very good! Show up early to avoid lines. We also enjoy going to Ippudo if we want a different, heavier style of ramen.
Sushi is incredibly good in Hong Kong. It is one of the few places outside of Japan where the combination of (1) distance from Tokyo and (2) available money allows high-end sushi places to offer fish flown same-day from Tsukiji Fish Market in Japan.
Sushi Shikon is our favorite but also by far the most expensive. This 3-Michelin starred second outpost of Sushi Yoshitake (they changed the name because too many people were mistakenly booking the wrong location!) offers the restaurant’s signature abalone liver course (Bryan’s favorite dish in the whole world) as well as fantastic appetizers and very good sushi.
Sushi Saito is another favorite of ours. This is the second location of one of Tokyo's most well-known are exclusive sushi shops. The sushi here is divine and on par with the finest in Tokyo. Reservations are notorious difficult because you essentially have to be introduced by someone who has dined there before to get a reservation.
If you don’t feel like spending close to $500 USD a person on your dinner, you can instead enjoy a fabulous sushi lunch at 1-Michelin starred Sushi Tokami (also from Japan) where prices hover between $100 - $150 USD for a set lunch. Sushi Masataka in Wan Chai is also supposed to be excellent, and it's on our list of places to try.
For an even greater value, check out Sushi Uehara who makes solid sushi at very reasonable prices. I had a great 12-piece sushi lunch for only around $60 USD. You could also opt for the more expensive premium chef’s lunch omakase, which is only around $100 USD.
Sweets
A Hong Kong waffle is a must-try when you’re in Hong Kong. The best ones make them to order, which means you'll have to wait at least 5 minutes to get yours, or more if there is a line. It's totally worth the wait, though. Hong Kong waffles taste so much better when they are fresh. My favorite one is Lee Keung Kee North Point Egg Waffles, which started in North Point but has other locations around Hong Kong (we went to the one at TST). Another popular and fun one is Mammy Pancake (Tsim Sha Tsui) which offers a lot of creative flavors, such as pork floss and black sesame, banana, cheese, mocha, and many, many more.
I haven’t found really good ice cream in Hong Kong like the ones we have in Boston. They do have Emack & Bolio’s (from Boston!!), and you can get Haagan Daaz in the supermarket freezers (at a hefty $10 USD a pint!). However, I haven't found anything quite like my favorite ice cream places back home.
Thankfully, soft serve is huge here, and it’s delicious. There are tons of places serving excellent matcha soft serve. My favorites so far have been Cha Cha Time (Central, TST) and Via Tokyo (Causeway Bay). XTC Gelato (Central TST) makes low fat gelato with excellent authentic flavors, though the texture’s a bit icy (maybe from the lack of fat!) and less smooth and creamy than I would like.
There are many Japanese places that serve amazing sweets, and I am just starting to try them all. Arome Bakery bakes fresh 3.6 Hokkaido milk white egg tarts throughout the day. Just listen for the bell to ring and you know there’s a new fresh batch. Shari Shari, a Japanese kakigori (shaved ice) shop in Causeway Bay, imports ice blocks from Japan in order to ensure just the right texture in the shaved ice. The kakigori are fantastic (I love the chestnut flavored one), though they do come at a hefty price of around $10 USD each (good for sharing!).
Phew! That’s it . . . for now.
I am constantly trying new places, and I will continue to post about them live on my social media platforms {twitter facebook instagram google+}. Over time, they will all appear as separate posts on my blog. For now, I hope this list is helpful for those of you planning on traveling to Hong Kong.
It is an amazing food city, and you will not be disappointed!
Warmly,
Jen
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