The Best Places to Eat in Hong Kong: My Personal Food Hit List

Wondering where to to eat in Hong Kong? This is my personal, running hit list of the best places to eat in the Hong Kong, from dim sum, roast goose, wonton noodles, cha chaan tengs, late-night dai pai dongs and old-school desserts. 

The first time I went to Hong Kong in 2018, I had no idea just how delicious Hong Kong food was. I was staying at a cheap place down in Aberdeen, and on my first morning I walked outside and went to the place next door for dim sum (the photo below) and then afterwards, I continued to wander down the street and passed by a tiny old-school bakery (the one where you pick what you want with tongs). Both were delicious, fun and super affordable, ever since then I’ve been hooked.

While the city can be expensive to travel in, particularly when it comes to accommodation and activities, food is one thing you can absolutely do cheaply without skimping on quality. The dim sum, char siu on rice, shrimp wonton noodles, milk tea, the (slightly weird) Asian desserts – it’s like my food heaven! One of the things you’ll notice, and that I love most about eating here, is that a lot of the best places have been quietly perfecting a single dish for decades; Tsim Chai Kee with its wonton noodles, Hing Kee with claypot rice, Sister Wah with beef brisket noodles – and many more.

A quick note on this list: it is not really a definitive ranking of the best restaurants in Hong Kong. It is part practical guide for readers and part my own running food hit list tracker and review log, which I plan to keep adding to every time I go back.

I hope this guide will be especially useful for first-time visitors – think of it as the places worth trying on your first visit or when you only have a few days and want to eat well, without travelling too far off the beaten track (or spending hours and hours researching – I’ve done that part for you!). Anyhow, I hope you enjoy 🙂

The way I’d use this guide is to skim the full list first to get an idea of all the delicious options, then decide whether you’ll choose by food type or by area, and  then head to the quick summary and find your perfect match. A quick note before you dive in:

• ★ means a personal favourite, somewhere I’ll go out of my way to eat again.
• MICHELIN means the place currently has some Michelin recognition, whether that’s a star, a Bib Gourmand or a Guide listing, and the entry tells you which.

Also, to help me keep track of all the places I have been and ones that are still on my to-go list, I have separated each section with a Places for my next trip separator.

Before getting into the full post, I thought I’d provide a list upfront for ease of reference, first by food, then a cheat sheet by area.

Dim sum: One Dim Sum, Tim Ho Wan, Dim Sum Square Kitchen, Luk On Kui, Sun Hing and London Restaurant

Roast meats: Kam’s, Po Kee, Yat Lok, Sun Kwai Heung, 1+1 Roast Goose, Tycoon, Ki’s, Shun Hing, and Joy Hing

Wonton noodles and beef brisket: Mak Man Kee, Tsim Chai Kee, Mak’s, Lau Sum Kee, Sister Wah and Kau Kee

Dumplings and pan-fried buns: lulu BAOBAO, Wang Fu, Ah Chun, Cheung Hing Kee and Yuan Ji

Congee: Sang Kee Congee Shop

Cha chaan tengs: Australia Dairy Company, Lan Fong Yuen, Hong Lin, Lucky Star Coffee Shop and Kam Wah

Claypot rice, dai pai dongs and heavier meals: Kwan Kee, Oi Man Sang, Hing Kee, Wing Kee and Under Bridge Spicy Crab

Desserts: Kai Kai, Heartwarming, Ho Kee, Bakehouse and Yee Shun

Extras: More Yogurt, Mong Kok street food and Kung Lee

Splurge: The Chairman and Lung King Heen

Central & SoHo: One Dim Sum, Yat Lok, Shun Hing, Tsim Chai Kee, Mak’s Noodle, Kau Kee, Wang Fu, Lan Fong Yuen, Kung Lee, The Chairman, Lung King Heen

Sheung Wan, Sai Ying Pun & Western: Dim Sum Square Kitchen, Luk On Kui, Po Kee, Kwan Kee Clay Pot Rice, Sang Kee Congee Shop

