Going to HK? Add my Hong Kong food favourites to your itinerary! 

Hong Kong food…It is seriously some of my favourite in the world. You can dine on street food, the tastiest noodles for $1 or have multiple Michelin-starred meals. Dine on local Cantonese specialties or have some of the best Italian and French food you’ll ever put in your mouth. Hong Kong almost has it all. There has even been a recent emergence of taco bars lately!

This list is my Hong Kong food favourites since I get asked where to eat by my friends who happen to be passing through. This list is obviously not the be all and end all of the dining in Hong Kong, these restaurants and eateries are some of my favourites. It is a mix of budget-friendly to high-end meals in the city. 

Arnette vs Food in Hong Kong

Now for my Hong Kong food favourites!

Coffee Academics

Coffee culture is not the same outside of North America, Australia, and New Zealand. When I was jet-lagged and dying for some caffeine in Hong Kong at 5 am, my choices were very limited. It was either horrible drip at my hotel (Sheraton Towers in Kowloon) or McDonald’s (and not even McCafe). Starbucks (God forbid) does not open till 8 am in Hong Kong and other cafes not till 10 am.

One morning I walked through Harbour City Mall in the TST area of Kowloon and found Coffee Academics. They make excellent coffee and I even ordered a proper flat white.

There are other great coffee shops popping up in Hong Kong but this one was somewhat close to my hotel, so it was ideal that morning.

Harbour City Mall – 3-37 Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui (locations all over Hong Kong)

**If you are looking for coffee on the Central side, Fuel Espresso in IFC Mall is excellent. Grab one of their banana bread loaves too.

Kau Kee

For me, eating Kau Kee is a must. The lines are sometimes long but they move quick. Kau Kee is a noodle cafe so it is nothing fancy. Seating is plastic chairs around a round table so you will most likely be sitting beside strangers. I love this place. Their beef brisket noodle soup is to die for. If you’re going with a bunch of people order the curried version too if you fancy a bit of heat!! A bowl of noodles cost under $1 US and you will love it

Kau Kee – 21 Gough Street in Central

Din Tai Fung

Din Tai Fung is a Taiwanese chain of restaurants with locations all over Asia, Australia, UK, UAE, and the United States. They have a few locations in Hong Kong and if you have time, stop in for a meal for their famous xiao long bao or soup dumplings. I went to the location with my friends at Silvercord in Tsim Sha Tsui. You can put your name down and then walk around the mall while you wait!

Several locations.

Crystal Jade

My friend who frequents Hong Kong brought me to the location at Harbour City in TST for dim sum. As you can see from our photos, we feasted like queens.

Several locations throughout Hong Kong including Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, and IFC mall.

Peking Garden

If you eat duck, Peking duck is a must when you visit Hong Kong. There are many popular places to eat it but I have been to Peking Garden a handful of times now and still enjoy it. There are several locations and the restaurants are quite spacious so it would be easier to get a reservation or even walk in for a table (maybe not large groups).

Anything that is reminiscent of a taco, I love!

Several locations. I’ve eaten at the location in TST as well as in Central’s Pacific Place Mall

Shang Palace

Want a nice splurge Chinese meal in Hong Kong? Shang Palace is a 2 Star Michelin restaurant in the Shangri-La Hotel in Kowloon. I had a 5-course lunch and every bite was so refined. It was a stark contrast to the usual Chinese meals I tend to have. Definitely, something I recommend if you want Hong Kong food! 

Read more:  A Luxurious Stay At The Shangri-La Kowloon.

Shang Palace – inside the Kowloon Shangri-La  64 Mody Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Hong Kong

Yardbird

My friend Matt and his business partner own Yardbird, Ronin and Sundays Spirits. They both grew up in Canada but now reside in Hong Kong and have a growing empire. Matt is a very accomplished chef, having trained under Masa in New York.

