Where to Eat in Hong Kong? That’s the question, isn’t it?
Before all the brands set up shop here in Manila, Filipinos would fly to Hong Kong to do their shopping. Many still do, although price differences now between HK and Manila are not that big anymore, no thanks to the Peso’s poor exchange rate. But clothes and bags are easy to ship to the Philippines. It’s the authentic Hong Kong food experience that you really need to be in Hong Kong to experience.
WHERE TO EAT IN HONG KONG?
I have been to Hong Kong many times, and THE primary thing to do when in Hong Kong, unless you have other business there, is to eat!!!
In this list, I will be sharing places that we have been to and my thoughts on each ๐ The list is in no particular order. I will continue to update this when I have time. There are just way too many places to eat in Hong Kong for me to finish this list in one go ๐ Please sign up in the comments below so you’ll get notifications whenever I update this list.
Before you go looking for all these places, I highly recommend getting some sort of mobile internet connection in Hong Kong so you have access to Google Maps. You can get directions from Google Maps based on your current location and your destination so you’ll know if you are getting closer to where you want to go. This is how I usually find these restaurants!
Also, TIPPING IS NOT EXPECTED in Hong Kong.
Most of these restaurants are CASH ONLY, so be prepared.
The pictures I include here may come from different trips, so don’t be surprised if it’s day time in one pic and then night time in another pic, or if things look different.
Dimsum, Cha Chaan Tengs and other Cheap Eats
Right up front, I’m telling you, don’t expect super cleanliness from these establishments.
Tim Ho Wan
I am partial to the Sham Shui Po branch. This is the only Tim Ho Wan branch that has received Michelin stars since 2011. It has 1-star Michelin status in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Some of the other branches were only awarded Bib Gourmands.
Reason to dine here: it was the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the world for a time until it was supplanted by street food Liao Fan Hong Kong in Singapore (aka Hawker Chan).
Since we usually stay in the TST area, the best way I know to get to this Tim Ho Wan is by taking Bus #6 along Nathan Road (heading to Sham Shui Po), and get off at Fuk Wa Garden bus stop. Just continue walking in the same direction for about 1-2 minutes and you should reach Tim Ho Wan. It’s really best if you get an Octopus card to use while you’re in Hong Kong – you just tap the card when you get on the bus / MTR, the fare is automatically deducted from your Octopus card. Seniors can get the Elderly Octopus card and get a heavily discounted fare ๐
Alternatively, you can take the MTR and get off at Prince Edward Station, take Exit E. It’s still a few blocks’ walk though since the restaurant is somewhere between Prince Edward and Sham Shui Po MTR stations.
Ambience is typical Hong Kong neighborhood restaurant: noisy, crowded, and you will most likely be crammed into a table with other customers. It’s not a place where you can close your eyes to savor the flavors. They expect you to eat, then leave.
Food: Good and relatively cheap. Honestly, it wasn’t the mindblowing dimsum experience that I was expecting, but the dimsum was still very good. The food was delicious, service was fast, if a bit rude by the standards we are accustomed to in Manila. But we ordered about 9 dishes for the two of us, and our bill was only around P1,000 (USD 20), so that’s an average of P100 per dimsum. It is actually cheaper to eat here than in the Manila Tim Ho Wans. It is cheaper to eat dimsum here than in Manila, period, and you get better-tasting dimsum, to boot! Even if you compare it to those dimsum places in Manila with the 50% OFF promos, Tim Ho Wan in HK is still better because the quality is miles above. The 50% OFF promo dimsums are often not good – using frozen shrimp, having soggy dimsum skins, no flavor, full of MSG… Also, after 50% OFF promos, the bad dimsums end up costing P50-80 each, anyway, vs. Tim Ho Wan average of P100.
Just take advantage when you’re in HK to get your fill of Tim Ho Wan ๐
They charge HK$3 per person for “tea”.