Kennedy Town: Sun Hing

Wan Chai: 1+1 Roast Goose, Kam’s Roast Goose, Joy Hing, Wing Kee

Causeway Bay & Tin Hau: Ki’s, Under Bridge Spicy Crab, Sister Wah, Heartwarming, Lucky Star Coffee Shop, Bakehouse (also Central)

Chai Wan: Sun Kwai Heung

Jordan & Yau Ma Tei: Australia Dairy Company, Mak Man Kee, Hing Kee, Kai Kai, Yee Shun

Mong Kok & Prince Edward: London Restaurant, Yuan Ji, Ah Chun, Kam Wah, Mong Kok street food (Dundas Street), Hong Lin

Sham Shui Po: Tim Ho Wan, Lau Sum Kee, Oi Man Sang

Tsim Sha Tsui: Cheung Hing Kee, More Yogurt

To Kwa Wan: Tycoon, Ho Kee

Wong Chuk Hang: lulu BAOBAO

• My Rating: 9/10
• What to order: I prefer the steamed dumplings to the buns, my favourites are the siu mai and har gow.
• Address: G/F, Cheung Fai Building, 44 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central.
• Hours: Daily, 10:00am–8:00pm (recheck same-day hours).
• Price: HK$50–100 per person.

I’ve been here lots of times. It’s quick, cheap, reliable, and the Central branch drops easily into a day around SoHo or the Mid-Levels. It’s a small, mostly takeaway-style shop with limited counter seating, so come for the food and convenience rather than a long, drawn-out yum cha session. What makes One Dim Sum stand out from every other dim sum shop I’ve tried is the quality you get for the price; the meat isn’t chewy, the wrappers are thin, the buns are light and fluffy and everything I’ve ordered has a good amount of filling in it.

• My Rating: 8/10
• What to order: Baked barbecue pork buns and har gow.
• Address: 9–11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po.
• Hours: Monday–Friday, 10:00am–10:00pm; Saturday–Sunday, 9:00am–10:00pm.
• Price: HK$70–150 per person.

Tim Ho Wan is famous for a reason. The baked barbecue pork buns are the non-negotiable signature; they have a crisp, slightly sweet exterior rather than the soft, white dough of a standard bun. One thing worth knowing: the Sham Shui Po branch is the one I have been to and the one that currently holds the Michelin Bib, so I recommend heading to that one if you can. It also feels more like a proper dim sum meal than the smaller takeaway-focused shops.

• My Rating: 8/10
• What to order: Har gow, siu mai, and prawn cheung fun.
• Address: LG/F, Tower II, Tern Centre, 78 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan.
• Hours: Daily, 10:00am–10:00pm.
• Price: HK$80–150 per person.

Another solid Dim Sum option that is conveniently located and won’t break the bank. It sits perfectly on my Central–Sheung Wan walking route from Day 1 of my Hong Kong Itinerary post. Just be aware, like many places in Hong Kong, it is cash or Octupus card only.

• My Rating: 7.5/10
• What to order: Fresh shrimp dim sum and crispy spring rolls.
• Address: 2/F, Good Hope Building, 612 Nathan Road, Mong Kok.
• Hours: Recheck same-day hours before visiting.
• Price: HK$100–150 per person.

London Restaurant is a huge, old-school dim sum hall near Mong Kok Station. I actually went here on one of my earlier Hong Kong trips as part of a food tour. You’ll find a vast room full of local regulars and shared tables, with trolley service.

Pro tip: don’t just sit and wait for every cart to reach you. Locals often take their order card up to the serving area near the kitchen, especially for a particular dish, sweets or congee. Go in the morning and look for the freshly arrived baskets, and be ready to point a lot to whatever looks best.

Another one of the last remaining dim sum places in Hong Kong where the dim sum still comes around on trolleys. I love places that still have that old-school Hong Kong feel so I am excited to try this one next visit.

• What to order: Har gow, cheung fun, steamed beef meatballs, and char siu buns.
• Address: 2–3/F, 46–50 Des Voeux Road West, Sheung Wan.
• Hours: Recheck same-day hours before visiting.
• Price: HK$100–200 per person.

After doing my research (aka spening hours going through HK food Reddit posts), Sun Hing is another one I definitely want to visit next time I go to HK as it seems to be the locals’ top pick for traditional trolley dim sum.

