SD › Hong Kong Restaurants
Updated: November 17, 2017
By Santorini Dave
The 14 Best Places to Eat in Hong Kong
- Lung King Heen • $$$$
The world’s first Chinese restaurant to be awarded three Michelin stars and ranking 10th in Asia’s Best Restaurants in 2016, Lung King Heen is found inside the Four Seasons Hong Kong. Overseen by chef Chan Yan Tak, it specialises in authentic Cantonese cuisine, heavy on seafood, and the menu is defined by seasonal ingredients. The dim sum (available for lunch) are beautifully crafted; after tasting the gold-dusted steamed lobster and scallop dumpling, or the barbecued pork bun with pine nuts, you may never look at dim sum in the same way again. The 8-course weekday executive lunch is an excellent value (HK$560), but if you have something special to celebrate, it’s worth splurging on the chef’s tasting menu (HK$1980): the crispy suckling pig and braised abalone in oyster sauce are remarkable. The panoramic view of Victoria Harbour complements the food, service is wonderful, and the place is elegant without being stuffy. Smart casual dress. Reservations.
• Four Seasons Hotel, 8 Finance Street, Central
• Nearest transport: Central MTR
- Bo Innovation • $$$$
Run by Alvin Cheung, the self-taught, self-styled “Demon Chef”, Bo Innovation is guaranteed to serve you the most remarkable meal you’ll have in Hong Kong. The triple-Michelin-starred ‘X-treme Chinese’ restaurant’s focus is a playful multi-dish interpretation of traditional Hong Kong dishes. The chef uses molecular gastronomy techniques and all the dishes are presented in a visually clever way, with accessories and utensils made by senior Hong Kong craftsmen. The set lunch menus (HK$550-800) and the a la carte menu are good ways to sample creative dishes such as Bo chicken rice with wood ear mushroom, scallop ceviche, pigeon with shiitake mushroom cake, and langoustine with black truffle, but it’s the multi-course dinner menus (HK$1980-2380) that are particularly memorable and whose presentation involves theatrical elements – it’s dinner and a show all in one! Add the wine pairing for an extra-special touch. Dress code: smart casual. Reservations essential.
• 60 Johnston Rd, Wan Chai
• Nearest transport: Sheung Wan MTR
- One Dim Sum • $
This small, low-key dim sum joint usually has a queue of loyal locals snaking its way from the entrance. These guys earned their Michelin star in 2012, and though they didn’t keep it, the dim sum remains as good as ever and the service is welcoming and patient. Out of the 45 items on the menu, ones to go for include the fluffy, light barbecue pork buns, steamed vermicelli rolls with prawns, the nutty chiu chew dumplings, the steamed crystal prawn dumplings and the flavorful steamed minced beef meatballs. Three dishes is plenty for one person, and you get a mug of tea for free. Affordable, lively, casual vibe. Since the place is usually busy, come outside peak meal times or else join other diners at the packed tables.
• Kenwood Mansion, 15 Playing Field Road, Kowloon
• Nearest transport: Prince Edward MTR, exit A
- OKRA Hong Kong • $$-$$$
This small izakaya (Japanese gastrobar) is pretty casual; it’s the second outpost of chef Max Levy who’s behind OKRA Beijing – one of the best Japanese restaurants in the Chinese capital. Perch on backless bar stools at the sleek bar or at the tiny, high tables for couples, and order from the succinct menu of creative small dishes. These include roasted eel on crispy sushi rice, the intensely flavorful Brussel sprouts with homemade XO-sauce, marinated quail, and carabinero prawn soup with sweet, delicate Spanish prawns. There’s an excellent sake list to go with the food. The place is fairly quiet on weekday nights, but very busy on weekends; bookings recommended.
