Hong Kong

Sheung Wan stalwart turning out silky, slow-cooked congee and crisp fried dough sticks. A breakfast and late-night comfort-food fixture.

Temple Street stall known for claypot rice cooked over flame, the bottom layer crisping into prized golden crust, plus stir-fried standards.

Buzzy basement in Central from chef Jowett Yu, serving playful, diaspora-inspired Cantonese soul food — prawn toast, char siu of wagyu short rib — to a hip-hop soundtrack.

Sham Shui Po 'car noodle' shop where you build your own bowl from a spread of toppings — offal, fish balls, radish — in a chosen broth.

Sham Shui Po street stall famous for silky cheung fun rice rolls doused in sweet sauce, sesame, and peanut. Standing-room snacking at its best.

Century-old Central restaurant best known for snake soup in winter, alongside preserved-meat rice and other traditional Cantonese dishes.

Central wonton-noodle shop with a tiny menu built around plump prawn wontons, sliced fish, and beef. Cheap, fast, and reliably good.

Prince Edward dim sum specialist serving freshly steamed classics at low prices — a perennially popular, queue-out-the-door spot.

Jordan late-night dessert shop serving traditional Cantonese sweet soups — black sesame, walnut, and tong yuen dumplings in ginger syrup.

Open-air Central street stall famous for tomato-broth noodles topped with egg, plus crispy buns slathered in condensed milk. Daytime only, queues guaranteed.

Sai Kung waterfront seafood house where you pick live fish, prawns, and shellfish from tanks and have them cooked Cantonese-style. A weekend ritual.

Frenetic Jordan diner famous for silky scrambled-egg sandwiches, steamed milk pudding, and famously brusque service. In and out in twenty minutes.

Tin Hau noodle shop revered for beef brisket in a clear, deeply savoury broth served over springy noodles. Small, plain, and consistently busy.

1930s Central institution with carved wood, ceiling fans, and old-world service, still serving trolley dim sum and classic Cantonese to a loyal, ageing clientele.

Wan Chai roast-meat counter prized for char siu with caramelised edges and roast pork over rice. Communal tables, no frills, brisk turnover.