Cover Virginia Chan is the personality behind Hong Kong food and travel Instagram account @ilovefishballs and the founder of Humid with a Chance of Fishballs food and city tour (Photo: courtesy of Virginia Chan)
Virginia Chan is the personality behind Hong Kong food and travel Instagram account @ilovefishballs and the founder of Humid with a Chance of Fishballs food and city tour (Photo: courtesy of Virginia Chan)
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From the best views of Hong Kong’s skyline and a beloved local roast goose restaurant to theatrical dai pai dong dining, here are the best ways to experience the city
Hong Kong is a food lover’s haven. Whether you’re in the mood for harbourfront dining, unfussy meals in a room unsullied by fussy décor, or simply a bite to keep you going through the day, the city’s dining scene delivers. And it’s not just food either. Heritage sites, cultural destinations and a billion-dollar skyline that demands attention—the city has something for everyone.
For this edition of Pocket List, we turn to Virginia Chan, the personality behind @ilovefishballs and the founder of Humid with a Chance of Fishballs city and food tours, for her recommendations. Read on for the quintessential Hong Kong restaurants, eateries and photo spots you can’t miss.
Read more: New restaurants, bars and dessert shops to visit in Hong Kong this October
Savour traditional Cantonese roast goose at Yue Kee Restaurant
Above Treat yourself to a well-roasted goose at Yue Kee (Photo: Virginia Chan)
Treat yourself to a well-roasted goose at Yue Kee (Photo: Virginia Chan)
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Siu mei, or Cantonese-style barbecue, makes up a core part of Hong Kong’s food culture. Honey-glazed barbecued pork, or char siu, may be the most well-known, but roast goose holds a special place in the hearts and palates of locals and visitors alike.
“While guidebooks point tourists to Central and Wan Chai for roast goose,” Chan says, “locals make the pilgrimage out to Sham Tseng.” Yue Kee Restaurant is where Chan directs discerning visitors in search of “crisp, juicy roast goose for lunch”. First opened in 1958, Yue Kee is “one of the very few remaining restaurants holding the government licence to roast geese using traditional charcoal ovens”.
Chan recommends ordering a half roasted goose, so you can sample both white and dark meats. “Don’t forget to try it with sweet plum dipping sauce. And for something more substantial, order a lai fun noodle in soup to pair with your goose.”
Yue Kee Restaurant
Address: G/F, 9 Sham Hong Road, Sham Tseng, Hong Kong
Enjoy bamboo pole wonton noodles at Lau Sum Kee
Above Chefs making noodles with the ‘jook sing’ method at Lau Sum Kee (Photo: Virginia Chan)
Above Dry wonton noodles with dried shrimp roe from Lau Sum Kee (Photo: Virginia Chan)
Chefs making noodles with the ‘jook sing’ method at Lau Sum Kee (Photo: Virginia Chan)
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Wonton noodles are another classic in Hong Kong’s local food repertoire. Before the commercialisation of noodle production, each restaurant would handmake their noodles using the jook sing technique, which involves a worker kneading the dough with a large bamboo pole, laying it on the dough and hopping up and down on it.
“Lau Sum Kee is one of the last heritage spots in the city that still makes their egg noodles this way,” Chan explains. Founded in 1956 and managed by the third generation, the restaurant serves noodle bowls that are “springy with a toothsome bite”, one that Chan thinks “machine-made noodles simply can’t match”.
While the classic wonton noodles in soup are a must-try, Chan also recommends Lau Sum Kee’s signature dry wonton noodles with dried shrimp roe.
Lau Sum Kee
Address: G/F, 82 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
Go neon sign hunting in Jordan
Above Hong Kong’s neon shop signs make up some of its most recognisable sights (Photo: Virginia Chan)
Hong Kong’s neon shop signs make up some of its most recognisable sights (Photo: Virginia Chan)
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Neon signs have been representative of Hong Kong for decades, powered by a guild of craftsmen that mastered the art of writing with light. Urbanisation and increasingly strict government regulations are pushing this heritage craft to extinction, but there are still plenty of spots to marvel at the city’s characteristic glow.
