Where to Eat in Hong Kong: Dim Sum, Wonton Noodles and Roast Goose

Eat dim sum, eat wonton noodles, and find a cha chaan teng for milk tea and a pineapple bun. Sixteen of the 17 guides read for this page name dim sum, and twelve name wonton noodles and roast meat. The sections below follow how many guides name each dish and each restaurant.

Roam Hong Kong read 17 guides in English, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French and German. The guides name hundreds of places between them, so only the restaurants that three or more of them name are listed. Most don’t have an official page with hours or prices, so none are printed here. Look the place up on its own page or at the door, and carry cash. For what’s on in the evening, use the map and the events page.

The short list

Dim sum

Recommended by 16 of 17 guides read.

Dim sum is the one meal every guide gets to. It’s eaten in the morning and at lunch, with tea, in small steamer baskets. One Japanese guide says to arrive by about 14:00 at the latest, since many places stop serving it in the afternoon. The usual orders are shrimp dumplings, pork siu mai, barbecue pork buns and rice noodle rolls.

Lin Heung Tea House is the traditional teahouse six guides name. It’s described as busy and loud, so expect to hunt for a table and to flag down a server. Tim Ho Wan has three votes. According to its own site, its founding chefs left the Four Seasons in 2009 and opened a 20-seat shop in Sham Shui Po (Tim Ho Wan). Luk Yu Tea House, DimDimSum and Duddell’s each have three. Duddell’s is the dressed-up one. One guide thinks Lin Heung’s food is average beyond a couple of dishes, so the atmosphere is the reason to go.

Wonton noodles

Recommended by 12 of 17 guides read.

Wonton noodles are a bowl of thin egg noodles in clear broth with shrimp dumplings. Mak Man Kee (5 guides) and Mak’s Noodle (4 guides) are the two names that come up, and they’re different shops. Mak’s Noodle has a site of its own. Shellfish is the point of the dish, so ask for something else if you can’t eat it. One Japanese guide says the dry version is the option.

Roast goose and char siu

Recommended by 12 of 17 guides read.

Roast meat shops sell goose, char siu and crisp pork over rice or by the plate. Yat Lok and Joy Hing have three votes each. Over rice it’s a cheap lunch that’s easy to eat on your own.

Cha chaan teng

Recommended by 11 of 17 guides read.

A cha chaan teng is a Hong Kong-style cafe with milk tea, pineapple buns, French toast and baked rice. Lan Fong Yuen is the name four guides give for milk tea. Service is fast and the menu is long, so decide before you sit down. Many guides say small places of this kind take cash or an Octopus card only. Octopus says its card works for dining as well as transport (Octopus).

Egg tarts, egg waffles and snacks

Egg tarts: 8 of 17 guides read. Egg waffles: 7 of 17.

Bakehouse is the egg tart shop three guides name. Mammy Pancake is the egg waffle stall three guides name. Congee (7 guides), fish balls and cart noodles (7), claypot rice (6) and beef brisket noodles (5) round out the list, but no single place gets three votes.

Typhoon shelter crab

Recommended by 4 of 17 guides read.

Typhoon shelter crab is fried with garlic and chilli. Under Bridge Spicy Crab has all four votes, and one guide notes that it’s expensive, so ask the price before you order.

Areas worth eating in

Food is spread across the city, and the map has food areas worth a walk. Gourmet Street in Sham Shui Po is a local-food street, Kowloon City’s food streets are close to the old airport district, and Lei Yue Mun is known for seafood. The Temple Street Night Market is a place for street food in the evening.

Verdicts by trip type

First night. Dim sum the next morning, and a bowl of wonton noodles for lunch.

Tight budget. Cha chaan teng, cart noodles, roast meat over rice and the markets.

Families. Dim sum, which is easy to share, and egg waffles.

Late night. The Temple Street Night Market and the street stalls.

Seafood. Typhoon shelter crab, or a seafood lunch on Lamma.

A special meal. Duddell’s is the one the guides name for a dressier dim sum lunch.

Vegetarian. The guides barely cover it. One names the vegetarian meal at Po Lin Monastery on a Lantau trip, and the rest say to ask at each place.

Before a long walk. Congee, which is plain and filling.

Carry some cash, and read the travel tips page for the Octopus card. The things to do guide has the sights, and where to stay helps you choose an area near the food.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should you eat in Hong Kong?

Dim sum, wonton noodles and roast goose or char siu. Sixteen of 17 guides name dim sum, and twelve name wonton noodles and roast meat.

Where is the best dim sum in Hong Kong?

The guides don’t agree on one place. Lin Heung Tea House has six votes, and Tim Ho Wan, Luk Yu Tea House, DimDimSum and Duddell’s have three each.

What is a cha chaan teng?

A Hong Kong-style cafe serving milk tea, pineapple buns, French toast and baked rice. Eleven of 17 guides recommend one.

Do restaurants in Hong Kong take cards?

Many do, but small local places often take cash or an Octopus card only, according to several guides. Carry some of both.

What time is dim sum served?

In the morning and at lunch. One guide says to arrive by about 14:00.

Where can you get cheap food in Hong Kong?

Cha chaan teng, cart-noodle shops, roast meat over rice and the street stalls at the night markets. No prices are printed here, so check the menu or the board at the door.

Places in this guide

Photos show the actual places, licensed under Creative Commons and credited to their photographers.

Lei Yue Mun Kowloon City and Kai Tak Photo: steve_w Lamma Island Lantau and Outlying Islands Photo: Ian Glen