Hong Kong has some of the most amazing food we’ve ever tasted on our travels. From dim sum to hot pot to fresh seafood, you can dine on something new for every meal in Hong Kong. The 2017 Michelin Guide for Hong Kong and Macau was recently released, and we were happy to see many of the great restaurants we visited during our travels continuing to rank. Below are some of our favorites and some must-dine Michelin Star restaurants in Hong Kong for your trip.
#1 Tim Ho Wan– Dim Sum Delights!
Touted as the world’s cheapest Michelin-star restaurant, Tim Ho Wan had the best dim sum I’ve ever tasted. A line out the door packed with locals was a telltale sign that it would be good, as we descended up on this hot restaurant located in charming Sham Shui Po, an old-school foodies neighborhood. It’s worth waiting to get into this laid-back dining destination, where Chef Mak, a veteran chef, creates surprising food gifts.
Sharing dishes with whomever you invite on this dim sum pilgrimage is a hallmark of the dim sum experience. My guide Fred and I dove into crispy fried spring rolls, whose shells were so delicate I wondered how it didn’t crack on its way from the kitchen to our table. Inside, flavorful and light eggs… a complete surprise. We consumed the best shrimp dumplings I’ve ever tasted. Again, the skin was so thin and transparent it was almost non-existent, but there it was. A fan of BBQ, the crispy BBQ pork buns must be ordered. They were slightly crunchy on the outside, savory inside and oh so good! We also enjoyed rice dumpling wrapped in a lotus leaf with hearty, saucy meat inside.
If you want to eat at Tim Ho Wan, visit Hong Kong, but also check it out in New York City! The restaurant recently debuted in the East Village and there are whopping lines there, too.
#2 Ming Court– Exquisite Cantonese
This, my friends, is tofu… with a little gold on top! Otherwise properly known as chilled “Layered Silk Tofu and Gold Leaf with Chinese Olive Sauce.” Order it for sure.
Ming Court, with its Michelin two-star rating, is a must-visit splurge on your trip to Hong Kong. Located in the Cordis, Hong Kong at Langham Place in Mong Kok, this splendid restaurant blends Cantonese cuisine with really nice wines. Ming Court has been recognised by Hong Kong & Macau Michelin Guide for multiple years. What stood out dining here was how much flavor was packed into each dish. Upon entering the kitchen and meeting Chef Mango Tsang Chiu Lit, I could understand why the food here is a standout.
My cooking lesson with Chef Mango Tsang. I mostly watched… and ate.Chef Mango gave me a brief introduction to Cantonese cuisine, showing me how to use a wok to make wagyu beef fried rice, something I’d never had before. Fast, hot and full-body is how I’d describe Chef Mango’s cooking style. He’s been cooking for decades, something I certainly can’t recreate at home, but a true reason to visit this top restaurant.
#3 Sing Kee Seafood Restaurant– For Seafood Lovers
Abalone at Sing Kee in Sai Kung.If you want some of the freshest seafood around, head to Sai Kung’s ‘Seafood Street’ to Sing Kee. Sai Kung is known as ‘Hong Kong’s back garden’ and is blessed with pretty hiking trails and beaches. The village of Sai Kung is also known for its seafood restaurants, where the catch of the day is delivered and cooked fresh for patrons. Michelin Star Sing Kee is a seafood lovers dream stop.
On my visit, I was able to pick out my lunch from one of the tanks, where a plethora of live fish, some of which I’ve never before seen, awaited. One thing that surprised me about dining in Hong Kong was how good tofu can taste. At home, tofu is not something I’d normally order, but in Hong Kong, it’s prepared in many different ways. I tried silky hot tofu dessert in the neighborhood of Sham Shui Po and at Sing Kee enjoyed fried tofu, which was crispy on the outside and smooth on the inside and good. Razor clams in a black bean sauce with colorful vegetables were also really tasty. I also tried abalone for the first time. A little chewy, this large sea snail was prepared fried in a light batter and coated in salt and pepper. My favorite dish… large, tender scallops wrapped in a sort of purplish vermicelli… an unexpected combination.
What did I learn from these Michelin dining experiences? I’ve been dining at many Michelin restaurants during my recent travels, and they are all so different all around the world and all so utterly divine.
Learn more about Hong Kong travel at DiscoverHongKong.com and check out our Hong Kong PBS episodes, including on Create TV.