Recommended orders: You shouldn’t miss the Pork BBQ Buns, the Ha Kaw, and the Lo Mai Kai (Glutinous Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaf), Rice Rolls with BBQ Pork and Beef Curry Puff. Those are my favorites ๐ The last time I was there, the Pork BBQ Buns bread seemed thicker though.
Tips: Don’t forget to rinse your utensils with the first round of hot tea they give you. They provide a bowl where you can do the rinsing. They have an English order slip if you need it. Don’t get there late, they close early. The first time we attempted to eat at Tim Ho Wan, we got there past 8:30pm and they were closing even though the sign said they closed at 9:30pm. I had expected them to be open until 11pmย but I was wrong. I was surprised they closed so early since this was Hong Kong! Maybe it was the neighborhood. All the other shops around it were all closed by 9pm.
Address:
Tim Ho Wan (Sham Shui Po)
9-11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
Australian Dairy Company
This place is known for their rude waiters, so know that going in. But damn if they don’t have the best scrambled eggs I’ve ever had!
Ambience: what ambience? The waiters are rude and will cram you into a table with other customers while loudly asking for your order. The place is noisy.
I just walk here from Tsim Sha Tsui. It’s about 2-3 blocks. If you want to take the MRT, get off at Jordan station exit C2 and walk to Parkes St.
Recommended orders: I just order the breakfast set with buttered toast, scrambled eggs, ham and macaroni soup, and coffee or tea. The entire set with the macaroni is actually a bit expensive, considering that I didn’t particularly like the macaroni soup. The macaroni soup tasted like some sort of Campbell’s soup in a can, with macaroni and ham added in. So a few times I tried ordering just the eggs on toast, and they just weren’t the same as the eggs as the eggs ordered with the set. Also try the steamed egg puddings ๐ Steamed egg puddings are not a very commonly available snack in the Philippines so try it if you have the chance. It’s like taho but made with milk and eggs instead of soybeans ๐ Also see Yee Shun below.
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The first time I tried Australian Dairy Company’s scrambled eggs (the one with the set), I immediately thought that it was the best scrambled eggs in the world! Make sure to get the correct scrambled egg order. This pic is from 2015 so prices may have increased. This set is only available until 12nn.
Tips: They close one day in one week. Googling now, it says they are closed on Thursdays. But a few years ago, I could have sworn they were closed on Tuesdays. Best to check their schedule. The scrambled eggs & macaroni set is only available until 12nn, best to go there for breakfast!
Address:
Australian Dairy Milk Company
47 Parkes St, Jordan, Hong Kong
Yee Shun Milk Company
This place is famous for their Steamed Milk Pudding ๐ We’ve dined at both their Causeway Bay branch and the one along Nathan Road near Mong Kok. The one in Causeway Bay has an older Hong Kong feel to it, we actually just chanced upon it while walking towards Sogo. I’d recommend Causeway Bay one as it is the main branch.
The steamed milk is soft, slightly sweet, and milky, but not eggy. You’ll hardly taste the egg white used to bind the milk. It is very difficult to achieve this kind of texture. Most people overcook / curdle the milk or make it taste too eggy. Yee Shun’s is usually considered the best. We like to order ours hot.
It costs HK $36 as of our last trip. It is expensive for such a simple dish of steamed milk, but it’s rare and it’s a delicacy, so at least try it once ๐ I don’t know any restaurant selling this in Manila.
There are several flavors available. I like the ginger one because it reminds me of the magical ginger milk pudding (่ๆฑๆๅฅถ) I had in Guangdong years ago. If it’s your first time, try the plain one first, then try other flavors next time and see which you like better ๐
Address:
Yee Shun Milk Company
506 Lockhart Rd, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Eat Together / Supreme Beef Noodle
I think this little restaurant has the best pork chop and curry I’ve had in Hong Kong!
