Have food, will travel. When you love food as much as we do, you'll think nothing of driving across the city — and back — just for dinner. With balmy summer weekends now upon us, there's no better time for a leisurely spin to check out these MICHELIN-recommended restaurants and casual eateries outside of the usual Hong Kong island and Kowloon gridlock. We highlight a few of our inspectors' picks.
Sai Kung
Often called the "Back Garden of Hong Kong", the lush and verdant village of Sai Kung is well-known locally for the numerous seafood restaurants lined up along Seafood Street by its waterfront, and and a floating seafood market where fishermen hawk their fresh catches directly from their boats. Gourmands and professional chefs alike head here from all across Hong Kong to haul home all manner of seafood from fish, crabs, shrimps to shellfish, which you can also enjoy on the spot in many of the venues along the strip.
Loaf On
One MICHELIN star
49 See Cheung Street, Sai Kung, Hong Kong
200 - 500 HKD • Cantonese
What our inspectors say:
It may not have the large displays of seafood that its promenade rivals boast but this restaurant stands out because of its cooking. Wonderfully fresh seafood is prepared using traditional home recipes that let the quality of the ingredients speak for themselves. Must-try dishes include minced fish in pumpkin soup, mantis shrimp with chilli and garlic and their steamed fish with sea salt. Traditional Cantonese dishes are also done well, like deep-fried tofu.
Sai Kung Sing Kee
MICHELIN Plate
39 Sai Kung Tai Street, Sai Kung, Hong Kong
300 - 950 HKD • Seafood
What our inspectors say:
At first sight, this brightly coloured seafood restaurant may not seem too dissimilar to others in Sai Kung. However, there is something special here and that’s the abalone menu. The abalone are prepared in various ways, from deep-fried to steamed; try the stewed abalone in oyster sauce. The building has 12 variously sized dining rooms spread over its three floors, all differently decorated; the most contemporary are on the 1st and 2nd floors.
Chuen Kee Seafood
MICHELIN Plate
53 Hoi Pong Street, Sai Kung, Hong Kong
400 - 600 HKD • Seafood
What our inspectors say:
Two family-run restaurants overlook a pleasant harbour to distant islands; choose the one with the rooftop terrace and the quayside plastic seats. An extraordinary range of seafood is available from adjacent fishmongers: cuttlefish, bivalve, crab and lobster, mollusc, shrimps, prawns… Go to the tank, select your meal, and minutes later it appears in front of you: steamed, poached, or wok-fried. Try the abalone or mantis shrimp in peppered salt.
Lei Yue Mun
Lei Yue Mun technically refers to the channel that lies between Victoria Harbour and Tseung Kwan O, separating Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, but locals know it better as a little fishing village that has preserved a slice of old Hong Kong amid the city's rapid modernisation. Leave a few hours to wander through the seafood market, which brims with fresh catches from local waters, and then have your selections cooked at one of the nearby restaurants. The village is also home to some of the only stilt houses left in Hong Kong, a variety of local stalls peddling nostalgic street snacks and aged residents parading their pet songbirds in cages.
Kam Fai
MICHELIN Plate
10 Hoi Pong Road Central, Lei Yue Mun, Hong Kong
600 - 1,100 HKD • Seafood
What our inspectors say:
It has over 50 years of history and is managed by a head chef with over 40 years of kitchen experience. Cooking is customised so you can specify how you want your seafood prepared – oysters can be lightly floured, tempura-battered, or breadcrumbed before being deep-fried. Try their salt-baked virgin crabs, and deep-fried mantis shrimps in peppered salt. Pre-order the braised abalone in peppercorn soup to avoid missing out.
Hyde Park Garden
MICHELIN Plate
44 Hoi Pong Road Central, Lei Yue Mun, Hong Kong
500 - 1,000 HKD • Seafood
What our inspectors say:
The owner also sells seafood from a nearby stall so diners can pick from the selection that is flown in daily and have it cooked in the restaurant for a fee. Also try their razor clams in chilli black bean sauce, or the signature fish soup which is simmered for hours with freshwater fish and tofu. Other recommendations include ginger and scallion abalone in a clay pot, and tofu skin sweet soup with pearl barley.
Sham Tseng
Situated in the western part of Tsuen Wan district, Sham Tseng used to be a purely rural area but it underwent a transformation into a residential area in the 1980s. Today, it has become a popular spot that locals and global visitors flock to for its cluster of restaurants serving various international and local cuisines in the area, with roast goose being the main draw— so much so that a HK$1.2 million roast goose statue was once erected as a tribute, but was later demolished after being criticised for looking too "duck-like".
Bib Gourmand
9 Sham Hong Road, Sham Tseng, Hong Kong
150 - 550 HKD • Cantonese
What our inspectors say:
From humble beginnings as a tiny countryside joint in 1958, this second-generation family business has gone big, but without losing its flair. Geese are sourced from eight farms in China to ensure quality and a steady supply. The owner insists on chargrilling them according to his family recipe, to give them their distinctive smokiness, crispy skin and juicy meat. They’re served after 11:45am and the menu also includes seafood and stir-fries.
Tuen Mun and Gold Coast
A modern, mainly residential area in the northwest of Hong Kong's New Territories, Tuen Mun's history dates back to the Tang dynasty, when it hosted military garrisons as a key position for coastal defence. These days, families from the local communities and staycationers from Hong Kong island head to the Tuen Mun, and waterfront Gold Coast just south of the town, for its golden sand beaches, a beautiful marina and hectares of luscious greenery in the surrounds. The accessibly yet idyllic urban retreat is just a 30 minute drive from downtown Hong Kong.