• 110 Queen’s Rd W, Sheung Wan
• Nearest transport: Sheung Wan MTR
- Cuisine Cuisine • $$$$
Under a hanging centerpiece of glass orbs, this refined restaurant inside The Mira Hong Kong makes the most of seasonal ingredients to create memorable Cantonese cuisine with a modern twist. Many customers come here for the dim sum – among the best and most imaginative in Hong Kong. Don’t miss the rice vermicelli rolls with morels, the delicate crystal dumplings filled with morels, vegetables and black truffle, the seasonal Shanghai-style steamed dumplings with hairy crab, or the crispy taro puffs with chicken and fois gras. The Mira branch is more relaxed and popular with families; there’s another handy branch at the IFC Mall in Central, known as the ‘tycoon canteen’ – ideal for a brisk lunch. Dress code: smart casual. Reservations.
• The Mira Hong Kong, 118-130 Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui
• Nearest transport: Tsim Sha Tsui MTR
- Tim Ho Wan • $
One of five branches around the city, this is a handy outlet of Hong Kong’s cheapest Michelin-starred dim sum. Tim Ho Wan is a Hong Kong institution that started out as a nondescript hole-in-the-wall in Mong Kok and now has branches throughout Asia. It’s a busy, unpretentious place, and you can choose between steamed dumplings (such as the delicate shrimp and spinach), deep-fried dumplings, vermicelli rolls, noodle and rice dishes and congee. It’s hard to go wrong with any of them, but Tim Ho Wan is particularly well-known for the Big 4 Heavenly Kings: the four signature dishes that include the lightest, fluffiest baked buns with BBQ pork. No reservations; be prepared to queue if you visit during peak times.
• IFC Mall, 8 Finance Street, Central
• Nearest transport: Hong Kong Station
- The Chairman • $$$$
Tucked away down a cul-de-sac in hip Sheung Wan, this understated spilt-level restaurant serves some of the best traditional Cantonese food in the city. Chef Kwok Keung Tung sources his ingredients from small local producers and fishermen and the vegetables come from the restaurant’s own organic farm. Standout dishes include steamed flowery crab with aged ShaoXing wine, on-the-bone chicken with a spicy, numbing Sichuan peppercorn kick and wild clams cooked in fish broth and sake. 3-/4-course lunch is a steal at HK$198/218. Service is very professional and the vibe is relaxed and casual even though this is a Michelin-starred restaurant and one of Asia’s Top 30 restaurants in 2016.
• 18 Kau U Fong, Central
• Nearest transport: Sheung Wan MTR
- Maxim’s Palace • $$-$$$
One of the very few dim sum trolley restaurants left in the city, this is a quintessential Hong Kong experience. Trolleys laden with different kinds of dim sum are wheeled around a vast, kitschy hall decorated with traditional dragon motifs. It’s a busy, noisy, slightly chaotic experience, with the tables densely packed with crowds of locals. The servers may not speak much English, but the menu is in several languages, and you can always grab what takes your fancy right from the trolley. Dim sum include the classic barbecued pork buns, steamed beef dumplings, pork ribs with garlic sauce and shrimp dumplings. It’s simple, tasty, inexpensive Cantonese food, popular with groups and families.
• City Hall, 5 Edinburgh Place, Central
• Nearest transport: Central MTR
- Beef & Liberty • $$-$$$
American-style burger and beer joint in a relaxed Wan Chai location. This Shanghai outpost has won over locals and visitors alike with its excellent, smoky, juicy burgers, grilled to perfection and made from grass-fed Hereford and Angus cattle beef from small-scale producers in Tasmania. It’s hard to go wrong with the bacon cheeseburger, the cracked black pepper burger, or the Notorious P.I.G. – the slow-braised BBQ pork sandwich with green apple slaw. There’s a great veggie burger as well and accompaniments include chilli cheese fries and curly fries. Mac’n’cheese, corn on the cob, and crispy chicken wings in a tangy sauce are other crowd pleasers; dishes are ideal for sharing. Wash them down with milkshakes and a great selection of craft beers. Popular with young professionals and families. Reservations recommended.