Short story: A few years ago, I got food poisoning from eating oyster cake in China, but symptoms got worse only during the last part of our trip in Hong Kong. We were staying at Silka Seaview and I was too fragile to go out, so my sister bought some food for me to eat in the room. She bought me some pork chop and beef curry, and I was like, this is amazing! Where did you buy this??? But she couldn’t remember. The packaging was generic styro and plastic bag. She just said that it was one of those restaurants at the corner near our hotel. So I have spent the last few visits to HK trying to find the restaurant, eating at one of those corner restaurants in that area each visit. And during our last visit, I found it!!! Effort talaga, but now, I finally found it ๐ It is Eat Together.
Eat Together’s curry is generous with the coriander spice, which I like, and not as spicy. I ordered the Curry Pork Chop Rice. I wish I had been able to order the pork chop AND the beef curry, but I was the only one eating because my companion was still full. I wish they gave me more curry sauce.
Supreme Beef Noodle is another curry restaurant that I tried in my search for what eventually turned out to be Eat Together ๐ Supreme Beef Noodle’s curry is hotter (spicier), but I think both curries are very good and highly flavorful. I’m just more partial to Eat Together’s. For some reason, Supreme Beef Noodle is more popular among Hong Kong netizens than Eat Together. Anyway, they are just across each other at the same intersection. Just choose which you want to try ๐
Supreme Beef’s Beef Curry, HK $44 at the time:
Inside Eat Together:
Ambience: LOL. None. But the staff were generally nicer old ladies compared to Australian Dairy’s rude waiters. They gossip to each about their children and what not though, with no care whether customers can hear them ๐ I heard one lady complaining that one of her kids needs to start getting serious and get married, hahaha. This is a no frills restaurant, but the times we were there, they weren’t busy enough so we had a table all to ourselves and they never rushed us to leave.
I have tried Tsui Wah’s Beef Curry and these are better, in my opinion. Tsui Wah’s is generally thought to be the standard of Hong Kong cha chaan teng fare, but I liked Eat Together and Supreme Beef’s curries so much better. Tsui Wah’s beef curry is more of the McCormick curry powder and evaporated milk type curry, the yellow curry.
Address:
Eat Together
Wing Sing Lane cor. Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong
Supreme Beef Noodle
Wing Sing Lane cor. Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong
This is in the other side of Temple Street, not the part where the night market is. This is the area near the Tin Hau Temple in Yau Ma Tei, just a short walk from Nathan Road & Yau Ma Tei MTR station.
There is also another Eat Together branch in Sham Shui Po, which looks so much better, and where I’ll probably go next time. We chanced upon it while exploring Sham Shui Po, but we had just finished eating at Tim Ho Wan so didn’t eat here… ๐
Mido Cafe
When I visited Mido Cafe, I thought it looked very run down. It looks like it hasn’t been renovated since the time of Bruce Lee. But, that is what Mido Cafe is famous for now – being 60 yrs old. Well, I guess it’s nice to see these old buildings still around, and I appreciate that they are now considered a cultural treasure. I can easily imagine Bruce Lee or Ip Man jumping out from one of the walls, kicking ass and taking names! ๐
Of course, I ordered the Baked Pork Chop Rice! This is the dish Mido Cafe is famous for. I was expecting something amazing but it was just okay. Good but not great. I found my pork chop rather tough (circa 2015) but I enjoyed the rice and sauce. Visit Mido Cafe for the experience. I feel like the owners are just trying to keep the place alive but not really into innovating or trying to do more with it, like no one there really has any passion for cooking. It’s a slice of old Hong Kong and that’s basically the reason you should visit, because it might not be there anymore in a few years. Mido Cafe has also been featured in many Hong Kong movies.
Address:
Mido Cafe
63 Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong
Mido Cafe, Supreme Beef Brisket and Eat Together are all in the same area.
Sun Heung Yuen (Kin Kee), also spelled as Sun Hang Yuen
This is a new discovery. People have been saying that this place has the best Beef & Egg Sandwich in Hong Kong, and I am inclined to agree.
