In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Hong Kong’s classic meals are dim sum, roast goose and char siu, milk tea and pineapple buns at a cha chaan teng, wonton noodles and street food. Each has its own guide on this site. Start with Tim Ho Wan in Sham Shui Po (8:00 to 22:00) or Maxim’s Palace in City Hall for dim sum, Kam’s Roast Goose in Wan Chai (11:30 to 21:30) for goose, Mak’s Noodle on Wellington Street for wonton noodles and Australia Dairy Company in Jordan for scrambled eggs and steamed milk pudding. Many sit-down restaurants add a 10% service charge, and small places expect cash. Or book a tour: the 3-hour street and restaurant tourad (from HK$450, 4.9 stars from 1,153 reviews) covers dim sum, barbecued pork and egg tarts with a local guide.
The guides
| Eat | Read |
|---|---|
| Dumplings, buns and tea | Dim sum |
| Roast goose, char siu, crisp pork belly | Roast goose and siu mei |
| Milk tea, pineapple buns, French toast | Cha chaan teng |
| Claypot rice, seafood and snacks at night | Temple Street |
| Guided tastings | Food tours |
Dim sum
Full details, with the eight dishes to order and tea etiquette, are in the dim sum guide.
Tim Ho Wan, Sham Shui Po
G/F and M/F, Ka Wui Building, 9-11 Fuk Wing Street · 8:00 to 22:00, every day (Tim Ho Wan) · order slip
The Sham Shui Po branch is on the Michelin Guide Hong Kong & Macau 2026 Bib Gourmand list (Time Out Hong Kong). Order the baked barbecue pork bun, a baked bun with a sweet crust over barbecued pork. The shop opens at 8:00; the chain’s other Hong Kong branches on the same page open at 9:00 or 9:30.
Tim Ho Wan on Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po. Photo: Mk2010, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Maxim’s Palace, City Hall
2/F, Low Block, Hong Kong City Hall, 5 Edinburgh Place · Monday to Saturday 11:00 to 15:00 and 17:30 to 22:30, Sunday 9:00 to 15:00 and 17:30 to 22:30 (City Hall) · trolleys at weekends
A banquet hall over Victoria Harbour, open since 1980. Weekend dim sum comes round on carts; on weekdays the menu is à la carte (Hong Kong Tourism Board). Arrive early at weekends, because there is a queue.
Lin Heung Tea House, Sheung Wan
Tung Ning Building, 249-253 Des Voeux Road Central · 6:00 to midnight (am730) · trolley service
The trolley teahouse that moved from Wellington Street to Sheung Wan in May 2026 (Hong Kong Tourism Board). Walk up to a trolley and take what looks good; there is nothing to order in advance.
Roast goose and siu mei
Kam’s Roast Goose at 226 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai (11:30 to 21:30), Yat Lok at 34-38 Stanley Street (10:00 to 20:30) and Yung Kee at 32-40 Wellington Street (11:00 to 22:30) are the three covered in the roast goose guide, with what to order at each. Kam’s and Yat Lok each hold one Michelin star in the 2026 guide (Wikipedia).
Yung Kee on Wellington Street, Central. Photo: WiNG, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Noodles
Wonton noodles are thin egg noodles and prawn dumplings in a clear broth; the small bowl is a snack and a larger bowl is a meal.
Wonton noodle soup. Photo: Angeimoarm, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Mak’s Noodle, Central
G/F, 77 Wellington Street · 11:30 to 21:00 (Mak’s Noodle)
Order the wonton noodles: shrimp wontons in a bowl with springy duck-egg noodles. Mak’s opened on Wellington Street in the 1980s, and the family’s recipe goes back to pre-war Guangzhou, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board. It is a no-frills room and the tourism board warns of crowds and waiting times.
Sister Wah, Tin Hau
G/F, 13A Electric Road · 11:00 to 22:45, every day · under HK$50 a head (OpenRice)
Order the noodles with beef brisket in clear soup. It is on the Michelin Guide Hong Kong & Macau 2026 Bib Gourmand list (Time Out Hong Kong). The menu also has marinated brisket, beef tendon, spicy meat dumplings and drunken chicken (Hong Kong Tourism Board).
