What to eat and drink in Hong Kong

Food is all-consuming in Hong Kong. Asia’s most dynamic megacity boasts a mouth-watering repertoire of restaurants, from down-home barbecue joints roasting crisp-skinned goose in Hong Kong’s diverse neighborhoods to Michelin-starred hotspots where chef-owners dazzle with creative riffs on Cantonese classics. 

Throw in noodle shops, dim-sum dining halls, cute cafes, meticulous bakeries and a globe-trotting line-up of French, Italian, Japanese and Southeast Asian restaurants, and you’ve got all the ingredients for a belt-busting adventure. The only problem is choosing where to eat next.

One of China’s “Eight Great Cuisines,” Cantonese cooking is the dominant form in Hong Kong, and comfort foods served at local teahouses (cha chaan tang), food stalls (dai pai dong), and street markets are all something to be relished.

From egg tarts to milk tea, Hong Kong is also famed for crossover dishes that reflect its complex colonial past and status as a global melting pot. To steer you toward the best plates in town, here are the top things to eat and drink in Hong Kong.

1. Dim sum ’til you drop

A parade of delicate savory and sweet treats, Cantonese dim sum (or yum cha) is the ultimate Hong Kong way to do brunch. Dim sum plates are made fresh in batches, typically in an open kitchen, and diners simply point at steamers of what they fancy from the trolley as it passes through the dining room. 

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From light, airy har gow – translucent wrappers cradling tender steamed shrimp – to rich, full-flavored char siu bao (barbeque pork encased in fluffy buns), every bite is a celebration of Hong Kong's flavors.

Where to try it: Great for a post-party dim sum fix or a first-light breakfast, Sun Hing Restaurant is a Kennedy Town institution that opens at 3am daily. Alternatively, loosen your belt for a dim sum bun flight at City Hall Maxim’s Palace, located in a packed, noisy dining hall emblazoned with dragons.

2. Slurp a cup of “pantyhose” milk tea

The brew of the masses, a good cup of Hong Kong-style milk tea pipes comfort into the soul. Hong Kong’s favorite cuppa is made from a blend of black teas brewed with eggshells to temper the bitterness, then mixed with unsweetened condensed milk. 

Steeping involves “pulling” the tea several times through a cloth filter that resembles a silk stocking, lending it the nickname si wa nai cha – literally “pantyhose milk tea.”

Where to try it: Lan Fong Yuen, a rickety cha chaan tang (Hong Kong tea house) on Gage Street, is believed to have pioneered “pantyhose” milk tea back in the 1950s. Another favorite is My Cup of Tea in Wan Chai; you’ll spot a member of staff pulling tea as you walk in.

3. Feast on traditional, succulent roast goose

Roast goose has been a Hong Kong staple for generations, becoming particularly prominent in the post-war era. Today, this sizzling treat is a standout on the city’s food scene, earning a Michelin star for vendor Kam’s Roast Goose in 2014.

A whole goose is marinated in a concoction of spices and aromatic seasonings, lending the meat a deep, rich flavor, before the bird is roasted until the skin achieves a crisp, golden sheen. It’s often served with plum sauce or a tangy hoisin dip.

Where to try it: For the full finger-licking Hong Kong barbeque experience, head to famous Kam’s Roast Goose. Alternatively, roast goose on rice is the name of the game at Joy Hing Roasted Meat – prepare to share tables with strangers during busy periods.

4. Sample Hong Kong specialties at Sheung Wan & Cooked Food Centre

Most Hong Kong neighborhoods have a “Cooked Food Centre” consisting of cheap municipal canteens set up in the 1960s and ‘70s to shift dai pai dong (open-air food stalls) indoors.

Sheung Wan Market & Cooked Food Centre is a triple-tiered institution, set above two labyrinthine market floors selling meats, cut flowers and pungent dry goods. Upstairs is bright, noisy and crammed with diners sitting on Lego-like colored stools. 

Dining here can feel a little daunting for first-timers, as vendors’ boards are in handwritten Chinese, though most will usually have an English menu if you ask. The variety and quality of dishes on offer, however, is superb.

What to try there: Seek out garlic-crusted shrimp, best washed down with an icy beer. It’s also worth dropping into legendary Shui Kee Coffee, which serves iced milk tea in old-style glass bottles alongside syrupy French toast and ham-and-egg sandwiches. 

5. Indulge in mouthwatering Michelin-starred menus

Boasting more Michelin stars than New York and London, Hong Kong is a world-class destination for discerning foodies. The city’s Michelin journey began in 2009, when the first Hong Kong-Macau Michelin Guide was published. 

Lung King Heen, located in the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, made history by becoming the world’s first Chinese restaurant to be awarded three Michelin stars. As of 2024, a total of 79 restaurants in Hong Kong have been honored with Michelin stars, from fine-dining establishments to food stalls.

