Hong Kong is a city that takes food to new heights. Be prepared for your next gastronomical adventure, as good food is everywhere. Slurp up something by the roadside, or squeeze yourself into a seat at a table full of strangers. Hong Kongers sleep, eat and breathe at breakneck speed- you’ll be asked to order the moment you sit down, and requested to leave once you’ve finished, but that doesn’t mean Hong Kongers don’t enjoy their food. In fact, food, whether it be traditional Cantonese cuisine or Hong Kong-Western Fusion, lies at the heart of Hong Kong culture.
Come starving and ready to eat.
Dim Sum
Dim Sum is one of Hong Kong’s most famous styles of cuisine. Dim Sum, which literally translates to “touching the heart”, refers to small, bite sized finger foods bursting with flavour. In Hong Kong, Dim Sum is usually eaten in the late morning. This brunch-esque meal is usually accompanied with a nice strong cup of chinese tea, which is why most locals refer to it as Yum Cha, “to drink tea”.
Traditional dim sum consists of well-loved favourites like the shrimp dumplings or har gao, juicy shrimp wrapped in delicate, paper thin rice paper and then steamed as well as shumai, a delicious mutton and pork dumpling wrapped together with fragrant scallion and ginger. At most restaurants, you can order off the menu, or pick up dishes from the dim sum carts that are being pushed around.
Try these places:
Lin Heung Tea House
Loud, bustling and cheerful, head here for the full Dim Sum experience. This two storey restaurant is famous for its delectable eats. It is so popular that diners are often expected to share tables during rush hour. Get to know your fellow patrons, and chase down one of the traditional trolleys.
Address: 162 Wellington St, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday: 6am - 5pm
Lung King Heen
If having to jostle for your meal isn’t your style, this fine dining restaurant will be sure to elevate your dim sum experience. This three-star michelin star restaurant is located at the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel, and is famous for its exquisite XO-sauce.
Address: 8 Finance St, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday: 12pm - 2:30pm, 6pm- 9 pm
Saturdays, Sundays, Public Holidays: 11:30am - 3pm, 6pm - 9pm
Congee
For most chinese, congee is a staple comfort food. The thin, watery porridge makes for the perfect breakfast meal when served with fried dough fritters, or you tiao. The dough fritters are fried until they turn golden brown and perfectly complement a warm, hearty bowl of porridge. Locals tend to opt for plain porridge and season it to their liking with roasted garlic bits, fresh scallions and black pepper. You can also include chicken strips, pork slices or crack an egg into your congee for a more filling meal.
Try these places:
Trusty Congee King
This restaurant was the first congee restaurant to be awarded The Michelin Bib Gourmand, but thankfully, this Michelin star meal doesn’t come with a Michelin star price tag. The shop specializes in fish congee, so each bowl is bursting with rich umami flavour. Be sure to try their Pork Liver and Scallop Congee as well.
Address: 7 Heard Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday: 11am - 10pm
Law Fu Kee Congee and Noodle Specialists
At Law Fu Kee, quality is key. The head chef of this restaurant begins preparing for the day at the crack of dawn, and has been doing so for the past 50 years. The eatery itself is a small hole in the wall located in central Hong Kong selling- you guessed it, congee. Their congee with pig giblets is often raved about, as well as their dough fritters. Booming business led the restaurant to open doors at two other locations, though the central location is still favoured by most.
Address: Lyndhurst Terrace, 50號G/F, Central, Hong Kong
Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday: 8am - 7:30pm
Sweet and Sour Pork
You’ve never had pork quite like this. Chunks of succulent pork pieces are sauteed with pineapple, peppers and yellow onions in a tomato-based sweet and sour sauce. Fragrant and aromatic, Sweet and Sour Pork (Gu Lou Yok) will surely get your mouth watering. The tasty, tangy Cantonese dish goes best with a bowl of steamed white rice and is a staple in most Hong Kong restaurants.
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Celebrity Cuisine
Be sure to book ahead to secure a table at Celebrity Cuisine. Having only six tables and a slew of regulars means this restaurant is often packed during meal times. If you do manage to squeeze yourself in, try their sweet and sour pork, as well as other dishes, such as baked chicken with Shaoxing Wine and the chef’s very own creation, Bird’s Nest in Chicken Wing.
Address: Lan Kwai Fong Hotel, 3 Kau U Fong, Central, Hong Kong
Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday: 11am – 3pm, 6pm – 10:30pm
Tak Lung Restaurant
Opened in 1936, this celebrated restaurant specializes in stir fry and has won many prestigious awards throughout the years. Sweet and Sour Pork is one of the most raved about dishes, but be sure to give their Suckling Pig and Roast Meat Platter a try. This place is absolutely perfect for meat lovers.