Cha chaan teng and bakeries
The cha chaan teng, a Hong Kong-style cafe, has its own guide. Three to know:
- Australia Dairy Company, Jordan, 47 Parkes Street: scrambled eggs on buttered toast and steamed milk pudding. Service is quick and blunt, so get in, eat and get out (Hong Kong Tourism Board).
- Lan Fong Yuen, Central, 2 Gage Street, 7:30 to 18:00 Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday, cash only, under HK$50 (OpenRice): silky milk tea, and pork chop buns to go with it (Hong Kong Tourism Board).
- Tai Cheong Bakery, Central, 35 Lyndhurst Terrace, 9:30 to 20:30 daily, under HK$50 (OpenRice): egg tarts with a buttery shortcrust and Chinese doughnuts; established 1954 (Tai Cheong Bakery). Expect a queue.
Street food and dai pai dong
- Sing Kee, Central, 63 Stanley Street: a dai pai dong, an open-air cooked-food stall, serving chilli pepper squid, spare ribs and stir-fried crab (Hong Kong Tourism Board).
- Hop Yik Tai, Sham Shui Po, 121 Kweilin Street: rice noodle rolls made fresh daily, served with sweet, sesame and soy sauces (Hong Kong Tourism Board). There is always a queue.
- Kung Wo Beancurd Factory, Sham Shui Po, 118 Pei Ho Street: silky tofu pudding, made in the same shop since 1960 and on the 2026 Michelin Bib Gourmand list (Time Out Hong Kong; Hong Kong Tourism Board).
- Woosung Street Cooked Food Hawker Bazaar, Yau Ma Tei, 29-39 Woosung Street: stalls serving milk tea and comfort food by day and stir-fries and seafood at night, including salt and pepper squid (Hong Kong Tourism Board). See Temple Street.
A special-occasion dim sum
Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons, 8 Finance Street, was the first Chinese restaurant to win three Michelin stars and has two in the 2026 guide (Hong Kong Tourism Board). The tourism board’s page on the 2026 Michelin Guide, which features 219 Hong Kong eateries, adds China Tang as a newly awarded one-star Cantonese restaurant (Michelin Guide 2026).
Eating etiquette
- Tea ritual. At dim sum, rinse your cup and chopsticks with the hot tea, tap two fingers on the table to thank whoever pours, and rest the teapot lid askew to ask for more hot water.
- Table sharing. At lunchtime, small restaurants seat you with strangers.
- Paying. The bill is a paper slip: take it to the cashier at the door.
- Cash and Octopus. Carry small notes. See money in Hong Kong and the Octopus card guide.
A street noodle stall in Central. Photo: K.C. Tang, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Tours
Street and restaurant food tour
From HK$450 · 4.9 stars from 1,153 reviews · 3 hours
Hong Kong: 7-Course Hong Kong Street & Restaurant Food Tourad tastes more than ten classics, including dim sum, barbecued pork and egg tarts, with a local guide.
Gems food tour with dim sum and goose
From HK$833 · 4.9 stars from 81 reviews · 3 hours
Hong Kong: Gems Food Tour with Dim Sum, Goose & 7+ Tastingsad adds roast goose and beef brisket soup.
For a plan that puts meals around the sights, see the 3-day itinerary.
Common questions
What should you eat in Hong Kong?
Dim sum (har gow, siu mai and baked barbecue pork buns), Cantonese roast meats such as roast goose and char siu, cha chaan teng staples like milk tea and pineapple buns, wonton noodles and street snacks such as curry fish balls and egg waffles.
Do you tip in Hong Kong restaurants?
Many sit-down restaurants add a 10% service charge to the bill, so check the bill before you add anything. At noodle counters and cha chaan tengs, leave a little change if you wish.
Should I carry cash?
Yes, small Hong Kong dollar notes, for street stalls and small restaurants. Many places also take Octopus or cards, but not all.
What does tapping two fingers on the table mean?
It is a silent thank-you when someone pours your tea.
What is table sharing?
At busy times, small restaurants seat you at a table with strangers. Sit where you are shown, order quickly and pay at the counter on your way out.