Where to try it: Aside from Lung King Heen, try twin-starred Amber in the Mandarin Oriental, which fuses traditional French and modern Asian flavors. Known as “the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant,” Tim Ho Wan in Kowloon is the place to try baked barbecued pork buns. You can also slurp down celebrated noodles at Ho To Tai Noodle Shop in Yuen Long, the first noodle shop to get a Michelin star.

6. Explore Hong Kong’s retro tea houses

Cha chaan tang (literally “tea restaurants”) are cheap, ubiquitous and often photogenically retro, serving an idiosyncratic menu of local dishes and Western-influenced fare. Think sweet, Hong Kong-style tea, crustless egg and corned beef sandwiches, French toast, wonton noodles, macaroni in tomato soup and the like. 

It’s worth visiting these cute cafes for the atmosphere as much as the food, though meals are usually tasty and pocket-friendly. 

Where to try it: Duck into the subterranean Star Cafe in Tsim Sha Tsui for the classic cha chaan tang experience. At Cheung Hing Coffee Shop in Happy Valley, you’ll find an old-school 1950s teahouse with original wooden interiors. Wan Chai’s Kam Fung Restaurant has been serving Hong Kong-style breakfasts for over half a century.

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7. Savor cutting-edge cocktails at hotspot bars

Hong Kong can lay claim to some of the best cocktail bars in Asia, where classic libations are retooled with molecular techniques, locally distilled spirits and whatever else is the trend du jour. The SoHo district on the edge of Central is the heart of the scene.

A growing number of places are dedicated to one particular drink, such as sake or whiskey. As the night progresses, night owls drift from the bars of SoHo to the clubs of Lan Kwai Fong or the late-night pubs of Wan Chai.

Where to try it: A Sheung Wan barbershop morphs into Dead Poets HK by night – a cool bar serving cocktails dedicated to dead songwriters and rappers. Meanwhile, hip Coa is all about the flavors of Mexico – expect to queue. 

Elsewhere, Central’s popular The Old Man is a bar with a Hemingway theme, while the relaxed Mostly Harmless bar in Sai Ying Pun serves a daily menu of cocktails focused on local ingredients. 

8. Appreciate the sweet glaze of Cantonese char siu

As beloved as roast goose in Cantonese cuisine is char siu (barbecued pork), which is notable for its sweet taste and glossy sheen. This pork dish is marinated in a sweet and savory sauce made from honey, five-spice, soy and fermented bean curd, which caramelizes during cooking.

The edges char slightly under the broiler’s heat, offering a smoky hint that complements the meatiness of the pork. Thickly sliced and typically served with just steamed rice and blanched vegetables, char siu is a testament to the power of simplicity.

Where to try it: Hong Kong’s Central District is a hotspot for some of the city’s most famous barbecue restaurants, including Yat Lok, which earned a Michelin star for its perfectly caramelized pork, Just a short walk away, Joy Hing Roasted Meat offers a more traditional ambiance. 

9. Sink your teeth into a buttery pineapple bun

Despite its name, the pineapple bun, or bo lo bao, contains no pineapple. Instead, its golden, crackly crust resembles the fruit’s rough exterior. These much-loved buns are made from a soft, pillowy dough and are best enjoyed hot and fresh from the oven. 

For an indulgent twist, order bun lo bao with a thick slab of cold butter, which melts enticingly into the warm bread. Pair it with a cup of pantyhose milk tea for the full Hong Kong experience. 

Where to try it: Wan Chai’s Honolulu Coffee Shop is an institution that’s been serving legendary pineapple buns since the 1940s. Or try Macau’s Ma Hong Kei Pastelaria, which has been in the bun business for over 60 years.

10. Treat your tastebuds to slow-braised beef brisket

Slow-braised into tender submission, Hong Kong-style beef brisket is infused with flavors of tangerine peel, star anise and other warming spices. It’s simmered in a rich, aromatic broth until each bite melts in your mouth.

It’s easy to find beef brisket across the city; the dish is so popular that hole-in-the-wall institutions often have lines that snake out the door as locals flock to enjoy their time-tested recipes.

Where to try it: Line up to savor the beef brisket noodle soup at Central’s Kau Kee, in business since the 1930s, or have a casual dinner at Macau’s Ngao Kei Ka Lei Chon. 

11. Tantalize your taste buds with a steaming bowl of wonton noodles 

From glossy, neon-lit noodle joints to no-frills cha chaan tang where locals slurp down bowls at lightning speed, the Cantonese staple of wonton soup is everywhere, combining delicate dumplings with springy egg noodles in a fragrant broth. 

Traditionally filled with shrimp and pork, Hong Kong-style wontons are wrapped in whisper-thin skins that turn translucent when cooked. The broth, often made from dried flounder, pork bones and shrimp shells, delivers a deep umami-style richness. 