Chan recommends an intersection in Jordan between Portland Street and Changsha Street, an older neighbourhood where many traditional shop signs remain. “Go after dark and you’ll feel like you’re walking through a classic Wong Kar-wai film set,” Chan suggests, adding “rent a cheongsam [Cantonese traditional dress] if you want to be part of the aesthetic.”
View Hong Kong’s skyline from Garden Hill in Sham Shui Po
Above The view from Garden Hill is one of a kind (Photo: courtesy of the Hong Kong Tourism Board)
The view from Garden Hill is one of a kind (Photo: courtesy of the Hong Kong Tourism Board)
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The city’s skyline is a major part of its appeal, but Chan suggests skipping the crowds along Victoria Harbour and The Peak in favour of Garden Hill in Sham Shui Po.
“Rising right behind the [local bakery brand] Garden Bakery factory in Sham Shui Po, this gentle hill offers a stunning contrast of high-density public housing estates on one side, hyper-local street markets below and the shimmering lights of West Kowloon in the distance, all visible without a fence or obstruction.”
To get there, take the MTR to Sham Shui Po station and come out of Exit D2, head down Kweilin Street then turn left, and walk along to Castle Peak Road for five to ten minutes until you reach Mei Ho House. Find the paved walking trail and stairs next to the Bauhaus-style building and begin the climb.
Garden Hill
Address: Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
See also: Hong Kong restaurants and bars with the best views
Enjoy Hong Kong-style alfresco dining at Oi Man Sang
Above Order a spread of classic dai pai dong fare to share at Oi Man Sang (Photo: Virginia Chan)
Order a spread of classic dai pai dong fare to share at Oi Man Sang (Photo: Virginia Chan)
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Before breezy, European-style terraces and outdoor dining spaces arrived, Hong Kong already boasted a robust collection of street-side eateries. Dai pai dongs are open-air restaurants where chefs whip up wok hei-rich Cantonese dishes, right on the street. Once a booming sector, fewer than two dozen remain in operation today.
For a classic dai pai dong experience, Chan recommends Oi Man Sang. “Operating since 1956, this is the king of street cooking. Eating here is pure street-side theatre, where dramatic bursts of flame set a lively stage and the irresistible aroma of the wok waft through the street.” There’s so much worth trying, but for Chan, the stir-fried beef fillet and potatoes in black pepper sauce is absolutely unmissable.
Oi Man Sang
Address: G/F, Sham Shui Po Building, 1A-1C Shek Kip Mei Street, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
Tuck into The Chairman for refined Cantonese plates
Above Signature steamed fresh flower crab with aged Shaoxing wine, chicken oil and flat rice noodles (Photo: Virginia Chan)
Signature steamed fresh flower crab with aged Shaoxing wine, chicken oil and flat rice noodles (Photo: Virginia Chan)
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Cantonese cuisine has range, and The Chairman is proof. This Tatler Best 20 Restaurant 2026 honouree is also Chan’s choice for refined dining in the city. “If you’re going to splurge on one meal in Hong Kong, make it this one.”
Make sure to order the signature steamed fresh flower crab with aged Shaoxing wine, chicken oil and flat rice noodles—Chan highly recommends it.
Get breakfast at Australia Dairy Company
Above Visit Australia Dairy Company for a Hong Kong-style breakfast (Photo: Virginia Chan)
Visit Australia Dairy Company for a Hong Kong-style breakfast (Photo: Virginia Chan)
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Another quintessential dining experience can be found at cha chaan tengs, or Hong Kong-style diners. According to Chan, these local haunts are “living showcases of [the city’s] fast-paced, no-nonsense hustle.”
She recommends stopping at Australia Dairy Company for their “legendary scrambled eggs, and the milk tea, which is one of the best in the city”.
Australia Dairy Company
Address: 47 Parkes Street, Jordan, Hong Kong
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Formerly a lifestyle editor, Celia is now an Associate Dining Editor at Tatler Hong Kong, where she covers local dining stories with a strong sense of narrative and cultural context. She focuses on the people, places and moments shaping the city’s food scene, bringing a storytelling-led approach to restaurant features, chef profiles and on-the-ground coverage.
