Hong Kong must-eats: Iconic Cantonese dishes and where to try them

11.09.2023 - 16:35 / bbc.com

With around 17,000 places to eat in Hong Kong, you're never far from a steaming bowl of something delicious. The city's culinary landscape features world-class Michelin-starred tasting menus and fine dining, but the majority of restaurants are humble, local spots where the prices are low and the proudly Cantonese dishes are comforting.

The combination of cramped home kitchens and expensive groceries means that for many, dining out is more cost-efficient than cooking at home. Consequently, brightly lit tea houses and noodle shops, busy takeaway stands and full-service restaurants all compete for an annual dining market where diners spend the equivalent of almost £9.2bn.

If you ask almost anyone in the city, they'll invariably have their own suggestion of where to find the best version of a particular dish. We're confident, however, that you can't go wrong at these eight tried-and-tested spots serving beloved Cantonese classics, from bamboo steamers filled with dumplings to glistening roast meats on rice.

1. Prawn wonton noodles: Tsim Chai Kee

Accolades from past editions of the Michelin Guide are proudly displayed on the walls and in the window at Tsim Chai Kee, located just off the famed outdoors escalator in the heart of Central district. It may come as a surprise, then, that prices for their classic Cantonese comfort food of prawn wonton noodles are decidedly wallet-friendly.

Just HK$38 (£4) buys you a generous bowl featuring three handmade dumplings each the size of a golf ball. Two prawns are used per dumpling, chopped up and mixed with fatty pork and dried mandarin peel to bind it, adding subtle notes of flavour as you bite through the soft folds of dumpling skin for a textural masterpiece.

Underneath sit bouncy egg noodles, while the fragrant broth is made from simmered pork bones with prawn heads, shells and air-dried cod, before the bowl is finished with a scattering of chopped spring onions.

As steam mists up the kitchen, visible through a service hatch, chefs also plate up noodles with two other topping options: sliced beef or fish balls made from dace fish – or even all three in the same bowl, if you're feeling hungry.

Address: Shop B, G/F, 98 Wellington St, Central
Phone: +852 2850 6471

2. Pineapple bun: Kam Wah Cafe & Bakery

Pineapple buns are a popular local snack and few spots can match Kam Wah Cafe & Bakery, especially when it comes to history. This year marks half a century since Chan Tim-wo, the son of a baker, opened his cafe serving the delicious sweet rolls in the always-on Mong Kok district, where a constant line of customers testifies to their popularity.

Chan's recipe, passed down by his father-in-law, has more than stood the test of time. While you'd expect the spiky