After a late breakfast at Tim Ho Wan, we walked around, exploring the Sham Shui Po district, which reminded me of a cleaner Divisoria. It’s not easy to get here from Tim Ho Wan, I needed to regularly check Google Maps.
We had our afternoon snack here and the Beef & Egg Sandwich is really good. The beef they use is springy ground beef, not corned beef. The warm toast contrasts with the succulent ground beef and perfectly soft-cooked egg filling. You know how luscious something is when you mix a raw egg yolk in it? It reminds me of that.
The Beef & Egg Sandwich is HK$20 but there’s a $1 charge for toasting it. They also have a spicy version but I chose the regular one. If you have trouble ordering, just show them my photos ๐ Or show them this: ่็ๆฒป็ๅบ, which means Toasted Egg & Beef Sandwich.
Address:
San Heung Yuen or San Hang Yuen
38 Kweilin Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon
Hop Yik Tai
Since we were exploring Sham Shui Po, of course I had to make sure we tried Hop Yik Tai. The hole-in-the-wall street food vendor received a Michelin THE PLATE distinction last 2015, I think, and still has it now in 2019. An order costs HK $10.
Their specialty is this steamed rice roll (cheung fan), drizzled in peanut or sesame sauce and hoisin hot sauce. The rice rolls were soft and slippery, the combination of sauces is sweet, salty, nutty, smooth ๐ It’s something you’ll never get in Manila, so, go ahead and try it if you’re brave enough to get past the sanitation issues ๐ You don’t even need to talk, just line up, ready $10 and just nod at what she asks or point at what you want ๐
There is always a line here. When I finally saw Hop Yik Tai, I balked. The surrounding area doesn’t look clean, they have stuff right there in the alley, there’s a dumpster nearby… but I was already there so might as well try it. I would never eat at a place like this in Manila and yet here, I just made myself do it.
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Address:
Hop Yik Tai
121 Kweilin Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon
Kee Wah Bakery
This is delicious. Butter barquillos na masarap! But mahal. Hahaha ๐ This is more of a takeout bakery. Their pineapple shortcake is also popular. They have many branches around Hong Kong. Although I am not happy that Eric Tsang is their endorser. Too bad, the “wife cookies” he was endorsing was actually pretty good when we tried the free sample.
Yum Cha
This is one of the new, happenin’ dimsum restaurants in Hong Kong that popularized the “cute” dimsum craze. Everything here is set up to be Instagrammable.
They claim to use NO MSG and only use veggie juice for coloring.
While the dimsum buns shaped like pigs are cute, they’re also very expensive, averaging about HK$60 per order of just 3 pieces of dimsum. Taste-wise, they’re good, but really, almost P500 per dimsum order? Tried it once, took my photos, I’m good. Don’t plan on going back unless travelling with kids or someone who is into this sort of thing (like Instagram addicts). The place is really just for Instagramming your food.
These are pineapple cakes shaped like birds. They have a pineapple jam center.
If you have kids or people in your life who are into it, it might be worth the splurge for the novelty and the cuteness, but that’s it.
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But I actually liked this Chili Pork &ย Shrimp Dumplings, but damn, that’s HK$69 + 10% SC for 6 pcs of dumplings! P90 per dumpling 
Yum Cha is located at the 3rd floor of Attitude on Granville.
Address:
Yum Cha
3F, Attitude on Granville Hotel, 20-22 Granville Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Kau Kee Beef Noodle
Kau Kee is almost a hundred years old, and that’s why I think most people flock here. It has also been on Michelin’s Bib Gourmand list for a while now.
The lines for this place is long! Kau Kee opens at 12:30pm, and by the time we got there at a little past 12:30, the line was already at least 50 people long, plus the restaurant already full with the first batch of diners for the day. I noticed that most of the diners were Asian tourists. I also saw pigeons outside trying to eat raw beef trimmings, which they must have scavenged from the trash. Anyway, the line moved quickly. We only waited in line for maybe 20 minutes, which was fast, considering how long the line was!