Where to try it: You’ll find wonton soup everywhere so it’s hard to single out just one spot to try it, but the plump noodles and well-stuffed wontons at Tsim Sha Tsui’s Good Fortune Noodle are a winner.

12. Crack into crispy claypot rice

A dish you can hear before it even reaches the table, claypot rice (bo zai fan) takes patience. Cooked over an open flame in a traditional earthenware pot, the rice slowly absorbs the flavors of the marinated meats layered inside the pot. 

That might be sweet lap cheong (Chinese sausage), succulent chicken pieces or tender pork ribs. The real magic happens at the bottom, where the heat crisps the rice into a golden, crackling crust. A splash of sweet soy sauce ties everything together.

Where to try it: Claypoy rice is a food stall favorite, but Queen’s Road West’s Kwan Kee Claypot Rice takes the dish to another level.

13. Try to stop at just one egg tart

A bite-sized indulgence with a cult following, daan tat (egg tarts) are crumbly, custardy, portions of deliciousness. Inspired by Portuguese pastéis de nata and British custard tarts, they’re a particular favorite in Macau, but are found all over Hong Kong.  

Local bakeries churn them out in their hundreds. Some versions have a cookie-like shortcrust, others a delicate puff pastry shell that shatters at the first bite. 

Where to try it: Central’s Tai Cheong Bakery has a history going back to the 1950s, though the jury’s still out as to whether the house egg tarts match the heavenly sourdough egg tarts at The Bakehouse, with branches across the city. Lord Stow’s Bakery is the go-to egg tart purveyor in Macau. 

14. Have a beach barbeque, Hong Kong-style

Public barbeque pits give Hong Kong residents the chance to enjoy those backyard gatherings beloved in countries with more living space. With a bit of planning, it’s easy to organize your own cookout as a visitor, too. 

Hit the supermarket for barbeque skewers, pre-marinated chicken wings, fish balls, beef cubes and veggies, bread, charcoal, a lighter and drinks. Don’t forget the “barbeque honey” - a thick syrup used to baste the food when it’s almost cooked.

Where to try it: Find barbecue pits at St Stephen’s Beach, Shek O Beach, Lion Rock Park and Lo So Shing Beach in Lamma.

Vegans and vegetarians

Vegans and vegetarians should be careful in Hong Kong – those leafy greens might have been simmered in meat stock, and that glistening vegetable sauce could be made with oyster extract. Pork or chicken broth is added to enhance the flavor of many dishes, even those that appear at first glance to be “vegetarian,” and budget restaurants use chicken stock powder liberally as a seasoning. 

Vegetarians wanting to eat local-style Hong Kong food should patronize eateries that exist to cater to meat-avoiding Buddhists, such as the restaurants at Po Lin Monastery and Fung Ying Sin Temple. The HappyCow app is a useful resource for finding more vegan and veggie eateries.

Restaurants such as Kowloon’s Light Vegetarian serve meat-free versions of classic dim sum, noodle soups and stir-fries, and “mock meat” dishes created using ingredients such as wheat gluten and tofu to replicate the taste and appearance of fish, duck or chicken.

Foods worth trying

The Hong Kong table is stuffed with must-try dishes. As well as the dishes mentioned earlier, seek out the following: 

• Cheung fun: Rice noodles stuffed with shrimp, pork or crispy dough, drenched in soy sauce.

• Double-boiled soup: A delicate-tasting consommé slow-cooked using ingredients such as chicken, pork and vegetables. 

• Typhoon shelter crab: Deep-fried crab with crispy garlic, chili and fermented black beans.

• Two snake soup: A winter delicacy, this herbal broth is packed with shredded snake meat and chicken.

• French toast: Deep-fried, butter-soaked toast stuffed with peanut butter or condensed milk, topped with syrup.

• Gai daan jai: Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, this egg waffle is a signature street snack.

• Fish balls: Bouncy, skewered fish spheres, served deep-fried or in a spicy curry sauce.

A year in food

Hong Kong is a year-round banquet of flavors, but some times of year stand out for specific dishes. 

Spring (February–May): Spring is the time to enjoy fresh bamboo shoots, asparagus, sweet and sour dishes and spring rolls, particularly around Lunar New Year.

Summer (June–August): The hot, humid summer brings abundant fruit to shops and markets, from mangoes to lychees and longans. 

Fall (September–November): The big foodie event on the calendar is the Mid-Autumn Festival, marked by the consumption of huge numbers of mooncakes stuffed with sweet bean paste, egg, meat or lotus-seed paste.

Winter (December–January): In the cooler winter months, locals gravitate toward warming soups, stews, hotpots and claypot rice with lap mei (preserved meats). 

This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s Hong Kong guidebook published in December 2024.