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Whether you’ve lived in Hong Kong forever, or are just passing through, food is always a priority in this city. Known for its incredibly diverse culinary scene, and amazing restaurants (with 81 one-, two- and three-starred restaurants!), the foodie scene in the 852 draws us in time and time again, but can be a strain on our purse strings. So, we’ve found some the very best (and top rated) restaurants you can dine at and not blow your budget. From traditional dim sum, to Michelin-starred roast meats, Thai feasts and more, here are our favourite cheap eats in the city, that are also recommended by The Michelin Guide…
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If you’re after authentic Thai eats, with a street food vibe, look no further than Samsen. This Wan Chai restaurant delivers with bold flavours and generous portions every time, and The Michelin Guide agrees with us – awarding the restaurant its Bib Gourmand rating. It may not quite be Michelin star, but this category is reserved for restaurants that offer exception food at moderate prices. The restaurant is open from 12pm to 2:30pm for lunch service, and from 6:30pm to 11pm for dinner; long queues are expected, so head there early, or get ready to find a drink close by while you wait!
Rating: Bib Gourmand
Cuisine: Thai
Cost: Main dishes range between $108 and $128
Must Order: Wagyu Beef Boat Noodle; Stir Fried Rice with Crab Meat, Egg, Spring Onions and Crispy Garlic
Samsen, 68 Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, www.facebook.com/SamsenHK
Always favourite for good value and authentic dishes, Din Tai Fun is a mainstay on our favourite family restaurant list, and always a top choice for visiting guests. Another Hong Kong restaurant that has been awarded Michelin’s Bib Gourmand rating, you can’t go wrong with this Hong Kong classic. Head to either the TST branch, or the large space in Causeway Bay and fill up on classic pork Xiao Long Bao, Steamed Shrimp and Pork Shao-Mai, Spicy Vegetable and Pork Wontons and more.
Rating: Bib Gourmand
Cuisine: Shanghainese
Cost: Dishes range between $48 and $95 ($188 for six truffle xiao long bao)
Must Order: Classic Pork Xiao Long Bao
Din Tai Fung, multiple locations across Hong Kong, www.dintaifung.com.hk
Another Michelin Bib Gourmand pick, we frequent the Shugetsu on Gough Street regularly for a lunch-time treat. The homemade noodles here are some of the best going, and it’s up to you to customise your perfect tsukemen, picking your noodle temperature (cold or hot), flavour-level (original or light), and noodle weight (100g, 200g, 300g). Dishes start at $91, with plenty of additions available to take your bowl to the next level. Shugetsu values superb taste as well as health, with only the highest quality ingredients and a zero tolerance policy on preservatives, MSG and the like. If you’re more into your ramen than your tsukemen, Shugetsu also serves up a range of piping hot bowls, but we love the Grilled Kurobuta Pork Belly Ramen ($99).
Rating: Bib Gourmand
Cuisine: Japanese (ramen and tsukemen)
Cost: Ramen ranges between $91 and $108; tsukemen ranges between $91 and $132
Must Order: Shugetsu Tsukemen (with 300g noodles!)
Shugetsu, locations on Gough Street, Causeway Bay and Quarry Bay, www.shugetsu.com.hk
We can hardly round up the best cheap eats in Hong Kong and not mention Tim Ho Wan. Known to be the cheapest Michelin-rated dim sum in the city, you know that it’s always going to be good. The branch in Sham Shui Po holds One-Star, whilst the North Point branch is still up there with a Bib Gourmand status in the Michelin Guide. Dubbed “the best char siu bao in Hong Kong”, the humble barbecue pork bun is a must order, along with the likes of pan-fried turnip cakes, steamed shrimp dumplings and glutinous rice dumplings. Expect queues, but it will be worth it.
Rating: Bib Gourmand (North Point), One Star (Sham Shui Po)
Cuisine: Dim Sum
Cost: Dishes range between $14 and $30
Must Order: Baked Barbecue Pork Buns
Tim Ho Wan, various locations across Hong Kong, www.timhowan.hk
With only 1,955 one Michelin-Star restaurants in the world, it may come as a surprise to some that this Wan Chai restaurant makes the list with a One-Star rating. Specialising in roasted meats, Kam’s Roast Goose does exactly what it says on the tin, serving up a range authentic delicacies from roast suckling pig, to crispy roast pork, roast goose and roast pork ribs. You can order large plates of the roasted meats separately, or go for the roast on rice options, which start at $42 for a single meat and $47 for double. We personally prefer the suckling pig and char sui to the roasted goose, but as the name suggests, the goose is what the restaurant is best known for.