The menu was a bit confusing, because one menu had HK$155 as the price, which seemed a bit too expensive, but another menu had HK$55. Ignore the menu – there are only 2 dishes that most people order here – it’s the regular beef noodle and the curry beef noodle with tendons. Both are $55 each. You can choose which noodles you want with your soup: ho fan, e-fu, etc… There’s a minimum HK$50 spend per person.
Service was curt. I could feel like they wanted to hurry things up and get us out the door as quickly as possible. As usual with these establishments, we were crammed into a table with other diners. I wanted to get the one with e-fu noodles but the waiter was rushing taking my order I had no chance to correct him and he got me ho fan noodles instead.
Here’s the regular Beef Brisket in Broth:
I suggest going for the Beef Tendon Noodles In Curry, with e-fu noodles. It is good but not sophisticated. If it wasn’t so dang hard to get to Kau Kee, I would probably go back for it every visit to HK because those beef tendons were done really well. Beef tendons like this are not easy to come by and rarely found in Manila. But going to Kau Kee takes effort and dedication. It’s located on Gough St., between Sheung Wan and Central MTR stations, and you’d have to walk narrow, uphill, downhill streets! Try doing that under pouring rain, too. I want to go back, but only if it’s convenient.
New Istanbul Kebab
One of the perks of staying at a hotel in TST is the proximity to authentic Middle-Eastern food. I have not had the guts to try the other restaurants because the customers looked intimidating, staring at people who were just thinking about trying the restaurant. However, we saw this one place where the owner seemed friendly and more welcoming. I also saw other non-Middle-Eastern people eating there, so we tried it. It’s this literal hole in the wall called New Istanbul Kebab. It is along Hart Ave, near the corner of Prat Ave.
I usually order the Doner Roll, it’s around HK$80, but they are generous with the meat. It’s not the best I’ve ever had, but it’s still pretty good, and they are open 24 hours! Great if you have a hankering for something to eat at 2am. You can also do takeout so you can eat in the comfort of your hotel room. I always ask for extra sauces for my takeout and they’re nice and accommodating about it. You can also tell them if you want your order mild, spicy, more sauce, etc…
Wellcome, City Super, etc…
Maybe some days you’re just tired of having to go out and look for somewhere to eat. Maybe you’re just tired of walking or falling in line, or having to deal with rude waiters. Maybe you just don’t feel like talking to anybody.
If you just want to chill in your room, just buy some food at Wellcome or City Super or whatever supermarket you come across. Take the food back to your hotel room and eat relaxed while watching TV ๐ Just be careful not to make a mess.
This Smoked Salmon Potato Salad was from City Super, I think…
The Hong Kong grocery chains have a good selection of food items for take out. Unlike here in Manila where those selections are usually ignored, in Hong Kong, they are very popular. The food looks fresh and appetizing.
This is from Wellcome Causeway Bay:
I like the Wellcome in Causeway Bay for this because they have big sections dedicated to ready-to-eat food. They have breads, sushi / sashimi trays, and cooked viands like roast chicken, sweet & sour chicken, tofu fish fillet, and many more, all packed for takeout. And you know what’s better? THEY DISCOUNT THE PRICES! At 7pm, they may mark the food down by 10%, then as the night goes on, they keep marking it down by 20%, 25%.
Work in progress:
Godiva, Laduree, etc…
Din Tai Fung
Sun Kee Pork Neck Cheese Noodles
Honolulu Cafe
Milk Tea, Snacks, Etc…
Tiger Sugar
We already have several branches of Tiger Sugar in Manila, so I just wanted to compare the HK branch to the BGC one. I ordered my favorite, the Brown Sugar Boba Milk with Cream Mousse. I can’t remember exactly, but I think it was around HK$30? That’s around P200+ pesos. The same drink in Manila only costs P120.
