Food Guide to Hong Kong — Where and What to Eat

Dim sum: the morning ritual

Hong Kong dim sum is a breakfast culture, not a lunch culture — the best restaurants start at 7am and close at 3pm. Tim Ho Wan (North Point, multiple locations): four Michelin stars, the baked BBQ pork buns are the dish that started the global dim sum revival. Luk Yu Tea House (中環, since 1933): the most beautiful tea house in the world, the char siu dan dan fun (egg noodles with BBQ pork) is the house special. Mong Kok Garden Kitchen: excellent dim sum without the tourist markup. Go before 9am for the best experience.

dai pai dong — the open-air food stall

The dai pai dong (大牌檔, Licensed Open-air Hawker): the outdoor food stalls that have defined Hong Kong's street food since the 1950s. Tai Hing Roast (Causeway Bay): the roast meats — char siu (BBQ pork), siu yuk (roast pork), and chicken — are among the best in the city. Kau Kee (中環, since 1926): beef offal soup that Anthony Bourdain called the best in Hong Kong. Sai Ying Pun's dai pai dong row (三點至九點): a street of outdoor stalls in the Sheung Wan neighborhood.

Wan Chai and the old Hong Kong food scene

Wan Chai has the most concentrated cluster of old Hong Kong food institutions. Luk Yu Tea House: the art deco tea house (1933). Joyful Palace: the dim sum institution on the 2nd floor of a Causeway Bay mall. Australian Dairy Company: the cha chaan teng (茶餐廳, Hong Kong-style café) that Tony Cheng called "the most important restaurant in Hong Kong." The Wan Chai Market (星期日): the wet market that becomes a food festival on Sundays, when vendors sell street food from carts.

Egg tarts and pineapple buns: the Hong Kong bakery

The Hong Kong egg tart (蛋撻) is the city's pastry. Tai Cheong (中環, since 1954): the gold standard, the pastry is shortcrust, the custard is caramelized. Kwong Wing Cheung (旺角): the flaky puff pastry version. The pineapple bun (菠蘿包, literally named for its texture, not its taste) at Kwong's (西環, since 1956) is the one to try: eaten with cold butter inside, the contrast of warm bun and cold butter is the texture. Kee Shing Milk Dessert: the mango pomelo sago that made this dish famous.

Seafood: Lantau and the outlying islands

Lantau Island has the best seafood in Hong Kong. Tai O (大澳, the "Venice of Hong Kong"): fishing village, stilt houses, and seafood restaurants on the water. Po Toi Island (南丫島): the outlying island with the best seafood restaurants, reachable by ferry from Central (30 minutes). Sai Kung (西貢): the "backyard of Hong Kong," fishing village atmosphere, waterfront seafood restaurants, the Hong Kong GeoPark nearby for the volcanic rock formations.