Address: 25-29 Hong Keung St, San Po Kong
Opening Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 9am - 11pm
Sunday: 3pm - 11pm
Milk Tea
Everyone knows about the bubble tea craze that has been sweeping the world, but Hong Kong Milk Tea is a different beast altogether. Many would describe the taste of Hong Kong Milk tea as sweet with a strong taste of tea. The drink itself is made with black tea and evaporated or condensed milk, and is nicknamed “silk stocking milk tea” due to the appearance of the tea-filtering bag, which resembles a silk stocking. The drink was first introduced in Hong Kong by the British during colonial rule, and it has since flourished.
Try these places:
Hoi On Cafe
Hoi On Cafe is one of the few Bing Sutt, or ice-rooms left in Hong Kong. Unlike its predecessor, the Cha Chaan Teng (tea house), Bing Sutts were rooms that served ice cold drinks, popularized during the 50s and 60s; today, there are less than 20 such establishments in Hong Kong City. Get a glimpse of what Hong Kong was like in the late 50s, when you stop by for a quick refreshing gulp of milk tea.
Address: 17 Connaught Rd, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday: 7:30am - 4:30pm
Saturday: 8am - 5:30pm
Sunday: 8am - 2pm
Lan Fong Yuen
Having operated since 1953, Lan Fong Yuen is said to be the pioneer of Hong Kong Milk Tea. Come prepared for long, snaking lines, but drink is definitely more than worth the wait. Five different tea leaves from New Zealand are mixed together according to Lan Fong Yuen’s secret golden ratio, making for the perfect brew. The milk tea from this place is so popular that they now offer bottled versions at Seven Elevens around the world. But of course, nothing beats the original, so why not try it for yourself.
Address: 2 Gage St, Central, Hong Kong
Opening Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 7:30am - 6pm
Sunday: Closed
Egg Tarts
For the unacquainted, Egg Tarts or Daan Taats are pastries made from soft egg custard with a crispy outer crust. Often served at Cha Chaan Tengs and dim sum restaurants, Egg Tarts are a popular snack to have on the go. There are many different variations, but the Hong Kong Egg Tarts differ from the Portuguese and Taiwanese counterparts as they are usually smaller in size. Chocolate, Green Tea and Abalone are common flavours of egg tarts in Hong Kong, while locals also prefer the softer puff pastries as egg tart shells.
Try these places:
Hoover Cake Shop
This bakery has a unique method to baking their egg tarts. Specifically, they use duck eggs for a more rich and smooth filling, and it makes their egg tarts creamier to the taste; locals swear by it! Hoover Cake Shop also offers egg tarts with puff pastry and buttered crusts, so you’ll be able to taste the best of both worlds if you stop by during your stay.
Address: 136 Nga Tsin Wai Rd, Kowloon City, Hong Kong
Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday: 7am - 9pm
Tai Cheong Bakery
Well over 60 years old, Tai Cheong Bakery is a favourite amongst locals. The restaurant owner, Au Yeung adopted his technique of baking cakes to apply to Egg Tarts. It therefore comes as no surprise the cookie crust is what makes egg tarts here special. The outlet at Lyndhurst Terrace was its very first and welcomed many celebrities, including then governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten.
Address: 35 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central
Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday: 8am - 8:30pm
Hong Kong Style French Toast
You can find this tasty treat at most Cha Chaan Tengs in Hong Kong. Unlike the Western style of French Toast, Hong Kong French Toast favours thick loaves of milk bread, slathered with egg batter and then fried. This delectable dish is then topped with butter, or condensed milk/syrup. Praised by CNN as one of the world’s most delicious foods, those with a sweet tooth will go mad with the abundance of topping choices, with flavours like peanut butter, chocolate and honey, each sweeter than the last.
Try these places:
Si Yik
People travel far and wide to Si Yik for a taste of their amazing French Toast, which most claim is absolutely to die for. Pieces of bread are soaked in egg, and covered in peanut butter or kaya before deep fried until crispy. Biting into their French Toast is an indescribable sensation, the consensus is that you just have to try it for yourself. Other sandwiches at Si Yik are the sandwich with butter and sugar, and sandwich with butter and jam.
Address: 2 Stanley Market St, Stanley
Opening Hours:
Monday, Wednesday & Thursday: 6:30am - 2pm
Friday - Sunday: 6:30am - 4pm
Tuesday: Closed
Shui Kee Coffee
Shui Kee Coffee’s French toast is a stand-out; but then again, so is everything else about the place. Stepping into the cafe is a blast to the past, ice milk tea is shelved away in a glass bottle, and the menu is traditional Hong Kong Fare. The French Toast is pan-fried, so the bread remains soft and chewy, before condensed milk is slathered on. If you have a sweet tooth, you’re bound to love Shui Kee Coffee.
Address: Shop 17, 2/F, Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building, Sheung Wan
Opening Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday: 8am - 6pm
Tuesday: 8am - 5:30pm
Friday: 8am - 5pm
Sunday: Closed