I have known about it for a while, the only reason I haven’t been so far is it’s a little further out in Kennedy Town.

It opens around 3am and dishes come straight off the steamers and get carried round the room, so it can work as either a very early breakfast or the last stop after a very late Hong Kong night!

• What to order: Golden custard buns, siu mai, shrimp dumplings, and crispy fried milk.
• Address: Shop C, G/F, 8 Smithfield Road, Kennedy Town.
• Hours: Recheck same-day hours before visiting.
• Price: HK$50–100 per person.

• My Rating: 9/10
• What to order: Roast goose over rice for the standard option, or the goose leg / quarter goose over noodles (lai fun) if you want to go a little more premium.
• Address: G/F, Conwell House, 34–38 Stanley Street, Central.
• Hours: Daily, 10:00am–8:30pm.
• Price: HK$100–250 per person.

I went to Yat Lok for the first time in 2018 and it is still is my benchmark for roast goose in Hong Kong – the meat is so juicy, tender and fatty in a good way, and the skin is perfectly crispy. It also comes out steaming hot and fresh, which you don’t always get at other places. The noodles (lai fun) are super yum too and the broth is delicious, so I’d recommend getting those rather than rice if you can.

Yat Lok is slightly more expensive than the everyday roast-pork or char siu-on-rice shops around the city – but I still think it is well worth it. I would go here at least once, and then try some of the cheaper options which are also great (like the ones listed below). A few things worth knowing before you go: they can sell out (they get through around a hundred geese a day and can be out by mid-afternoon), so don’t leave it until dinner if you are set on trying it.

Pro tip – if you do get the noodles, ask for the goose on a separate plate rather than sitting on top, so the skin doesn’t go soggy in the broth. The plum sauce and chilli oil are delicious too – try it without first, then add to your liking.

• My Rating: 8/10
• What to order: Barbecue pork or roast goose with rice; add crispy roast pork belly for a two-meat plate.
• Address: LG/F, Cheong Ip Building, 354 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 11:00am–10:00pm.
• Price: HK$50–100 per person.

I originally found 1+1 because it was close by to where I was staying on one of my trips. I ended up going back 4 or 5 times. It is not quite at Yat Lok’s level if you’re judging purely on quality, but for the price and convenience, 1+1 is one of my favourite go-to meals when staying around Causeway Bay or Wan Chai.

• My Rating: 7/10
• What to order: Double-meat rice. I’d suggest pairing the roast duck with the crispy pork belly.
• Address: G/F, 74–76 Queen’s Road Central, Central.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 10:00am–8:00pm.
• Price: HK$40–80 per person.

Shun Hing is another decent affordable option that is on this list as it is extremely well located in Central. It doesn’t have the fame or the queues of other places, but it is a solid option and another one that is excellent value. The double-meat rice for lunch while you are exploring Central is my recommended move.

• My Rating: 7.5/10
• What to order: Roast pork or goose on rice.
• Address: Shop 12, G/F, The Zutten, 50 Ma Tau Kok Road, To Kwa Wan.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 10:00am–8:45pm.
• Price: HK$60–100 per person.

I have also eaten at Tycoon a lot because it was around the corner from The Mahjong, where I was staying in To Kwa Wan. The reviews were good so I checked it out, it is crazy good value for what you get and has an old school feel, so I ended up going multiple times. They also do take away if you need to grab some for the road.

• My Rating: 6.5/10
• What to order: Roast goose with rice, or a mixed two-meat plate.
• Address: G/F, Man Man Building, 45 Jardine’s Bazaar, Causeway Bay.
• Hours: Approximately 10:30am–11:00pm daily.
• Price: HK$50–100 per person.

I tried the roast goose, it was pretty good, but nowhere near Yat Lok for me. I would use it as an affordable option if you need a place close by to the shopping malls in Causeway Bay.

Kam’s is one of the other Michelin-starred roast meat restaurants, known for its roast goose so I definitely need to go back and see which one I like more, this or Yat Lok.

