Hong Kong is home to excellent restaurants, teahouses and streetside stalls in Asia. Falstaff shows you the best.
An autonomous region fusing ancient dishes with modern concepts across both local and international cuisines, Hong Kong is a heaven for foodies. We show you the best restaurants in the city.
Hong Kong is somewhat synonymous with dim sum, and there’s only one place to experience it authentically. Sun Hing is hidden away in Kennedy Town – besides the name, nothing is written in English and only the newspapers and long queue outside will indicate you’re in the right place. Now over 50 years old, Sun Hing remains open religiously from 3am until 4pm and serves up classic dim sum such as siu mai (pork dumplings), char sui bao (BBQ pork buns) and nai wong bao (fluffy buns filled with sweet golden custard). Aside from these staples, chicken feet, spare ribs and shrimp dumplings are just a few of the many dishes available, which you can see the chefs diligently handcrafting at the back of the restaurant. Prices remain reasonable, often less than $2 per dish, and expect to share a table with lots of friendly locals as is traditional in Hong Kong teahouses.
If dim sum is Hong Kong’s signature meal, then roast goose is its signature dish. A locally-run, one-Michelin-star establishment in Central, Yat Lok simply can’t be missed if you’re looking to try this speciality. The restaurant sees a good mix of locals and tourists (the latter mainly due to the restaurant being featured in Anthony Bourdain’s guide to Hong Kong). Service is simple and quick since most people are ordering the delicious roast goose with rice or noodles and a sweet plum sauce. Yat Lok is small inside and queues build up fast at meal times, so arriving early is recommended. The menu is straightforward and available in English, with a plate of goose with rice or noodles costing around $56HK (£6) or if you’re a large party, order half a goose for $290 (£30).
For less local charm and a more sophisticated evening out, Mono is run by Chef Ricardo Chaneton, previously at Petrus Hong Kong and originally hailing from Venezuela. His roots led him to create Mono’s unique Latin American menu with a European twist. Dishes change frequently, however, their lunchtime tasting menus entitled ‘Soul’ and ‘Journey’ include delicacies such as escargot stew and Argentinian ribeye. Previous menus have also featured grasshopper mousse, king crab with caviar and their signature rosemary chocolate dessert. Both the tasting menu ($888HK, £90) and regular dishes have recommended wine pairings, with meals usually coming to £100pp.
Generally, you’d be hard-pressed to find a restaurant serving German cuisine in Asia, or more specifically, one serving both delicious and authentic German cuisine, but Heimat hits the mark. Run by Chef Peter Find, formerly at the Ritz-Carlton, Heimat artfully combines comforting classics with sophisticated dishes that celebrate German flavours. The menu offers casual meals such as Käse Spätzle and Blumenkohl Suppe, while the tasting menu ($1280 / £130) is ideal for sampling dishes across the board, made to evoke Find’s childhood in his native German hometown through the Foie Gras Gugelhupf and Prime Beef Sirloin. The restaurant also has a unique ‘Austria’ menu in collaboration with Bachmair Wines – the spinach dumplings, Kohlrouladen and Pike Perch each have a hand-selected wine pairing.
If you can’t settle for roasted goose alone, Joy Hing is famous for having the best roast meat in Hong Kong, including char sui pork, chicken and more. Awarded a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide and another esteemed restaurant visited by Anthony Bourdain, the shop has been open since the late 1800s and before moving to its Wan Chai location, it was originally located in China. Meats are still barbecued in a pre-war style over an old-fashioned oven, the temperature of which is measured using the chef’s bare hands. The menu here is simple and uncomplicated: choose a combination of goose, char siu pork, roasted duck or steamed chicken with rice - usually by pointing, as everything is in Chinese. Prices are reasonable (three types of meat with rice is $180 (£20)) but make sure to arrive early and be prepared to wait.
Hong Kong is home to several great Italian restaurants, but Pici in Central remains a long-time favourite for anyone looking for a satisfying, high-quality pasta bar. Owned by Pirata and one of eight restaurants across the city, Pici serves up both classic Italian choices as well as using more unusual ingredients. Menus change monthly, however previous highlights include black sea urchin linguine, king prawn pasta with squid ink, and black truffle tagliolini. Servings are large, so guests are encouraged to share multiple plates and a flavourful charcuterie board starter, or opt for the $290 (£30) tasting menu. Accompanied by a range of Italian wines and rounded off with Hong Kong’s best tiramisu, you’ll soon see why Pici doesn’t accept reservations – if you manage to get a table.
There is nowhere quite like the French-Cantonese fusion dishes created at Man Mo and this isn’t somewhere for dim sum purists. The restaurant brings together the talents of a dim sum master from the renowned Din Tai Fung, and a Sous Chef from popular Robuchon. Together, they created never-before-seen dumplings filled with ratatouille and truffle brie, along with foie gras xiao long bao (steamed buns) and tuna tartare. The desserts have also merged Far East with West – try the kung fu crème brûlée or Nutella dumplings. Dishes comprise 2 or 3 pieces, priced at between $75 - $130 (£8 - £13), and there is an extensive wine list on offer, although we recommend you stick to one of their many herbal teas in keeping with the tradition of yum cha (dim sum with tea).
