Hong Kong is known for its thousands of small authentic restaurants, where you can indulge in delicious Chinese food without having to dig too deep into your pocket. But finding a really good eatery in this jungle of Chinese neon signs can be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.
This article will introduce you to seven of the best authentic restaurants and Dim-sum eateries on Hong Kong Island.
- Lin Heung Tea House – The best known of them all, has been around for God knows how many years and is still as popular as ever… Conveniently located on Wellington Street, right between Central and SoHo, the ambience at this good old establishment reflects the true spirit of Hong Kong: Noisy and bustling, yet homey and welcoming… Great dim-sums and other “yum cha” delicacies are the main draw, and the place is open from as early as 6am till as late as 11pm.
- Mak’s Noodle Limited is another Wellington Street icon… Best known for its Won Ton Noodle, which some say is the best in Hong Kong, this humble eatery doesn’t have much in the way of decor, but the place is tidy enough, the food is great (although the portions are slightly small) and the prices are not too bad…
- Tsim Chai (Jim chai) Noodle, also on Wellington Street, is Mak’s mythological competitor… This humble Cantonese food joint draws people from far and wide for its Wonton noodle soup, that comes with large and plumpy wonton dumplings, full with shrimps… Quite expectedly, there’s nothing much here in the way of glitz and glamour, but the food is great and the prices are very moderate… So who can ask for anything more?
- Kau Kee Noodles – Tucked on tiny Gough Street, just a minute stroll from the SoHo, humble Kau Kee Noodles has made a name for itself as a Hong Kong culinary emblem, after serving some of the best Beef Brisket in town for the last who knows how many years… You can have your Beef Brisket in a plain meaty broth or in a curry broth, and it comes with or without noodles (their noodles are really nice though, so maybe you should give them a try…) Almost needless to say, it’s just a small corner shop, so do not expect any “romantic ambience”… Lunchtime queue can be a pain, so try to come later if you can.
- Prawn noodle shop in Wanchai specializes in Singaporean-Malaysian Prawn noodle soup. Their menu has 3 different types of soup-base: Spicy prawn, Spicy curry laksa and Pork with chicken… After deciding which soup-base are you going for, you can “beef it up” with extras like: seafood, prawns, chicken, fishball, meatball, squid ball, fish cake, bean curd, and what have you… The place is very busy, so maybe you should try to avoid lunchtime.
- Chee Kee is a Causeway Bay institution, particularly known for its Beef brisket noodle in soup and Wonton with noodle in soup. The menu doesn’t have a great variety to choose from, but whatever is there, is likely to be good.Located on Percival Street in Causeway Bay (Can be accessed via exit A of MTR Causeway Bay), Open from before lunch until almost midnight
- Ho Hung Kee, also in Causeway Bay, is known to have some of the most authentic wonton noodles in Hong Kong. In addition to its outstanding Wonton with noodles in soup, the restaurant serves other authentic Cantonese favorites, such as Shredded pork noodle, Beef chow fun (a Cantonese dish of stir-fry beef with wide rice-noodles and bean sprouts), Ee Fu Noodles and some scrumptious Congees. Located on 2 Sharp Street East in Causeway Bay, just a heartbeat from Lee Theatre Plaza. Open daily, from before lunch to almost 11pm