Hong Kong Food Guide - Where and what to eat in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a food paradise, and there are plenty of eateries and restaurants to explore. Besides the local street food and eateries, there are also famous, and expensive, Michelin-starred restaurants scattered all over the city. Thankfully, one Michelin-starred eatery kept its price affordable for the masses. This famous roasted goose eatery can be found on Hong Kong island and is one of the places we headed for a meal. Dim sum is a must for breakfast, while there are lots of delicious snacks to enjoy, including their egg tarts.

​Of course, they also have the famous milk tea, which comes unsweetened. Thanks to the younger generation, many modern sweetened milk tea stores popped up all over the city, and those with a sweet tooth will surely find themselves satisfied. You might realise that the word 'famous' is used a lot in this paragraph, and that is expected since Hong Kong truly has lots of famous delicious food. Check out the food places we headed to when we travelled to Hong Kong!

---

For your convenience, refer to this list of places you should head to for a meal while in Hong Kong!

1. Australian Dairy Company

2. Cafe Match Box

3. Capital Cafe

​4. Dim Dim Sum Dim Sum

5. Honolulu Cafe

6. Kai Kai Dessert

7. Kam Wah Cafe

8. Mak's Noodle

9. Sister Wah Beef Brisket

10. Tai Cheong Bakery

11. Yat Lok Roast Goose

12. Yee Shun Milk Company

---

1. Australian Dairy Company

Australian Dairy Company, or ADC to many, is the one Cha Chaan Teng in Hong Kong that all visitors must head to. Famous for its ultra-efficient and rude service, it is basically a tourist attraction in itself. Yet, that the food is also good makes it all the better!

Australian Dairy Company

Scrambled eggs and their milk pudding are ADC’s specialities, which one simply must get when at ADC. Needless to say, get the milk tea that comes with the set. Do not attempt to order any other drinks since you will then render your cha chaan teng experience pointless.

Standard breakfast fare at Australian Dairy Company

There is also other standard Hong Kong breakfast fare, such as spaghetti and char siew, or macaroni soup with ham. Both are pretty good options as well.

We have heard one story where a group of visitors took some time to decide among the different breakfast sets on offer, and the waiter simply decided for them. Set A for you, set B for her, and set C for him. Off he went, and back came the different sets in a timespan of less than a minute.

Rows of egg pudding for sale at Australian Dairy Company

There was another story where a group of foreigners wanted to take a photo after their meal in the store and was duly stared at by one of the waiters as if to say “what are you still doing here?”

Certainly, this place is not one where you would want to take your time, nor waste other people’s time. Yet, for those who are already seriously contemplating choosing another place for brunch, don’t! This is what makes ADC so uniquely Hong Kong, as it is the symbol of what Hong Kong represents: a face-paced society that is ultra-efficient and gets things done quickly without any time wastage.

Clearly, this is not for everyone but a definite must-go for people who want a taste of real Hong Kong!

High demand means fast service at Australian Dairy Company

Address: 47 Parkes Street, Jordan, Hong Kong

Opening hours: Fridays to Wednesdays (7.30 am to 11 pm)

---

2. Cafe Match Box

Cafe Match Box is a nice cha chaan teng that is quite hidden, which might take some time to locate. Situated in Causeway Bay, you will actually need to walk into an alley to find it. Fear not, as it is quite a big and bright alley. We assure you it is worth it to find your way down to Cafe Match Box.

Café Match Box

This cafe is decorated to represent how Hong Kong probably looked like in the 1950s. Old singers’ posters are on the walls, while old theatre seats are what customers sit on. You get the feeling that the owners are trying to replicate good old Hong Kong food in the olden days. It provides customers with a sense of nostalgia and that they are having comfort food. The good news is that it worked!

If the above is not enough, you will be pleased to find out they have outdoor seating, where you can relax and read a book while sipping your milk tea. If you are a sporty person, be sure to grab your table tennis bat, as they actually have a table tennis table for customers to enjoy. Wow!

A sense of nostalgia hits you when you enter Café Match Box

They serve standard breakfast fare, so be sure to order their scrambled eggs toast and pork chop bun. Their milk tea comes in quite a large portion, so that is always good for caffeine addicts. We thoroughly enjoyed our breakfast here. Overall, a really good place to start your day in Hong Kong!

The different food options available at Café Match Box

Address: Haywood Mansion, 57 Paterson St, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Opening hours: 8 am to 11 pm

---

3. Capital Cafe

Capital Cafe is a typical cha chaan teng in Hong Kong that serves the standard fare one can find in most cha chaan tengs. However, it stands out for one unique dish: their black truffle scrambled eggs toast.