They taste the same, although the Hong Kong one just seemed the tiniest bit creamier, but it’s not that significant. So, basically, they taste the same. Save your money and get Tiger Sugar in Manila nalang.
There are several branches of Tiger Sugar – there’s one in Causeway Bay; and several in Kowloon (Parkes St near the Temple St Night Market), Nathan Road in Mong Kok, etc…
Jen Ju Dan
I really liked Jen Ju Dan’s milk tea and pearls! Jen Ju Dan has the chewiest pearls. Most QQ one that I ever remember eating. I ordered this one:
The milk tea was on the sweet side, but still creamy and I think the carameliest of the milk teas I have tried.
Jen Ju Dan has limited branches, the one I went to is in Causeway Bay, along the side street outside the side entrance of Hysan Place, just a short walk from Sogo.
Milksha
I had to choose between trying Jen Ju Dan or Milksha, and I chose Jen Ju Dan because Milksha seemed to be all about milk and I’m all about brown sugar caramel ๐ Saving Milksha for the next trip ๐
The Alley
This is one of my regrets during our last HK trip. I wasn’t able to try this because I drank too much water before going out, and when we walked past The Alley on our way to Canton Road, my bladder was too full for me to even consider ordering milk tea. So sad ๐ There were many customers ordering so it’s obviously popular.
Putting this on my list for the next HK trip!ย Anyway, I hear The Alley will be opening a branch in SM MOA soon!
Mammy Pancakes
This place is famous for their Gai Dan Tsai (egg waffles). Hong Kong is the place to get egg waffles because I haven’t found any good egg waffles in Manila.
There’s only one auntie manning the store, doing everything from making the waffles to being the cashier… don’t expect to get your order quickly. Here she is mixing the salted egg yolk into my waffle batter:
Their bestsellers are the salted egg and the double cheese flavors ๐ The waffles have a crisp outer layer and a soft center. Best eaten when hot and fresh. Once it cools down it’s not as good. Price differs based on flavor, range is about HK $25-35.
It is located along Carnarvon Road, beside Potato Corner (from Mody Road, before reaching Cameron Road):
Look at their Michelin recommendations:
Hui Lau Shan
I’m sorry, I just don’t get this place. I’m only including it because a few of my friends are crazy about it (but I’m not). I tried the recommended drink (sago, mango, coconut milk) and to me, it’s so matabang. Like, seriously. I don’t get it. Is it because I eat fresh ripe mangoes all the time when they’re in season that’s why this is so meh to me? I’d rather have mango sago from Gloriamaris. At least yung mango sago ng Gloriamaris Greenhills, masarap talaga.
There are quite a few branches of Hui Lau Shan in HK, you’re bound to stumble into one especially if you go to the high tourist traffic areas. They also recently opened a branch in SM Megamall.
Fast Food and Western Cafes
McDonald’s
The McDonald’s in Hong Kong has way better food than in Manila! We didn’t go to McDo in our most recent trip, but they had Angus burgers a few years ago. And before this I had tried the GCB (Grilled Chicken Burger), which I was waiting for them to bring to the Phils but they never did.
2016 Angus Burgers:
2018 Angus Burger (much better-looking burger, haha):
If you don’t feel like exploring, just go to McDo or KFC. It’s familiar, safe, and yet they have a more exciting menu than ours ๐
KFC
Same. Even the KFC in China has better food than what we have in Manila. Compared to the Hong Kong / China KFCs, our KFC food here just looks sad. One time, years ago, they had salmon nuggets! This is a picture of the Shenzhen, China KFC, not the HK one. See the difference! It looks like a cafe ๐
Pacific Coffee
I like the coffee at Pacific Coffee ๐ Their coffee is not burnt, unlike that other popular chain, haha. They have branches at the popular malls (Hysan, Langham, etc…) where you can meet up with your group after you all separate to do your own shopping. This is where I usually leave the seniors to sit while I go browse the mall. Well, either Pacific Coffee or McDo or KFC. Pacific Coffee has better coffee though.
