Hong Kong does many things well – bright lights, shopping sprees, rejuvenating stopovers, and surprising outdoor adventures – but we’d put money on you agreeing that it does delicious food the best. This is why we’re sooooo stoked to yarn all things Hong Kong yumminess and inform you that the famed Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival is back!
Hong Kong is culturally rich and culinary rich, too. While mainly influenced by Cantonese food, a veritable hot pot of flavours is available across the city, with dishes from almost every continent available with ease. With over 12,000 restaurants (!!) every kind of palate is catered for across a diverse range of eateries.
Hong Kong is not a destination to be travelling to on a diet. Not when the waft of street food is so appealing. Nor when every bustling restaurant tempts you inside with tables filled with dim sum delights. And most definitely not when you hear that some of Hong Kong’s Michelin-starred restaurants don’t require emptying your savings account to enjoy.
Check out our dynamic map and explore ten top food spots!
In Hong Kong, say no to portion control and yes to stretchy pants! Read on for all the deliciousness.
Dim Sum Yumminess
Going to Hong Kong and skipping dim sum is like going to Hong Kong Disneyland and not seeing Mickey Mouse all day! All levels of wrong. While dim sum originated from nearby Guangzhou, Hong Kong has become synonymous with these tiny parcels of yumminess.
Dim sum, to the uninitiated, are the bite-sized savoury and sweet eats served in three or four pieces for the table to share. Traditionally served in a yum cha restaurant, dim sum is preceded by tea (yum cha means to drink tea), then the delicious dishes arrive in bamboo steamers and on small plates. It’s about halfway through your dim sum delicacies that you start undoing buttons so you can cram more in – it’s all so moreish!
While there are long-standing traditions to dim sum cuisine, cosmopolitan Hong Kong hasn’t shied away from experimentation. This is why you’ll find fusion dim sum in hip eateries, where new spins on old flavours set your palate alight.
Satiating Street Food
With so many incredible restaurants across the city, Hong Kong visitors are spoiled for choice. To get a taste of Hong Kong at a grassroots level, however, don’t pass by the street food.
Whether it’s wandering a market (Tai Po is our pick), grabbing a mid-shop snack on the go, or letting your nose guide you down a side alley, there is a tasty bite awaiting your order. And all for a very affordable sum, too.
If you’re looking for a tide-you-over snack, the waft of roasting chestnuts sees you salivating long before you find the cart. For a heartier street treat, look for a stall making cheung fun, where steamed rice noodles smothered in soy sauce and a simple topping leave your belly full and spare change for a dessert. Dessert like egg waffles or egg tarts! The egg-puff yumminess of the Hong Kong’s most famous waffles are our faves, in fact, we’re drooling over the thought of them right now.
Mouth-watering Michelin-starred meals
Over 50 restaurants in Hong Kong have a coveted Michelin star award, with seven receiving the full three stars. While we’re not saying stay for 16 days to taste-test them all (3x meals a day, right?), we don’t think it’s remiss to suggest adding at least one to your Hong Kong feasting to-do list.
Particularly when you hear that not all come with the price tag you might associate with a Michelin Guide rating. Like Yat Lok, a Cantonese BBQ restaurant on bustling Stanley Street, has the Michelin seal of approval (and the late Anthony Bourdain’s) for their delectable 20-step roast goose.
If a splurge is in order, upgrade your Cantonese meal plans to the 3-star Lung King Heen. Aside from being the first Chinese restaurant awarded three Michelin stars, it also impresses with its mouth-watering Cantonese specialties and equally fabulous views of Victoria Harbour from its Four Seasons location.
Hurrah! Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival
If you’re not salivating into your packed lunch yet, how about when we tell you that the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival is back this November? One of the top events on the Hong Kong festival calendar (because nom nom), this is the 13th year of celebrating all the delicious, yummy, and sip-tastic flavours of Hong Kong food and wine.
The Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival returns with a range of gastronomic experiences and captivating foodie events at over 400 restaurants across the city. Indulge in creative cocktails, sample delicious wine and food pairings while gazing at Hong Kong’s dreamy view (oh, if you insist!), and taste-test exclusive dishes at great prices, crafted by the city’s talented chefs.
With the return of the self-guided City Wine Walk tour, you can navigate your way around over 50 bars and restaurants, including limited-edition menu items and special-themed dishes. Even though you’ll be walking around areas like Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui, this is the day those previously recommended stretchy pants need to come out!
The deets
Delighted to try dim sum? Mad about Michelin-star restaurants you can actually afford? Stoked to taste-test Hong Kong’s street food? For more culinary inspiration, visit Discover Hong Kong.
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