Perhaps knowing the need to stand out and differentiate themselves from the rest, they created this commonly found dish with a twist. It goes well with your piping hot milk tea, and you will do well to have it with some macaroni and ham!

The famous black truffle scrambled eggs toast at Capital Café

​For us, the one thing that really stands out at Capital Cafe is their fantastic customer service. When we first arrived, it was full and we had to wait outside. Upon realising we were there, a staff member came out and apologised for the wait, and assured us we will get seats soon. For sure, we soon got seats (such is the efficiency of Hong Kongers), and we were directed to our seats. Such top customer service continued throughout our meal, and we left as happy customers. Certainly, this is worth mentioning as we must admit such great service made the meal that much better!

Breakfast is always available at any time of the day at Capital Café

Address: G/F, No.107, Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

Opening hours: 7 am to 11 pm

---

4. Dim Dim Sum Dim Sum

In Hong Kong, dim sum is a typical breakfast for locals, and is also a type of breakfast visitors must have while here. Of course, many stores are selling dim sum to both locals and tourists alike, and this includes both expensive and budget options.

We discovered Dim Dim Sum Dim Sum to be one that serves many locals and visitors alike and is also really reasonably priced for their top-quality food. We had the privilege to eat at two different branches and discovered to our delight that they were able to maintain the quality in the different branches. This is no mean feat! Be aware though, that this is a really popular dim sum place, and meal times will always see a large crowd queuing up. Our trick is to always have meals outside of standard meal times, and this means having a late lunch at 3 pm or early dinner at 5 pm. This seems to be the best way to have seats at popular places!

Dim Dim Sum Dim Sum

​Food-wise, you should definitely try the basic dim sum fare, such as the Siew Mai, Har Kao, and Char Siew Baos. Otherwise, why are you in Hong Kong again? Their signature dish is the piggy custard bun, which oozes out salted egg yolk when you bite into it. Be careful though, as it is piping hot and we got our tongues scalded on more than one occasion.

​We cannot really recommend many dishes since whatever we ordered were really tasty! This says much about this restaurant. And we went twice to two separate branches!

Be sure to make a pitstop here for one of your meals!

The various types of dim sum available at Dim Dim Sum Dim Sum

Addresses:

23 Man Ying Street, Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong (Jordan branch)

7 Tin Lok Lane, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong (Wan Chai branch)

Opening hours:

10 am to 1 am (Jordan branch)

10 am to 12 am (Wan Chai branch)

---

5. Honolulu Cafe

Honolulu Cafe is a cha chaan teng in Hong Kong, and is one of the must-go cafes you should visit while here!

Honolulu Café

For starters, it is in our humble opinion that they serve one of the best milk teas and egg tarts in Hong Kong. The tea flavour is strong and thick, and really gives that kick that gets your day started. The egg tarts, on the other hand, have an amazingly crispy crust. As you bite into it, you can hear the cracking sound the egg tart makes. That the egg tart is kept consistently warm is a great bonus. When you have such a tasty milk tea and egg tart to enjoy together, you understand why Honolulu Cafe is one of our favourite cha chaan tengs in Hong Kong. Be sure to order their milk tea and egg tarts!

Bare necessities for breakfast at Honolulu Café

Their standard fare also tastes good, with the usual suspects like macaroni and ham, and scrambled eggs and toast, on offer. Honestly, these cha chaan tengs all make so good breakfast, we have no idea how they can ensure such consistent delivery daily.

​We also strongly recommend their egg tarts, which fluffy and really delicious. Be sure to order at least two, since one is simply not enough! If you step in from outside, you will realise how they also have a takeaway counter that sells other pastries. Make sure you buy some, as they are really good for the road, such as your long journey to Disneyland or Ocean Park!

Fluffy egg tarts for sale at Honolulu Café

Address: 176 Hennessy Rd, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Opening hours: 6.30 am to 11.30 pm

---

6. Kai Kai Dessert

Kai Kai Dessert is, you guessed it, a dessert shop in Hong Kong. It serves only desserts and nothing else. Yet, their desserts are so good that Michelin awarded them a Bib Gourmand. Local celebrities have also come here to have their desserts, and their pictures are proudly displayed at the shopfront. The most famous person we can see is Hollywood actor Chow Yen Fat! If all these do not entice you to try their desserts, we are not quite sure what else would!