I like the branch near Times Square, it’s along a small alley somewhere. Check Klook if there are any deals you can get for Pacific Coffee ๐
Roast Goose
You can’t NOT eat roast goose when in Hong Kong. It’s just one of those things. Hong Kong has the best roast geese in the world. I would consider roast goose a Hong Kong specialty.
Yung Kee
Yung Kee is THE roast goose institution in Hong Kong. Eat there before it gets liquidated! The Kam family built a billion-dollar fortune on roast geese. However, for the past decade or so, the heirs have been embroiled in a a bitter court battle over Yung Kee. It was quite the drama. Some people say that the quality of their roast goose has deteriorated a bit because of it.
However, Yung Kee is the only restaurant in Hong Kong island that still has a charcoal oven for roasting geese. Unfortunately, Hong Kong does not issue permits anymore for charcoal equipment so when Yung Kee closes, it will be the end of this chapter for roast goose. Sadly, Yun Kee was set for liquidation last 2015 as a result of the legal battles. Fortunately, the liquidation is taking its sweet time so the restaurant is still in operation today, as far as I know. The founder’s grandson also opened his own roast goose restaurant, see Kam’s below.
Yung Kee has its own building in Wellington St. in Central. It is the only popular roast goose restaurant with ambience, with prices to match. If you’re bringing kids or people who need a comfortable place and some breathing room, you’re better off dining at Yung Kee. All the other roast goose restaurants are cramped.
So how is the roast goose at Yung Kee? Still pretty good. Crispy skin, hint of smokiness from the charcoal roasting. I thought the flavors were subtler, and I really liked their soybeans the best. These are the beans that are served with the roast goose. Make sure to eat here at night because the soybeans are only served for dinner as they take hours to prepare. I also like Yung Kee’s century eggs (preserved duck eggs) and pickled ginger, be sure to order some! The pickled ginger is served with the preserved duck eggs, you don’t need to order extra.
You can order whole roast goose, half, quarter (upper or lower). Get the upper quarter if you like the breast meat, get the lower quarter if you prefer the legs. The legs are usually preferred by many, hence, the higher price.
Look at the beautiful amber preserved egg white! Yes, it is supposed to be runny in the middle. I felt a bit cheated seeing as the egg costs $15 per person and we were each only served half an egg. But if you buy the preserved egg sets for takeaway, it computes to around $15 per egg. But the century egg is really good.
You have to be “alert” at Yung Kee because they have a tendency to make you pay for everything. If you’re getting roast goose or the preserved eggs for take out, you don’t have to get the more expensive set with the gift box. If you hand carry the roast goose or the eggs, and if you have scissors, packing tape and extra plastic /ziploc bags, you don’t need the gift box. Also, arriving in Manila handcarrying the gift boxes at the NAIA will just make it more obvious to those who might be “interested” them.
The price also jumped pretty quickly! A whole roast goose was HK$600 in 2016, but was already HK$750 in 2018!
Also, if you buy the preserved eggs for takeout, Yung Kee doesn’t give you the pickled ginger for free. If you want some, they sell you a small jar of it, unlike Kam’s, where they give a pack of the pickled ginger for free when you buy preserved eggs.
How to get to Yung Kee: Get off at MTR Central Station, take Exit D2, and walk to Yung Kee (just follow Google Maps directions).
Check Klook. We were able to get discount vouchers for Yung Kee for our previous meal there and for takeaway (separate vouchers for dine-in and takeaway, read Klook fine print) ๐
Address:
Yung Kee
32-40 Wellington St, Central, Hong Kong
Kam’s Roast Goose
Kam’s Roast is the roast goose place that everyone seems to be falling in line to try for the past few years. It has one Michelin star.
