Hong Kong Restaurants - Great Authentic Eateries in Asia's World City

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

Hong Kong Food - The Cuisines of Asia's World City

The cuisines of China (particularly the Cantonese) are dominating Hong Kong's culinary scene, and that is no surprise, as most Hong Kongers are of Cantonese origin. Alongside the Chinese cuisines, you will find many restaurants specializing in other Far East cuisines, such as Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian and others... European and British influence can also be found, as Hong Kong was a British colony for more than 150 years.

Moreover, it can be said that during the years Hong Kong developed its own unique cuisine that combines Cantonese cooking with other elements...

Yum cha ("drinking tea") is an integral part of Hong Kong's culinary culture.

This Cantonese term refers to the custom of eating small servings of different foods, mainly dim sum, while sipping Chinese tea.

Dim sum is probably Hong Kong's most popular dish. It literally translates to "touch the heart", which means "take what your heart picks" (that is because of the great variety you can choose from...)

Dim sum is typically served as a light meal or brunch that consists of various types of steamed buns, dumplings and rice-rolls, containing a range of fillings, including beef, chicken, pork, prawns and vegetarian options... It is normally eaten some time from morning to early afternoon and usually served with Chinese tea.

Visiting a traditional Hong Kong style tea house for Yum Cha is strongly recommended.

Another true "Hong Kong institution" is the Cha Chaan Teng: A casual restaurant which can be described as a hybrid between a Chinese tea house and a cafe... Those places are normally open from morning till evening and serve a variety of local favorites... from Hong Kong style toasts and milk tea to rice and noodle specialties.

The Cantonese cuisine comes from the area around the city of Guangzhou (Canton), in Guangdong Province, just a short drive from Hong Kong.

Of the different Chinese cuisines, Cantonese is the most popular outside China, probably thanks to the fact that it is not as spicy as some of its "counterparts"...

Great diversity of ingredients is, perhaps, what characterizes the Cantonese cuisine more than anything else... The Cantonese cuisine makes use of almost every ingredient under the sun and as the famous Chinese saying goes "The Cantonese will eat everything that swims except the boat, everything that flies except the airplane, and everything that runs except the car"...

The Cantonese cuisine is also characterized by the use of very mild and simple spices in combination. Ginger, spring onion, sugar, salt, soy sauce, rice wine, corn starch and oil are sufficient for most Cantonese cooking, although garlic is also used abundantly.

Steaming, stir frying and deep frying seem to be the most popular cooking methods in Cantonese restaurants due to the short cooking time, and the philosophy of bringing out the flavor of the freshest ingredients.

Other than the ultimate Dim sum, recommended Cantonese dishes include Sweet and sour fish, Fried Garoupa fish, Deep-fried crispy chicken, Crispy pig belly, Roast Suckling Pig and, of course... the costly Braised Shark's fin and Abalone

The Chiu Chow (Teochew) cuisine comes from Chiuchow (now called 'Chaozhou'), a city in China's Guangdong Province, not far from Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Expectantly, this cooking style is very similar to Cantonese cuisine, although Chiuchow cuisine does maintain a certain degree of culinary independence...

Poached cold crab, Baby oyster with omelets, Chiu Chow style roast duck and Chiu Chow soya goose are some of the recommended dishes.

The Sichuan (Szechwan) cuisine originates from Sichuan Province in southwestern China and has an international reputation for being hot and spicy.

The most common ingredient is the Sichuan peppercorn, or Fagara: An indigenous plant whose peppercorns produce a fragrant, numbing, almost citrusy spice. Other common spices include Chili, Ginger, Star anise, Fennel seed, Coriander, Chili bean paste, Garlic and Spicy herbs.

Common cooking methods include smoking, stir frying, braising and simmering, which allow peppers and aromatic seasonings time to infuse food with unforgettable tastes and aromas

Famous Sichuan dishes include Sichuan style dan-dan noodle, Pork slices in a garlic sauce with a hint of chili, Braised beef in Szechwan pepper sauce, Kung Pao chicken, Ma Por tofu and Twice Cooked Pork.

Peking/Beijing (Mandarin) cuisine originates from China's capital city.

It developed over the centuries by thousands of skilled cooks from China's different regions, who flocked to the "big city" to work for royal families and wealthy government officials.

Peking duck is, by far, the most popular Pekingese dish, and it is mostly prized for its thin and crispy skin. Other famous dishes of the Peking cuisine include Hot and sour soup, as well as Sauteed sliced beef with scallion and Drunken pigeon.

The Shanghainese cuisine originates from coastal provinces around the city of Shanghai and is characterized by the use of alcohol. Fish, eel, crab and chicken are "drunken" with spirits and usually served raw.

Salted meats and preserved vegetables are also commonly used to spice up the dish. Another "secret ingredient" of the Shanghainese cuisine is sugar...

Sweet and sour spare ribs, Beggar's Chicken, Shanghai hairy crab, "eight treasure" duck, "drunken" chicken, braised eel and yellow fish are the most popular dishes...

Contemporary fusion cuisine has made it big in Hong Kong over the last few years... The city's chefs keep on coming up with innovative culinary creations that combine China's different cooking styles with those of other regions, and the results are surprisingly delicious.

Japanese, Indian, Korean and Southeast Asian restaurants are very popular in Hong Kong and are well worth considering, especially if you are tired of Chinese food but still want to try something "authentic".

Hong Kong Restaurants - Great Authentic Eateries in Asia's World City

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