Do note that they are so popular that queuing up some 15 to 20 minutes is a given. Expect longer times if you are in a large group. Having said that, the staff bring out the desserts very efficiently, and the queue moves quickly as a result.

Kai Kai Dessert

Some desserts worth trying are their black sesame seed paste and quail eggs stewed with snow fungus. They even have a customised section where you can add glutinous rice balls, boiled egg, or quail eggs, for a small top-up. If you have absolutely no idea what to order, we recommend taking a leap of faith and simply order something random. We are quite sure you will be pleased with your choice! The only concern you should have is whether you want a hot or cold dessert and choose accordingly. Otherwise, order away!

Traditional desserts at Kai Kai Dessert

Address: 29 Nong Po Street, Jordan, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Opening hours: 12 pm to 3.30 am

---

7. Kam Wah Cafe

Kam Wah Cafe is a typical Cha Chaan Teng in Hong Kong and serves mostly standard breakfast fare throughout the day. However, this eatery has its own signature dishes that people should really come and try.

Kam Wah Cafe

Its Polo bun is really good, where you get served a huge bun with a really thick slab of butter in between. This makes it so sinfully good! You should also try the egg tarts, which are soft and fluffy.

Bo Lo Yao with milk tea at Kam Wah Cafe

For a more proper meal, you should definitely try their curry pork chop noodles with cheese. If you think that sounds sinful, we assure you it is. What it consists of are instant noodles as the base, soaked with curry, before the pork chop is added on top. The last part will be the processed cheese (think those pre-sliced square-shaped types) placed on top of the pork chop and viola! One piping hot plate of goodness! Trust us when we say it’s worth it.

The famous curry pork chop noodles with cheese at Kah Wah Café

Kam Wah serves this food throughout the day, so you can also have the Polo bun and egg tarts for dinner, assuming they have not sold out yet. You should definitely make a trip down to Kam Wah for a meal, and get the curry pork chop noodles with cheese!

French toast with a delicious cup of milk tea at Kam Wah Café

Address: 47 Bute Street, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

Opening hours: 6.30 am to 11 pm

---

​8. Mak's Noodle

Arguably one of Hong Kong’s most famous noodle store, Mak’s Noodle is famous for its wonton noodles, which are really shrimp dumpling noodles. Over the years, it has gotten so successful that it opened many branches over in Hong Kong, and it makes it easier for visitors to get some Mak’s Noodle.

At the Wellington Street branch we visited, it was crowded, even though it was nowhere near dinner time yet. Thankfully, seats can be found quite quickly since it is Hong Kong culture to share seats and go off immediately after you have finished your meal.

The ever-crowded scene at Mak's Noodle

The portion for its signature wanton noodles is really small, so big eaters may need to order 2 sets. What we prefer was to order other side dishes to share, so that we get a larger variety of food.

Its vegetables in the oyster sauce are the standard fare one can find in many Hong Kong eateries, while the beef brisket also comes recommended. For sure, the beef is tender and goes well with the noodles.

Mak's wanton noodles with some beef brisket

If you want something special, try their shrimp roe noodles. Served together with shrimp dumplings, the noodles are springy while the shrimp roe adds a savoury kick to your taste buds. A fantastic way of eating noodles. Yum!

The famous shrimp roe noodles at Mak's Noodle

Address: 77 Wellington St, Central, Hong Kong

Opening hours: 11 am to 9 pm

---

9. Sister Wah Beef Brisket

Hong Kong is famous for many delicacies, and one of them is the seemingly ordinary beef brisket noodles. However, you would be wise to think it is anything but ordinary.

At Sister Wah, you get some of the best beef brisket one can find in Hong Kong. This is no exaggeration, as it was even awarded a Bib Gourmand by the famous Michelin Guide. It is so good that we make it a point to have our first meal at Sister Wah whenever we head down to Hong Kong. It is that good.

Sister Wah Beef Brisket

The food of choice is for sure the beef brisket noodles. What you get are quite a few pieces of beef brisket, soaked in the delicious broth and yellow noodles. The meat is so tender and delicious. Eaten together with the springy yellow noodles and tasty broth, the bowl was emptied in no time!

The star of Sister Wah Beef Brisket

​What we like to get as well is the curry beef brisket. Huge, chunky pieces of tender beef soaked in curry. Now, how awesome is that? The portion is quite large so we usually order that to share. If you are a big eater, we are pretty sure you can down it on your own.

By the end of the meal, you will be one satisfied customer. And you will start planning the next time you want to head here, preferably before you leave Hong Kong!