• What to order: Roast goose and goose-fat noodles.
• Address: G/F, Po Wah Commercial Centre, 226 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 11:30am–9:30pm.
• Price: HK$100–250 per person.

A small, old-school roast-meat shop known for its char siu and roast duck.

• What to order: Char siu, roast duck or roast pork with rice or lai fun.
• Address: 425P Queen’s Road West.
• Hours: Monday–Saturday, approximately 11:00am–7:00pm; closed Sunday.
• Price: HK$50–100 per person.

Sun Kwai Heung kept coming up when I was researching char siu in Hong Kong. But I haven’t been yet as it’s out in Chai Wan – but next trip i’ll make it happen!

• What to order: Char siu, preferably half-fat and half-lean; add crispy roast pork belly or roast goose.
• Address: Shop 17, G/F, Kam Tam House, 345 Chai Wan Road, Chai Wan.
• Hours: Roughly 8:00am–8:00/9:00pm; recheck before making the trip.
• Price: HK$50–100 per person.

Joy Hing is the Wan Chai char siu institution still missing from my list of roast meat places I’ve been. Apparently there’s a dark plum sauce which is very good – can’t wait to try!

• What to order: Char siu, or three-treasure rice with roast duck and soy chicken.
• Address: Block C, G/F, 265–267 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai.
• Hours: Approximately 9:30am–10:00pm Monday–Saturday; closed Sunday.
• Price: HK$50–100 per person.

• My Rating: 9.5/10
• What to order: Shrimp wonton noodles
• Address: G/F, Jade Centre, 98 Wellington Street, Central.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 11:00am–9:30pm.
• Price: HK$50–100 per person; cash is the safest option.

I must have eaten at Tsim Chai Kee more than 20 times. It’s fast, cheap, reliable, and one of the places I always return to. There’s only a few options to choose from on the menu, and for me it’s all about the shrimp wonton noodles. The noodles are properly thin with a bit of spring to them, the wontons are enormous and packed with whole prawns, and the broth is clean and savoury. Add a splash of the vinegar on the table and it lifts to another level. I’ve tried the other options, which are also good, but the meatballs have celery in them, which is a no-go for me.

There are a couple of branches – I prefer the one on Wellington Street, but it can be busier than the one on Queen’s Road (also in Central), which has a larger downstairs seating area. There is also a branch up north in Tai Kok Tsui which I still have to visit. FYI – even if there is a queue, it usually moves quickly as the food comes out within 30 seconds. And as is standard for these types of popular Hong Kong eateries – you’ll probably have to squish in and share a table if you go during lunch or dinner.

• My Rating: 7.5/10
• What to order: Wonton noodle soup, with Chinese greens if you want to make it a fuller meal.
• Address: G/F, 77 Wellington Street, Central.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 11:30am–9:00pm.
• Price: HK$50 per person.

Mak’s is another of the classic Hong Kong wonton-noodle names. I went on one of my earlier trips when I just happened to walk in randomly, without knowing it was one of the places to go. I remember the noodles being thina nd firm and overall it was very good, but I still prefer Tsim Chai Kee.

Mak’s is also on Wellington Street in Central, directly opposite Tsim Chai Kee, so they’re dead easy to compare.

• My Rating: 9.5/10
• What to order: Beef brisket noodles.
• Address: Shop A1, G/F, 13A Electric Road, Tin Hau.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 11:00am–10:45pm.
• Price: HK$5-80 per person.

Sister Wah is one of my other absolute Hong Kong noodle favourites. It is a tiny shop near Victoria Park. I have tried a bunch of dishes and the beef brisket noodles are the reason I rate it so highly. The broth has many flavours going at once, deep and rich but somehow still light. I also like the fish ball one. And they also do a curry version if you want something richer, but if it’s your first time then I’d stick to the classic beef brisket noodles and taste the beef and daikon.

Pro tip – It’s also next to Heartwarming Black Sesame Desserts which I love – so eat the brisket noodles here and get black sesame ice cream afterwards.

Mak Man Kee is the other classic wonton-noodle shop I still need to try, and an easy add if you’re already doing a Jordan food crawl. Wonton noodles or dry shrimp-roe lo mein is the one to order apparently.