Rating: One Star
Cuisine: Cantonese Roast Meats
Cost: Roasted meats range between $65 and $165
Must Order: Roast Goose and Suckling Pig on Rice
Kam’s Roast Goose, 226 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, www.krg.com.hk
We won’t blame you for walking past this Gough Street resto without giving it a second glance, but for those in the know, Kau Kee is a must-visit and has been awarded Bib Gourmand status by the Michelin Guide. Stationed on Gough Street for close to 90 years, the chefs here clearly know what they’re doing, and the daily lunch and dinnertime crowds are testament to that! Kau Kee often packs out, and it’s not uncommon to see a long queue snaking down the street, so be prepared for a wait for a bowl of its famous Beef Brisket noodles! Don’t expect the best service, but come here for a bowl of comfort food.
Rating: Bib Gourmand
Cuisine: Cantonese (beef brisket noodles)
Cost: Main dishes range between $48 and $168
Must Order: Kau Kee’s Special Beef Brisket in Broth
Kau Kee, 21 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong
Its Japanese counterpart received one Michelin star, but we think the Causeway Bay spot is just as deserving! Serving up broth that’s been simmering for nine hours (without MSG!), you may have to wait to try Tsuta’s super cheap but equally delicious ramen. Treat yourself to the custom-brewed Shoyu Soba and Shio Soba (made with truffle).
Rating: Bib Gourmand
Cuisine: Japanese ramen
Cost: Less than $200
Must Order: Custom-brewed Shoyu Soba and Shio Soba
Tsuta, Shop 2, GF, V Point, 18 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong www.facebook.com/TsutaHongKong/
Introduced by Michelin in 2016, The Plate marks a high standard of cooking at a particular restaurant (with no price limitations), but falls short of an official star rating. With locations all over the city, egg waffle favourite, Mammy Pancake in TST has claimed itself a Plate award in the most recent Michelin guide. Serving up gai dan zai to hungry Hong Kongers, Mammy Pancakes offer flavours such as matcha, pork floss and salted seaweed, though we’re fans of the chocolate chip, or just the classic egg puff.
Rating: The Plate
Cuisine: Street Food (egg waffles)
Cost: Ranges between $18 and $30 per pancake
Must Order: Original Egg Puff
Mammy Pancake, 8-12 Carnarvon Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong; with further locations in Hung Hom, Sheung Wan and Causeway Bay
Serving up dumplings, noodles and a whole host of other authentic delights, Wang Fu has more than earned its Bib Gourmand Michelin status. Advertising its dumplings as “100% homemade”, this menu mainstay is a must order, with around nine varieties available – and priced starting at only $58 for 10 pieces. No matter how big of an appetite you have, you’re sure to be satisfied after an order of these. And if you don’t fancy a wait, you can’t always order this local favourite straight from Deliveroo and enjoy it in the comfort of your own home, or as a workplace lunch that’s sure to evoke envy.
Rating: Bib Gourmand
Cuisine: Beijing style dumplings
Cost: $95 lunch set includes five steamed dumplings of your choice, one rice or noodle main dish and a drink ; dumplings range between $58 and $75 (for 10)
Must Order: The lunch set is a great deal, and we can’t get enough of the Pork & Chinese Cabbage Dumplings
Wang Fu, 65 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
Featured image via Getty. Image #1 courtesy of Samsen via Instagram, image #2 courtesy of Din Tai Fung via Instagram, image #3 courtesy of sliceofsin via Instagram, image #4 courtesy of Tim Ho Wan via Facebook, image #5 courtesy of gsjiro75 via Instagram, image #6 courtesy of whatiate.j via Instagram, image #7 courtesy of Tsuta Hong Kong via Facebook; image #8 courtesy of charly791111 via Instagram, image #9 courtesy of michelinguide via Instagram