Everything at Yardbird is superb. I can’t recommend it enough and I don’t know one single person who has eaten there that did not love it. Yardbird is a Japanese restaurant specializing in yakitori or grilled meat on sticks. Who can say no to meat on sticks? Unless of course, you’re a vegan. There are some veggie items on the menu but it is not a vegan-friendly place sadly.

They do not take reservations here and the lines can get really long but it’s worth it. I would share my own photos for Yardbird, but I always go heavy on my favourite whiskey lemonade and Jolly Rancher cooler when I’m there so I don’t have any good ones.

Yardbird – 154-158 Wing Lok St, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Photos courtesy of YB, collage courtesy of me

I’ll share a photo of my model cousin who had dinner with me at YB just because

Ronin

Ronin would be like Yardbird’s older, refined, and less boisterous sibling. With Yardbird, the focus is chicken. At Ronin, it’s all things from the sea + other dishes. Don’t you worry seafood haters, there are items you can eat here also. Besides seafood, Ronin focuses on Japanese whiskey, so if you’re a whiskey lover like me you’re in heaven.

I had eaten dinner before I went to Ronin but could not resist sampling some of the food. I didn’t get to try too many things but of course, everything was amazing. The restaurant is very small and unlike Yardbird, they do take reservations.

Ronin – 8 On Wa Lane in Sheung Wan – nondescript grey door

Ka Ho

While I was in Hong Kong Chef Matt from Yardbird took my guy friends and I for dim sum one day in Central. The restaurant is called Ka Ho. It is not fancy at all but the food was good. We may have gone overboard on the pork belly.

Ka Ho – 1/F – 328 Queen’s Road Central in Sheung Wan

Sen Ryo

If you’re in Hong Kong long enough, you may start craving other types of food. If you want to eat some Japanese food and sushi but don’t want to drop the dollars at Ronin or Yardbird, head to Sen Ryo. It’s a kaiten or sushi train restaurant. My local friends brought me a few times when I stayed in Hong Kong for a month. 

Several locations – I’ve eaten at the one in Causeway Bay as well as IFC Mall

Temple Street Night Market

If you are going to the night markets in Hong Kong, have dinner along Temple Street in the Jordan area. Some friends from New York who happen to have a layover in Hong Kong and I went with Chef Matt one night. We ate at an open-air restaurant where you pick out seafood and they cook it for you. It was amazing!! I don’t know the name of the restaurant or even the address, but it’s on one of the streets that line the night market.

Read more: Must Visit Hong Kong’s Markets

Things To Try

Pineapple bun

While exploring Tai O on Lantau Island (an area of Hong Kong), my friend and I got hungry. We went really early and there was not much open but managed to find a bakery. We picked up some snacks including the pineapple bun below! One of my favourite things to do in Hong Kong is snack on local pastries like pork buns and pineapple buns.

Egg Tart

While the egg tart seen below is a bit fancy (it’s from 2 starred Michelin Shang Palace), you can find them all Hong Kong including at dim sum. My goal is to eventually take the ferry to Macau from Hong Kong and try their famous ones. 

Other restaurant recommendations but no photos:

• La Cantoche – Casual French bistro in Sheung Wan. The owner David is fun and if you catch him, you may do shots with him.
• One Harbour Road – Upscale Chinese inside the Grand Hyatt in Wan Chai
• Lily and Bloom – Loved this place. Excellent place for cocktails. 
• Brickhouse – seriously…for tacos and margaritas in Lan Kwai Fong
• Le Cafe de Joel Robuchon – because sometimes you want a fancy ham sandwich
• Laduree and Pierre Herme – if you can’t make it to Paris and want some macarons
• Landmark at the Mandarin Oriental – fantastic brunch, spendy but lovely
• Tim Ho Wan – cheapest Michelin restaurant in the world!

Well, there you have it my food loving friends! These are some of my favourite places to eat in Hong Kong. If I were to pick one or two, definitely don’t miss out on Kau Kee and Yardbird or Ronin. This list will be updated on future trips to Hong Kong. If you have any recommendations for me, please leave them in the comment section!

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