Kam’s was opened by one of the Kam grandsons (of Yung Kee fame, see above). I feel like Kam’s uses the same recipe as Yung Kee’s. The difference is that Yung Kee uses charcoal ovens, while Kam uses gas ovens (because of the permit issue I’ve mentioned above). This makes Kam’s roast goose skin less crispy, without the charcoal goodness. But, Kam’s is less expensive than Yung Kee. Kam’s is also smaller, with tiny tables where diners are packed into.
They also say that Yung Kee’s roast goose deteriorated when Kam’s opened and took many of Yung Kee’s good cooks away. But for me, the ambience really helps. I am not able to fully enjoy good food in a cramped and crowded restaurant, so it’s a toss for me on which roast goose is better. Kam’s is just more value-for-money for basically the same roast goose, whereas Yung Kee provides a better environment to savor it in (albeit costing much more).
Kams’ whole roast goose was HK$540 (as of 2019).
I like Yung Kee’s soybeans and pickled ginger better, but Kam’s preserved eggs are better in terms of the runnier yolk ๐
The other advantage that Kam’s offers is that they have cheaper rice toppings available. If you’re not up to ordering a whole, half or quarter roast goose, just get the rice toppings with roast goose, or a combination of roast meats.
How to get to Yung Kee: Get off at MTR Wan Chai Station, take Exit A4, and walk to Kam’s straight to the right (just follow Google Maps directions).
Address:
Kam’s Roast Goose
226 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Work in progress:
Yat Lok
Joy Hing
Yue Kee
HOTEL RESTAURANTS AND BUFFETS
We’ve attempted dining at a few hotels in Hong Kong but I after checking out their prices, I just always end up thinking that they’re not worth it or too expensive when converted to pesos.
A few years ago, walking around, we stumbled upon Shangri-La so we went in to check out the buffet. It was located at the mezzanine, and it was no Spiral (maybe only 1/8th of Spiral). I was so excited to eat there because, hey, it’s Shangri-La! Most of the people dining there looked like business people who were just there to be seen. The stations were few and limited compared to what we are used to (like in Spiral), but converting to pesos, the Shangrila buffet in HK cost almost twice as Spiral’s. Also, the ambience was too hoity toity, unlike in Manila, where while most people are well-behaved, you know they’re there to eat food and are quite happy to do so. In HK, the overall impression I got was people were there to show off their status, not really to eat. I didn’t notice anyone really eating. I got the impression that they didn’t care about making “sulit” what they paid for the buffet because the money spent meant nothing to them. If we ate there we would really stick out kasi kami lang yung matakaw! Hahaha. Also, we were wearing travel clothes (jeans, shirt and sneakers), while the other guests were dressed to kill. We chose to go somewhere else instead because I thought we’d rather spend that money on Spiral. ๐
We also had lunch one time at one of the restaurants of the Royal Garden Hotel in Mody Square. The Chinese restaurant at the basement had bridges and ponds with fish. The hotel building’s design is like where there’s a hole in the middle. I think the term is “atrium”. It’s kind of like a big skylight / airwell. Anyway, there are not too many buildings with that kind of design anymore, so if you’re into things like that you might want to check it out ๐ The hotel’s interior design really reminds me of the Manila Peninsula’s. One of the hotel’s shops is famous for its palmiers, which they call “butterfly cookies”. I don’t remember much about the food because this was back in 2015 and I didn’t take photos during our meal with relatives, but I took photos of the awards:
I haven’t been to the Peninsula Hong Kong although it’s been on my daydream list for a long time. The only reason I want to have at least coffee or afternoon tea there is because of the TV miniseries Noble House with Pierce Brosnan! But it’s just not a priority, so because of wrong timing or better options, or sometimes I just forget, we’ve never actually dined at the Peninsula. Too many other places to explore, too little time. I should also remember to bring nice clothes to wear to go there, hahaha ๐