A delicious bowl of curry beef brisket at Sister Wah Beef Brisket

Address: 13 Electric Rd, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Opening hours: 11 am to 11 pm

---

10. Tai Cheong Bakery

Tai Cheong Bakery is not quite a place to have a meal, since they really only sell pastries to go. However, this is a must-go place for all visitors in Hong Kong.

Famous for their egg tarts, there is always a queue no matter the time of the day. Be patient, since the queue moves quite quickly. If you are quite hungry, feel free to order more than one, since the store churns out fresh egg tarts very quickly.

Tai Cheong Bakery

The packaging is always takeaway-style since there are no seats and this is not a cafe. What we have seen so far, is that customers always immediately take the egg tarts out to eat after leaving the store. It is said that they taste the best when still piping hot. You do not even wait until you reach your hotel or the MTR station!

Fresh egg tarts for sale at Tai Cheong Bakery

Do note that besides their famous egg tarts, they also sell other food, like another famous Hong Kong pastry, wife biscuit, and coconut tarts. We tried them all and they were really good. Be sure to save some space for them!

Remember to get some egg rolls home as well, as Tai Cheong produces some of the best egg rolls in Hong Kong!

Traditional biscuits to bring back home after enjoying the egg tarts at Tai Cheong Bakery

Address: 35號 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong

Opening hours: 8 am to 8.30 pm

---

11. Yat Lok Roast Goose

There are a few famous stores in Hong Kong selling roast goose, and one of them is Yat Lok Roast Goose. Located at Stanley Street in Central, it is not too difficult to local this gem, although it takes a little walking from the nearest MTR station. It is good to know this eatery has been awarded one star by Michelin Guide, and this goes to prove the taste of its roasted goose meat.

Occupying a small store, tables are crammed together to allow more diners into the shop. Although this should not be your focal point.

The menu offers a variety of options for you to choose from, from the simple roasted goose rice to more elaborate options like a mixture of roasted goose and roasted pork, or even together with some roasted duck. It’s complicated…

Yat Lok Roast Goose with its many Michelin awards

The roast goose also has different parts, so the drumstick will be more expensive than the breast meat. For us, we love them both, so we have no issue eating either part really. It also comes with the delicious plum sauce, which gives the extra sweet taste when you dip the goose meat into it. The meat is so tender and juicy and really goes well with a bowl of white rice. Before long, you will realise you have completed your meal. Our advice is to slowly savour the meat so that you can enjoy the taste a little bit longer!

A plate of delicious roasted goose at Yat Lok Roast Goose

If you happen to be in a group, we highly recommend ordering a variety of meats, including their barbecued pork, also known as char siew. This way, you get more variety as well. Their roasted pork and char siew come recommended as well, so you know you will be enjoying them as well.

Address: 34-38 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong

Opening hours: 10 am to 9 pm (Monday to Tuesday; Thursday to Saturday); 10 am to 5.30 pm (Sunday); Closed on Wednesdays

---

12. Yee Shun Milk Company

Yee Shun Milk Company is a cha chaan teng that is slightly different from what one might be used to. For one, it opens only at 12pm and closes at midnight every day. Secondly, people head over more for its milk pudding than the rest of its offerings. That is not to say the others do not taste good. It’s just that the milk pudding tastes that much better!

With four outlets in Hong Kong, you can choose the outlet based on where you are staying. As we were staying near Causeway Bay, we naturally went to the Causeway Bay outlet.

One thing you notice is that the store is frequented by locals. This is always a good sign since it is not targeted at tourists.

Yee Shun Milk Company

While there are different flavours to their milk pudding, I preferred the original one, as the steamed egg was a little too strong for my liking. As always, we enjoy ordering different flavours to try and that was how I came to this conclusion.

Milk and egg pudding from Yee Shun Milk Company

Try their french toast, which comes with all the maple syrup you need to get that craving for sweet stuff out of the way. Their pork chop sandwich is fantastic, while the scrambled eggs are good, as per most cha chaan tengs in Hong Kong.

For sure, this eatery is a good place to relax and chill after much shopping is done in the day, or to simply get some supper before heading to bed. We know since we did it quite a few times when in Hong Kong!

French Toast at Yee Shun Milk Company

Address: 506 Lockhart Rd, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Opening hours: 12 pm to 12 am

---

Google Maps: List of attractions and food places in Hong Kong!

---

Please note that this article may contain links to websites, where any subsequent purchases made may provide straitstravellers with a referral commission. This in turn helps supports the running of this website. We appreciate your support thus far. Thank you!

---