Dragon Inn
Bib Gourmand
Miles 19, Castle Peak Road, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong
200 - 400 HKD • Seafood
What our inspectors say:
This restaurant is known by almost everyone in the neighbourhood and was revamped in 2017 to include more private rooms alongside the main dining hall. Most guests pick their seafood from the nearby wet market for the chefs here to cook up; others choose from the catch of the day without looking at the menu. Baked baby lobster with cheese and baked oysters with port are not to be missed. It also serves dim sum during the day.
Yuè (Gold Coast)
MICHELIN Plate
1 Castle Peak Road, Gold Coast, Hong Kong
150 - 1,000 HKD • Cantonese
What our inspectors say:
It’s not often one can enjoy Cantonese food surrounded by verdant scenery but here on the ground floor of the Gold Coast hotel that’s exactly what you get as this comfortable restaurant looks out onto a delightful garden. The menu includes both traditional and more contemporary dishes and it’s worth seeking out the chef’s specialities such as barbecued pork and chicken liver with honey, and deep-fried chicken with shrimp paste.
Chinese Legend (Tuen Mun)
MICHELIN Plate
Sam Shing Street, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong
200 - 400 HKD • Cantonese
What our inspectors say:
Located right opposite the seafood market, this popular glass-walled restaurant not only cooks what you get from the market, but also serves its own famous Cantonese roast meat. Lychee wood-roasted goose is available in limited daily quantity and so needs reserving. Despite its somewhat plain interior, antique pieces add some interest – and look out for the stone grinder hidden underneath each round table.
Hoi Tin Garden
MICHELIN Plate
5 Sam Shing Street, Castle Peak Bay, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong
400 - 500 HKD • Cantonese
What our inspectors say:
One of the biggest and best known restaurants on the seafood street in Sam Shing, this three-storey establishment, complete with its own parking lot, has been in business for over 30 years. Seafood lovers travel from around town to shop for their favourite catch at the wet market nearby and ask their chefs to cook it up. Dim sum is served in the morning. A private room on the third floor caters to bigger parties.
Yuen Long
You can't talk about food in Hong Kong without mentioning Yuen Long, a northwestern district in the New Territories that dates back to the Qin dynasty. Closer to the border with the mainland Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen than it is to Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour, the area offers generous portions of delicious culinary heritage. Yuen Long's diverse flavours stretch from the humble home-cooking of the Hakka people to hole-in-the-wall eateries, traditional bakeries and dessert shops for the sweet-toothed and casual dai pai dongs dishing out plenty of authentic flavours.
Ho To Tai (Yuen Long)
Bib Gourmand
67 Fau Tsoi Street, Yuen Long, Hong Kong
30 - 70 HKD • Noodles
What our inspectors say:
Traditional shops that make their own noodles from scratch are hard to come by. Founded in 1946, this household name is among the remaining few. The nostalgic two-storey shop has quintessential Cantonese dumplings on the menu, the must-try wonton soup and fish skin dumplings. Those craving more carbs can order the hugely popular tossed noodles with shrimp roe. The owner also runs a dried noodle factory with retail outlets all over town.
Tai Wing Wah
Bib Gourmand
2-6 On Ning Road, Yuen Long, Hong Kong
80 - 300 HKD • Cantonese
What our inspectors say:
A refit in 2016 resulted in this Cantonese restaurant, located in the north of New Territories, looking a little brighter and feeling a little fresher. It serves dim sum and ‘Walled Village’ cuisine, alongside assorted classic Cantonese dishes. Try the roast duck with bean paste and coriander; claypot rice with lard and premium soy sauce; and, above all, the steamed sponge cake. A seasonal menu is available and changes every month.
So Kee
MICHELIN Plate
Shop 15, GF, Block A, Ho Shun Yee Building, 9 Fung Yau Street East, Yuen Long, Hong Kong
33 HKD • Street Food
Run by a humble and friendly husband and wife duo, So Kee offers only one item on its menu: the double-steamed egg white with milk. Each bowl takes about 20-30 minutes to steam and is made fresh to order, guaranteeing that you'll have your order straight off of the steamer.
Fork Eat
MICHELIN Plate
11-15 Fung Yau Street North, Yuen Long, Hong Kong
50 - 170 HKD • Street Food
A takeaway comfort food restaurant started by two IT professionals who used to run a private kitchen in Causeway Bay, Fork Eat offers dishes such as slow-cooked chicken, homemade chicken liver pate and egg custard, all made with self-raised chickens from the restaurant’s own farm. The corn feed used for their chickens are free from hormones, animal fats, and artificial pigments. Salads featuring local organic vegetables sourced in partnership with local Hong Kong farms are also available.
Tin Hung
MICHELIN Plate
88 Kin Yip Street, Yuen Long, Hong Kong
60 - 200 HKD • Cantonese Roast Meats
What our inspectors say:
Popular with locals since 2001, this shop sells its signature roast geese in specific cuts, halves or whole. Geese are slaughtered daily in a farm in Foshan, China before being shipped here. They are then marinated and roasted to perfection, and served piping hot. Other standouts include honey-glazed char siu pork, roast duck and drunken chicken. Those looking to pair the meats with a local drink should try their homemade herbal tea.
The operating hours of the restaurants may be affected by ongoing Covid-19 social distancing and safety measures, please check with the venues before your visit.
