Eat like a local in Hong Kong with our guide to its local specialities and traditional restaurants…

Chinese specialities you should try on your visit to Hong Kong:

Abalone – meat of a sea snail, served fresh or dried

Beggar’s chicken – a whole chicken coated with clay and roasted in its own juices

Bird’s nest – swallows’ nests served as a soup or dessert

Congee – rice soup, either plain or with vegetables or meat

Double sautéed pork – pork, cooked twice

Fish balls – fish and shrimp meat rolled into balls and served in broth

Garoupa – grouper (fish such as sea bass)

Hainan chicken – chicken in a ginger marinade, served on rice

Hairy crab – a delicatessen in autumn and winter, served boiled

Hot pot – meat, fish and vegetable fondue

Lo hon vegetables – various vegetables (Buddhist meal during fasting periods)

Peking duck – marinated duck with a crispy skin, roasted in the oven

Wonton – a noodle-dough dumpling stuffed with shrimp meat, served in broth

Yangchow fried rice – fried rice with chicken, egg, peas, shrimp and mushrooms

Restaurants serving traditional Chinese cuisine:

Crystal Jade 翡翠拉麵小籠包

Enjoy traditional Shanghai cooking with a view of the harbour at this beautiful restaurant. There are delicious dumplings and plentiful servings of noodles. If there is a wait for table then you are given a number and you can browse the nearby shops whilst you wait. Shop 3328, Gateway Arcade Harbour City 海港城港威商場 | Tel. 26 22 26 99 | Budget

Kung Tak Lam 功德林

Vegetarian Shanghai cuisine in a modern environment with a view of the harbour. The organic ingredients come from the restaurant’s own garden. It is an ideal place for dim sums at lunchtime. 1 Peking Rd. 北京道, 7th floor | Tel. 23 12 78 00 | Budget

Shanghai Garden 紫玉蘭

 A traditional Chinese restaurant serving Shanghai cuisine classics. ‘Drunken Chicken’ (in rice-wine sauce) and sautéed shrimps are specialities of the house. Hutchinson House | 10 Harcourt Rd. 夏愨道 | Tel. 25 24 81 81 | Moderate

Peking Garden 北京樓

Peking Duck is this restaurant’s speciality but it also offers Beggar’s Chicken and dishes from other regions of China. Be sure to see The Noodle Show which takes place at about 8pm every evening and includes spaghetti stretching by hand! Alexandra House | Chater Rd. 遮打道 (MTR exit H) | Tel. 25 26 64 56 | Moderate

Chuen Kee 全記海鮮菜館 

A restaurant serving fish and seafood fresh from the pool. It caters well to foreign guests and has a good variety of cooled white wine. Diners have the option of sitting outside with a pleasant view of the boats in the harbour. Sai Kung | 53 Hoi Pong St. 海傍街 | Harbour Promenade, south end beyond the ceremonial gate | Tel. 27 91 11 95 | Bus 92 from MTR Diamond Hill | Moderate–Expensive

Hunan Garden 洞庭樓 

Hunan cuisine is usually very spicy but this restaurant shows mercy and notes just how hot the individual dishes really are on the menu. The prices are reasonable and live Classical Chinese music is played throughout the evening. Forum | Exchange Square 交易廣場富臨閣 | Tel. 28 68 28 80 | Moderate

 

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