More than a cosmopolitan city, Hong Kong has long been praised as a food paradise. The cuisine in Hong Kong reflects its rich blend of cultures and is as wide in variety, ranging from sweet French pastries, English breakfasts, to spicy Thai food. From local flavours to international menus, the city offers countless culinary delights. No matter what budget, you will definitely find something you will enjoy in Hong Kong. Take a journey with us as we sample local treats in our search for the best food in Hong Kong!
As the financial centre of Hong Kong, Central is not only filled with commercial buildings, but a maze of hidden and not so hidden dining options. One of the must-try items in Central are the egg tarts from Tai Cheong Bakery (泰昌餅家) on Lyndhurst Terrace, which consists of cookie dough filled with sweetened egg custard. A bite of a hot egg tart is definitely a perfect start to your food hunt in Hong Kong.
Another symbolic dish of Hong Kong is its wonton noodles. Recommended by Michelin, Tsim Chai Kee (沾仔記) on Wellington Street is a well-known wonton noodle restaurant that is popular with locals and tourists alike. A single serving of wonton noodles may not be filling, so you should consider trying their Jumbo noodles with wontons, beef and dace fish balls.
Lan Fong Yuen (蘭芳園), a legendary Cha Chan Teng (local restaurant) offering Hong Kong local food, is famous for Hong Kong-style milk tea. This is also known as “Stocking Milk Tea” since it is percolated in a stocking-like filter to make the brew smooth and the texture creamy. Yuan Yang, the mixture of coffee and tea, is invented by the founder of Lan Fong Yuen, and is another one of the must-try items in this stall.
If you’re looking for a local dining experience, Yau Ma Tei in Kowloon is a district you must stop by. One of the highly-recommended Hong Kong street snacks are beef entrails on Temple Street. This consists of various organs from cows, like liver, tripe, lungs and spleen, etc. Beef entrails are always cooked with master stock sauce and sometimes come with radish.
Dai Pai Tong is another feature of this lively district. It is the best place to taste Hong Kong stir-fry, which is famous for diverse food choices and ‘wok hei’, the combination of smell and taste imparted by the wok to food when stir-frying over high heat. One of the most well-known stir-fried dishes is possibly sweet and sour pork, which can be found in China Towns across the world. Some other popular choices are stir-fried beef with vegetable and deep fried squid with salt and pepper that goes down easy with some beer.
Another delicious restaurant is Tim Ho Wan (添好運), the Michelin-recommended dim sum restaurant, which is only a 15-minute walk from Yau Ma Tei to Olympic Station. Siu Mai (pork dumplings), Ha Gao (steamed shrimp dumplings), Cheung Fan (steamed rice noodle rolls) and Char Siu Bao (barbecued pork buns) are something you won’t want to miss for sure.
North Point, one of the more crowded residential areas on Hong Kong Island, is packed with good restaurants and food stalls. The first mouth-watering item is mini egg puffs from Lee Keung Kee (利強記), which is made of simple ingredients like eggs, flour and sugar. Grilled in a special mould, the texture is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, with an addictive texture and flavour. If egg puffs are not to your liking, a string of fish balls is another popular choice. Fish balls are often served in two flavours – original and spicy. Stop by any local food stall and you will be able to grab a quick street snack on your meanderings across the city.