• What to order: Wonton noodles or dry shrimp-roe lo mein.
• Address: 51 Parkes Street, Jordan.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 12:00pm–12:30am.
• Price: HK$50–100 per person.

Lau Sum Kee is on the list for one specific thing: bamboo-pole noodles and dry lo mein coated in toasted dried shrimp roe. I want to order the shrimp-roe noodles, add wontons, and try the pickled radish alongside.

• What to order: Dry shrimp-roe lo mein, with wontons and pickled radish.
• Address: G/F, 48 Kweilin Street, Sham Shui Po.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 11:30am–9:00pm.
• Price: HK$50–100 per person.

The queues are legendary and reviews are split on whether it lives up to the hype, which is exactly why I want to go. When I do, I’ll be getting the clear-broth brisket and curry beef tendon to share. Apparently the curry tendon is better with e-fu noodles rather than standard egg noodles, since e-fu holds the thicker broth better.

• What to order: Beef brisket noodles in clear broth and curry beef tendon noodles to share.
• Address: G/F, 21 Gough Street, Central.
• Hours: Monday–Saturday, approximately 12:30pm–10:30pm; closed Sunday.
• Price: HK$50–100 per person.

• My Rating: 8/10
• What to order: Signature pork and shrimp pan-fried buns.
• Address: G/F, 48 Lock Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.
• Hours: Monday–Friday approximately 9:00am–7:00pm; Saturday 10:00am–6:00pm; closed Sunday.
• Price: HK$40–100 per person.

Cheung Hing Kee is another one of my favourite quick stops in Hong Kong. It does sheng jian bao (the Shanghai-style buns pan-fried crisp underneath but still full of hot soup). I liked both the pork and shrimp, so get a few each and compare, just watch the first bite because that soup is piping hot. There are multiple branches, but the one on Lock Road is the branch with the Michelin Bib Gourmand. I’ve been to a couple and they are all good.

• My Rating: 7.5/10
• What to order: Prawn and pork wontons in soup, or pan-fried dumplings.
• Address: Shops 4–6, G/F, 18 Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 10:00am–11:55pm.
• Price: HK$40–80 per person.

Yuan Ji is a cheap, quick, reliable dumpling fix, and I really liked it. There are lots of them around the city so it is one of those reliable easy options when you need a dumpling fix. The menu runs to a huge number of fillings, as dumplings or smaller wontons, in soup or pan-fried. I like the prawn and pork wontons in soup.

This is right near the top of my list, but it is a bit of a trek down in Wong Chuk Hang. It is known for handmade noodles and xiao long bao, and the combination sets look like very good value. My likely order is scallion-oil noodles with xiao long bao.

• What to order: Scallion-oil noodles and xiao long bao.
• Address: Shop 102, 1/F, Metro South Tower 2, 39 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 11:30am–9:00pm.
• Price: HK$100–200 per person.

Bib Gourmand dumpling shop doing northern Chinese flavours in the middle of Central. Green-onion mutton dumplings are the one to order, plus one boiled or pan-fried filling to share.

• What to order: Green-onion mutton dumplings, plus one pan-fried filling.
• Address: 168 Wellington Street, Central.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 11:00am–10:00pm.
• Price: HK$50–100 per person.

Different territory to everything else on this list. Shandong-style dumplings and big northern flavours. Lamb and Peking scallion dumplings are the target, with a cold appetiser or another regional dish if sharing.

• What to order: Lamb and Peking scallion dumplings; add mackerel or cuttlefish dumplings if sharing.
• Address: 60 Lai Chi Kok Road, Prince Edward.
• Hours: 11:00am–11:00pm; closed Wednesday.
• Price: HK$50–100 per person.

• My Rating: Food 6/10, Experience 9/10
• What to order: The breakfast set with macaroni soup, scrambled eggs and thick toast, plus milk tea. Order the milk pudding if you can fit it in.
• Address: G/F, 47–49 Parkes Street, Jordan.
• Hours: Approximately 7:30am–10:00pm; closed Thursday.
• Price: HK$50–100 per person.

Australia Dairy Company is one of the places I would tell people they have to visit when they go to Hong Kong. The service is famously blunt and everything happens incredibly quickly, but that’s part of the experience.