• 23 Wing Fung St, Wan Chai
• Nearest transport: Wan Chai MTR
- Chilli Fagara • $$-$$$
Casual Sichuan restaurant up a steep street in the business/nightlife district of Soho. The crimson walls and subtle lighting put diners in the mood for China’s fiery cuisine known for its bold, spicy flavors. The dishes are divided into the ‘ma (numbing)’, ‘la (burning)’ and ‘tang (neutral)’ categories. Some of the most popular ones include ma po tofu (silky tofu cubes in a Sichuan peppercorn sauce), eggplant in garlic-chilli sauce and melt-in-the-mouth crispy beef. The lunch menu is a good deal. Because of its small size and popularity with the business crowd, reservations are a good idea even at lunchtime. Good for a brisk meal rather than leisurely dining.
• 7 Old Bailey St, Central
• Nearest transport: Central MTR
- Fook Lam Moon • $$$$
A Hong Kong institution for over four decades, Michelin-starred Fook Lam Moon serves elaborate Cantonese dishes. The city’s movers and shakers come for such specialities as barbecued suckling pig, stuffed baked crab and sautéed lobster. One of the biggest hits on the menu is the signature (and more wallet-friendly) crispy chicken, with the crispy skin enveloping the juicy meat of farm-raised chicken that’s been marinated in a flavorful homemade sauce. The surroundings are simple but elegant, and the dim sum lunches are a good way of sampling what’s on offer (fluffy salted custard buns, steamed prawn and vegetable dumplings) without breaking the bank. There’s another, more spacious, branch at 53-59 Kimberley St in Tsim Sha Tsui.
• 35-45 Johnston Road, Wan Chai
• Nearest transport: Wan Chai MTR
- Amber • $$$$
Refined French restaurant on the 7th floor of the Landmark Mandarin Oriental. Michelin-starred Amber, which ranked 4th in Asia’s Best Restaurants list in 2016, serves adventurous French dishes beneath an eye-catching hanging ceiling sculpture in a stylish, contemporary dining room. The 3-course lunch (HK$598) gives you lets you sample the likes of globe artichokes with hazelnut and black truffle, braised veal cheek, venison with caramelised parsnip, and frangipane plum tart. The seasonal a la carte menu is concise and divided equally between sustainably-caught fish and seafood and meat/game dishes; there’s a separate menu for vegetarians as well. The extensive, carefully chosen wine menu focuses largely on fine French vintages and the service is professional yet unobtrusive. Ideal for a romantic meal. Dress code: business casual. Reservations essential.
• Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 15 Queen’s Road, Central
• Nearest transport: Central MTR
- Classified • $$-$$$
Casual European-style café, popular with families. Now sporting ten branches across the city, this is the original branch of the hugely popular mini-chain that kicked off in 2006, complete with a small outdoor patio. It’s great at any time of day – for a hearty breakfast (from eggs benedict to granola and organic porridge), a pit stop for a fruit smoothie, gourmet coffee, or glass of boutique wine, or for something more substantial (club sandwich, pan-fried salmon, lamb tagine, Caesar salad, steak). There’s even a walk-in cheese room for cheese lovers, featuring cheeses from all over Europe, and a separate children’s menu. Buzzy, relaxed and fun.
• 108 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan
• Nearest transport: Sheung Wan MTR
- Chôm Chôm • $$-$$$
Vietnamese street food in a trendy Soho bar. Taking inspiration from a Vietnamese bia hoi (casual neighbourhood beer joint), this place serves some of the best Vietnamese food in the city to a mixed crowd of young professionals and visitors. The menu is divided into small bites, salads, rolls and large plates, all suitable for sharing and standout dishes include shrimp rice paper rolls, smoked eggplant and crab salad, bun cha pork skewers and beef wrapped in betel leaf. The kaffir lime margarita and other Vietnamese-inspired cocktails are excellent, there are regional beers from Vietnam and a short and sweet wine list. Perch at the busy bar or grab one of the small tables in the packed dining area. Chôm Chôm doesn’t take reservations, so get here early or be prepared to queue.
• 58 Peel St, Central
• Nearest transport: Central MRT
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