The best restaurants in Hong Kong with their must-try Chinese food

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Most Hong Kong people are of Cantonese Chinese origin. At the same time, morning tea is synonymous with the food culture of Guangdong and Hong Kong. To experience the local food culture of Hong Kong, you must go to a teahouse and have morning tea like ordinary Hong Kong people. Hong Kong’s teahouses are the most life-like places in Hong Kong. It is a routine habit of Hong Kong people to go to a teahouse in the morning or during lunchtime to sip tea and have dim sum, the most authentic Hong Kong Chinese food. It is also a simple pleasure for them to enjoy a relaxing time or exchange gossip.

Cantonese dim sum is made with fresh ingredients, and the main cooking methods are steaming and frying to preserve the food’s original taste. This article recommends three of Hong Kong’s Michelin one-star teahouses and their must-try dishes to help you enjoy a memorable Hong Kong Chinese food trip.

 

. Yat Tung Heen

Since its opening in 1990, Yat Tung Heen’s chef team has been dedicated to bringing out the freshness of seasonal ingredients with their solid cooking skills. The restaurant has been on the Michelin list for many years. The restaurant’s décor is simple yet elegant, recreating the atmosphere of a Shanghai tavern in the late 1920s.

Baked Barbecue Pork Buns

The barbecue is cooked just right, not too dry, and not too hard. With one bite, you can appreciate the crispy outer skin and the full-bodied meaty texture inside. The fresh ingredients combined with the rich layers of taste are unforgettable. This dim sum is the signature of Yat Tung Heen. There were once diners in Taiwan who flew back and forth on the same day just for it.

Hong Kong Chinese food


Wok-fried Turnip Puddings with XO Sauce

The radish was handled very finely, and the XO sauce was rich and flavorful. The ratio of ingredients to sauce was just the right balance. It is very satisfying to eat with crisp silver sprouts.

Hong Kong Chinese food

Steamed Fresh Scallop Dumplings with Black Fungus and Angled Luffa 

The thin clarified dough is glistening and glutinous, wrapped in a crisp filling. The tender green color makes you feel the breath of spring.

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Puff Pastry with Egg Yolk

The crispy skin has a specific thickness. When you take the first bite, you must be careful of the overflow of the flowing heart. The aroma of the creamy yolk and the crispy crust is a perfect match.

Hong Kong Chinese food

Shanghai Dumplings with Pork

The skin of the small dumpling is very thin, which shows that the dim sum chef has strong hand skills. The soup inside can be sucked out, and the taste is exceptionally delicious. 

Hong Kong Chinese food

Steamed Rice Rolls with Crispy Spring Roll and Prawn

The fresh shrimp spring rolls puff up the smooth bratwurst. The freshly fried spring rolls are drizzled with black bean sauce to make them more fluffy. It tastes better when it is hot.

Hong Kong Chinese food

Steamed Beef Tripe with Satay Sauce

Beef tripe is more flaky and springy than other dim sum restaurants. The ingredients are simmered to make them soft and flavorful. The satay sauce is salty and fresh but not overpowering. 

Hong Kong Chinese food

Pan-fried Glutinous Rice Stuffed with Black Caviar and Conpoy

Glutinous rice is fried slowly to give it a crispy texture on the outside and tender on the inside. The experience is immediately sublimated with the taste seasoned with salty black caviar. This dish is well worth taking your time to savor.

Hong Kong Chinese food

Address: Level B2, Eaton HK, 380 Nathan Road, Kowloon

Tips: Please make reservations in advance. Otherwise, you will need to wait in line.



. Tim Ho Wan

Founded in March 2009, Tim Ho Wan insists on serving fresh, made-from-scratch, delicious, and authentic Hong Kong Chinese food. The restaurant’s founder wanted keep the tradition alive at an affordable price. With this vision and passion, Tim Ho Wan was awarded a one-star Michelin rating eight months after its opening and has won this award for many years. Also, it is known as ‘the world’s cheapest Michelin restaurant.’

Baked Bun with BBQ Port

Baked Bun with BBQ Port is said to sell “one every 17 seconds”. It is a must-order snack at this restaurant. The skin is golden, and the shape is round and very cute. Once you bite into it, the BBQ pork filling will flow out. The outer skin is crispy, and the filling is sweet and juicy. This rich and layered taste has gained a wide range of good reputation.

Hong Kong Chinese food

Pan-fried Turnip Cake

This turnip cake is soft but not rotten, smooth, and tender in the mouth. The ingredients are fried to a golden-brown color, which makes it delicious and fragrant. The radish flavor is light, but it’s full of surprises with the addition of minced meat, shrimp, etc. It’s very tasty!

Hong Kong Chinese food

Steamed Egg Cake

This steamed egg cake is specially made using an ancient method. The flour is fermented for a total of 24 hours to ensure a fluffy, moist, and soft texture while enhancing the rich flavor and unique aroma. In addition to the dense and elastic texture, the rich scent of brown sugar fills the mouth. This dim sum is one of the must-try snacks.

Hong Kong Chinese food

Address:9-11 Fuk Wing St, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong



. Luk Yu Tea House

Luk Yu Tea House is more than 80 years old but still maintains the style of the old Hong Kong teahouse. The sign at the entrance, the antique decorations, and the pearwood furniture all come from the old store with a long history. The senior waiters dressed in traditional Tang costumes and the nostalgic dishes make you feel like you are back in the teahouse of Hong Kong in the 1950s and 1960s. The atmosphere and Dim sum are an art here, as well as Michelin-recommended—provide a fascinating peek into old Hong Kong.

Pork Lung Soup with Almond

This dish is not on the morning tea menu and is only served during the main lunch and dinner hours. When you walk into the restaurant, it’s easy to notice that almost every table orders this dish. The soup base is creamy with the aroma of raw ground almonds and the sweetness from the stewed pork lung, making it incredibly smooth. Many people can’t resist drinking more than one bowl.

Hong Kong Chinese food

Chicken and Egg Bun

This dim sum dish is a bun larger than a person’s fist. A whole egg is wrapped in a meat filling made of chicken. The broth inside the meat filling soaked the bun’s skin and was delicious. 

Hong Kong Chinese food


Stuffed Pork Liver Siu Mai

Stuffed pork liver siu mai is an old-time dim sum that is not seen much anymore. A large slice of pork liver wrapped in fresh shrimp. The shrimp are elastic, and the pork liver is fresh, so you can’t miss it.

Hong Kong Chinese food

Shrimp Toast

Make sure to pour the sauce over this dim sum when serving it. Even if you don’t like fried food, you won’t be able to stop eating it. 

Hong Kong Chinese food

Address: 24-26 Stanley St, Central, Hong Kong