The fluffy scrambled eggs are the standout, properly cloud-soft, and the milk tea alongside is sweet but oh so good. The easiest way to order is the breakfast set: eggs, thick toast, and macaroni soup. For me, the macaroni soup is just OK, but ordering the whole set makes more sense than trying to construct the same breakfast piecemeal.

• My Rating: Food 6.5/10 Experience 8/10
• What to order: Silk-stocking milk tea, with a pork chop bun if hungry.
• Address: G/F, 2 Gage Street, Central.
• Hours: Monday–Saturday, approximately 7:30am–6:00pm; closed Sunday.
• Price: HK$50–100 per person.

Another one of the most popular and well known Cha chan tengs. Lan Fong Yuen was good, but similar to Australia Dairy Company, I would go for the experience more than the food. The original Gage Street shop is tiny, crowded and touristy, but it is also one of the classic names in Hong Kong milk tea and an easy stop while walking through Central.

Pro tip: the street-facing counter is the whole tourist show, but there’s a quieter, air-conditioned seating area tucked behind it.

• My Rating: 7.5/10
• What to order: The lunch set with wonton noodles and a milk tea; the pineapple bun and egg tart are also very good.
• Address: G/F, 1–3 Pak Sha Road, Causeway Bay.
• Hours: Daily, 7:30am–11:00pm.
• Price: HK$51–100 per person.

Another great cha chaan teng option if you want one around Causeway Bay. I preferred the food here to most of the other cha chaan tengs, but that might be because I’m a little obsessed with wonton noodles, which they do very well. The bakery options are also very good.

• My Rating: 7/10
• What to order: Pineapple bun and Hong Kong milk tea.
• Address: G/F, 143–145 Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok.
• Hours: Daily, 6:30am–12:00am (midnight).
• Price: HK$50–100 per person.

I went here on a local’s recommendation. I just ordered the pineapple bun and milk-tea combo to take away. It was good, but like most of these places, they add a very generous slab of butter and the milk tea is strong and sweet, so it is not the most heart-healthy option out there, but still yum and worth trying at least once.

Another super popular and well known cha chaan teng which I can’t believe I still haven’t tried.

• What to order: A hot pineapple bun, plain or with butter, and Hong Kong milk tea.
• Address: G/F, 45–47 Bute Street, Mong Kok.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 6:30am–10:00pm.
• Price: HK$40–100 per person.

• My Rating: 8.5/10
• What to order: Chicken claypot rice and the oyster omelette.
• Address: G/F, 15–19 Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 1:30pm–3:30pm and 5:30pm–11:00pm/midnight.
• Price: HK$100–200 per person.

I really enjoyed Hing Kee on my last visit to Hong Kong. We got the chicken claypot rice and the oyster omelette. The portion size of the oyster omelette was very generous with lots of oysters and the batter was light and crispy but properly greasy in the best way. And for the claypot rice, I liked it as it feels like a kind of home-cooked meal and it was cooked just right – big chunks of juicy chicken and that crispy rice at the bottom.

The claypot rice takes time to cook properly, so order the omelette as it is delicious and you can eat it while you wait. When the claypot arrives, add the soy sauce gradually rather than drowning the rice before you’ve tasted it.

Note: Hing Kee spreads across several adjoining shopfronts. For the best feel, go at night when the claypots are coming out constantly and the whole street is busy.

Pro Tip: the posted hours show it closed between 3:30pm and 5:30pm, but we turned up right at 5pm and were able to be seated and order straight away, no wait at all, which was great as the queue can otherwise stretch down the block.

• My Rating: 8/10
• What to order: Sweet and Sour Pork, Salt & Pepper Squid
• Address: Shop 4, 1/F, Bowrington Road Cooked Food Centre, 21 Bowrington Road, Wan Chai.
• Hours: Roughly 10:00am–10:00pm.
• Price: HK$150-300 per person (depending how big you go with the seafood options).

I ate here many years ago, I remember I got the Sweet & Sour Pork (one of my faves) and it was delicious, but I defintely need to go back and try their seafood dishes and more local style options. It is located in a food court, and the whole palce can feel a bit crazy and chaotic, and also very loud if you go when it is busy, so just be aware of that.

I’ve been meaning to come here for ages for a proper late-night open air, wok-fried Hong Kong dai pai dong experience.

• What to order: Black-pepper beef and potatoes, salt-and-pepper Bombay duck and one seafood dish to share.
• Address: Shops B–C, G/F, 1 Shek Kip Mei Street, Sham Shui Po.
• Hours: Approximately 4:30pm–11:00pm; confirm the same day.
• Price: HK$200–400 per person, depending on seafood.

Hing Kee’s my favourite so far, so Kwan Kee’s the claypot-rice benchmark I most want to compare it against. Bib Gourmand recognition and long queues, so this one needs timing, not a casual walk-in at peak dinner.

Pro-tip: Apparently you can call ahead and pre-order your claypot so it’s ready when you arrive, which beats the 45-minute cook time from cold.

• What to order: Eel claypot rice, or chicken with salted fish.
• Address: Shop 1, G/F, Wo Yick Mansion, 263 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 5:30pm–10:00pm.
• Price: HK$100–200 per person.

Under Bridge Spicy Crab is another one I want to try, but it is one of the more expensive entries on the list. The signature order is typhoon-shelter crab buried under fried garlic and chilli. Crab is priced by size and weight, so you best to ask what it will cost before agreeing to the order.

• What to order: Typhoon-shelter spicy crab, plus spicy clams if sharing.
• Address: G/F and 1/F, Golden Jubilee House, 391 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 11:00am–1:00am.
• Price: Allow roughly HK$400–800+ per person.

Sang Kee is my next-trip congee target, one of the reputed local shops in Sheung Wan. Apparently the fish belly congee is the one to get, dipped in the soy-scallion sauce on the table – I can’t wait!

• What to order: Sliced fish congee, or minced pork with century egg; add a plate of cheung fun.
• Address: G/F, 7–9 Burd Street, Sheung Wan.
• Hours: Monday–Saturday, 6:30am–8:30pm; closed Sunday.
• Price: Below HK$50 per person.

• My Rating: 8/10
• What to order: Black sesame paste and glutinous rice balls in ginger syrup.
• Address: Shops 111 and 122, G/F, I-Feng Mansions, 237A To Kwa Wan Road.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 9:30am–1:00am.
• Price: HK$30–60 per person.

I got to tag along with a local friend who was going here after work with a big group of friends. It was a super fun expereince and it was a great way to try and out a bunch of the diffferenet options. Asian desserts aren’t always my thing, but I really enjoyed Ho Kee.

It’s a traditional tong sui shop, not a modern dessert cafe, and it’s open until 1am, which makes it a useful late option if you are staying on the Kowloon side. My favourites were the black sesame paste and glutinous rice balls in ginger syrup.

• My Rating: Food 9/10
• What to order: Black sesame soft serve with extra sesame sauce.
• Address: G/F, 50 Electric Road, Tin Hau.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 10:00am–11:00pm.
• Price: HK$30–80 per person.

Heartwarming is one of my newer Hong Kong favourites. I went to the Tin Hau branch beside Sister Wah and got the black sesame ice cream which is simply delicious.

As mentioned above, this is now one of my top food combinations recommendations – eat the beef brisket noodles at Sister Wah, then gran a sesame ice cream from here next door for dessert.

Note: the Prince Edward branch actaully holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand, but I have only visited the Tin Hau branch and loved it. So go to whatever one is closest to you.

• My Rating: 4/10
• What to order: Sourdough egg tart.
• Addresses: 16 Kai Chiu Road, Causeway Bay; G/F, 5 Staunton Street, Central/SoHo.
• Hours: Both branches are currently listed as open daily, approximately 8:00am–9:00pm.
• Price: HK$20–60 per person.

Putting this one on the list as it is always so busy every time I go past any of their branches, but personally I can’t understand why. I tested out multiple branches just to confirm, and yes, the sourdough egg tart is good (to the point they even cap how many you can buy!?), but to be honest I did not find it better than the other older-style HK dessert / cake shops. The last time I went I also ordered a danish, but it was quite stale and tasted like it had been sitting there for a few days…

An easy Jordan stop and a Michelin Bib Gourmand dessert shop. I want to try one of the classic Cantonese sweet soups, most likely black sesame, walnut or almond, and compare it with Ho Kee.

• What to order: Black sesame sweet soup or tofu-skin sweet soup with ginkgo and Job’s tears.
• Address: 113–115 Parkes Street, Jordan.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 12:00pm–1:00am.
• Price: HK$30–70 per person.

Yee Shun is on the list for one thing: double-skin steamed milk pudding.

• What to order: Hot original double-skin steamed milk pudding; add ginger milk pudding if sharing.
• Address: G/F, 63 Pilkem Street, Jordan.
• Hours: Approximately 8:00am–12:00am daily.
• Price: HK$30–70 per person.

This category is for drink places and random places that are more unique to me personally, or places that don’t really fit into other categories, but I still wanted to include.

• My Rating: Taste: 6/10 (but I still try it again every time I go…)
• What to order: Sugarcane juice and sugarcane pudding.
• Address: 60 Hollywood Road, Central.
• Hours: Approximately 11:00am–9:00pm Tuesday–Sunday; closed Monday.
• Price: HK$15–40 per person.

I have been to Kung Lee several times. I wouldn’t say it is because I particularly love the taste of every drink on the menu (some of the herbal flavours honestly taste aweful), but I still seem to keep returning back here every trip as I like the old school Hong Kong style of it and that it still offers traditional herbal and sugarcane drinks products you do not see nearly as often elsewhere. And also be asue I’m still trying so hard to find one I actually like, since they’re supposed to be super good for you and cure everything lol.

• My Rating: Mango smoothie 8.5/10
• What to order: Mango yogurt shake.
• Address: Shop B201-30, B2 Food Playground, K11 MUSEA, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 11:00am–10:00pm.
• Price: HK$45–65 per person.

This is probably the most “huh?” entry on the list, as this place is a Chinese yogurt-shake chain rather than an old Hong Kong institution – so I know it’s kinda ridiculous to put this on the list – but honestly I am slightly obsessed with this palce and have tried every flavour at least twice over. And as someone who LOVES smoothies, I found it to really hit the spot during those 35 degree high humidity days that Hong Kong has for much of the year.

In terms of my preferences:

• Mango was easily my favourite and is the one I would order first (9/10)
• Blackcurrant was different but good (8/10)
• Blueberry was solid (8/10)
• Avocado was thick and creamy (7.5/10)
• Dragon fruit is refreshing so works well on a hot day
• The banana-oatmeal recipe changed and I stopped liking it (4/10)
• Hawthorn flavour was not for me either (4/10)

Pro tip: order less sugar.

If I’m doing one proper high-end meal next trip, this is it. One of Hong Kong’s best-known modern Cantonese restaurants, and the specific thing I want is the steamed flowery crab with aged Shaoxing wine. Bookings release online and it currently runs off set menus, so plan this one well ahead of everything else.

• What to order: Steamed flowery crab with aged Shaoxing wine; the rest depends on the current set menu.
• Address: 3/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central.
• Hours: Daily, approximately 12:00pm–3:00pm and 6:00pm–11:00pm.
• Price: Allow at least HK$1,500 per person before drinks; confirm the current menu price when booking.

The more formal hotel option, currently holding two Michelin stars. The dim sum is the whole point. Baked barbecue-pork buns with pine nuts are the signature I most want to try, along with the baked whole abalone puff, which is apparently one of their most famous dim sum items, a whole abalone baked into a pastry puff, followed by har gow or one of the seasonal steamed dumplings.

• What to order: Baked barbecue-pork buns with pine nuts and a selection of lunch dim sum.
• Address: 4/F, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central.
• Hours: Lunch and dinner daily; check the current sitting times when booking.
• Price: Allow roughly HK$900–2,000+ per person for a fuller meal, plus service.

That is my Hong Kong food hit list for now, it is still a work in progress but I will be updating it every time I return. If there are any places you think I am missing, especially a cheap local favourite, please let me know in the comments!