Egg tarts — little tarts with a pie crust or flaky pastry base filled with a delicate egg custard — are a Hong Kong staple, and Hoover makes one of the best. Despite the shop being in a run‐down neighborhood, don’t be surprised to see white‐gloved chauffeurs pulling up to pile boxes into fancy cars. [$]

This fourth-generation dessert spot specializes in sweets from Chiu Chow (also known as Teochew or Chaozhou), a region in far eastern Guangdong with its own distinct culture — and desserts such as lotus seeds cooked in light syrup, served with a hard-boiled egg. This late-night favorite also serves a huge range of modern creations, like vanilla sundaes with black glutinous rice and mango jelly with evaporated milk. [$]

Hong Kong boasts a considerable Muslim population from China, Indonesia, Pakistan and beyond, and with them comes plenty of opportunities to savor the hearty halal Chinese dishes, which takes inspiration from Xinjiang cuisine, known for its love of spice. There’s at least one platter of veal goulash pockets on every table — you won’t go wrong by following suit. [$-$$]

Hong Kong has its share of craft breweries, and craft beer bars have popped up all over town. Few are as serious as TAP, however, where draft and bottle offerings are on constant rotation with both local and international brews, and the staff have a real passion for beer. The food is no afterthought, either, with excellent bar bites like a Cubano made with siu yuk (Cantonese crispy roast pork). [$$]

Tsim Sha Tsui is known as a hub for Hong Kong’s Indian community, so it’s little surprise that the city’s oldest Indian vegetarian restaurant is here. Woodlands is a predominantly South Indian restaurant, meaning dosas are the name of the game, and spice fiends have been digging into these massive, crispy pancakes for almost 40 years. [$$]

The most iconic postcard view of Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor is best seen from Kowloon, and Yan Toh Heen’s sea-level, harborside setting offers front-row views. Although the hotel is due to be renovated this year, its flagship Chinese restaurant got its facelift a little earlier, which ensures that the well-loved restaurant remains open during the hotel’s temporary closure. Chef Yiu-fai Lau has been with the hotel since it opened, and continues to please with meticulously made Cantonese classics, such as dim sum, as well as Chinese favorites like Peking duck. [$$$]

Locals love cha chaan teng food, a uniquely Hong Kong cuisine that mostly consists of pseudo‐Western concoctions like macaroni with ham in soup; deep‐fried peanut butter sandwiches known as “French” toast; and sweetened condensed milk poured over red bean paste and a compressed ball of shaved ice, a concoction that's halfway between a dessert and a beverage. Hoi On was once the cha chaan teng of choice for sailors docking at the nearby ports. Several years ago the owner’s daughter gave the place a good scrub, and, to bring back its former glory, hired new staff — including bakers to make their famous coconut tarts. [$]

Yardbird was the first restaurant opened by Matt Abergel (a Masa alum) and Lindsay Jang, and they’ve since become legends in Hong Kong’s notoriously finicky restaurant scene. Their restaurant is almost five years old, and it’s still one of the hottest spots in town. Yakitori is the name of the game. Every part of the chicken is served, from skewers of hearts to crispy skin on rice. There are no reservations; queuing is part of the experience. And be sure to have a drink — the Japanese‐influenced beverage program is one of a kind. [$$$$]

Hong Kong may no longer be under British rule, but the tradition of afternoon tea is still going strong. For an all-frills experience, the Lounge at Four Seasons Hong Kong is hard to beat, complete with floor-to-ceiling harbor views, a classic three-tiered presentation, plus additional dishes passed around throughout tea time. [$$$]

The city of Chaozhou (still more commonly known by its old name, Chiu Chow) is officially part of Guangdong (Canton), but is culturally distinct: Chiu Chow people speak their own dialect and have their own distinctive foods. Chan Kan Kee is a specialist in lo shui, in which foods like goose, tofu, and eggs are poached in a liquid mostly flavored with soy sauce and five spice. [$$]

Originally from New Orleans, Max Levy became interested in Japanese cuisine when he realized it had a lot in common with what he grew up eating — fish and rice. Although Japanese in principle, Levy’s food has been heavily influenced by China, where he’s been based since 2004 (first in Beijing, then Hong Kong). Housed in a narrow walk-up a stone’s throw from the city’s famous dried herb and seafood markets, Okra features two floors of Levy’s cooking: izakaya-style dining downstairs, and a reservations-only sushi bar upstairs. In both spots, expect Chinese- and Japanese-inspired flavors with a novel spin. Think: aged pigeon marinated in sake, served with Crystal hot sauce — because Louisiana. [$$-$$$$]

Johnson Ko started CoCo Espresso in Sheung Wan back in 2008, when the area was better known for its temples and cheap lunch spots, and a properly pulled espresso was scarcer than hen’s teeth. Having learned his craft in Australia, he was instrumental in introducing the now-ubiquitous Antipodean style to the city, and he now has several cafes dotted all over town, including a brand-new roastery. CoCo Espresso’s new flagship is a glorious, airy space that screams “lifestyle” — a far cry from the utilitarian space where it began — but staying true to its roots, it’s just a few steps away from the original shop. [$]

Before Starbucks took over the city’s streets, the local caffeine fix of choice was Hong Kong‐style milk tea, a strong Ceylon tea served with unsweetened evaporated milk. Most people got their milk tea from their neighborhood cha chaan teng, or diner. Now, fanatics cross town for For Kee’s milk tea — though many also stick around for the pan‐fried pork chop, marinated in soy sauce and sugar, and served with your choice of rice, noodles, or a hamburger bun. [$]

With the revival of local agriculture, Hong Kong’s chefs are slowly waking up to the possibilities of farm-to-table cuisine. Beet has quickly become a staple in this town thanks to chef Barry Quek’s vision for using mostly local produce. He cut his teeth in some of the world’s best kitchens, including Attica in Melbourne and De Wulf in Belgium, whose inspiration can be found in his fresh, modern European plates that are, in fact, truly local in their provenance. Expect everything from well-loved Chinese herbs such as garlic shoots and marigolds to locally raised chicken. [$$-$$$]

It might sometimes be labeled a “locavore” Cantonese restaurant, but the Chairman isn’t so much about seasonality as it is about finding fresh ingredients that best represent the region and delivering them to your dinner table, stat. The steamed flower crab (a variety native to nearby waters) dressed with rice wine and chicken fat — with wide ribbons of rice noodles underneath to soak up the sauce — is the stuff of dreams. [$$$]

For a little oasis of calm in this frenetic city, head to Teakha. Rustic scones, cakes, and teas from all over Asia are served in an elegant, quiet corner, and you’re encouraged to sit back and let the stress melt away. On weekends, hipsters descend on the area, and it can be hard to get a seat indoors, but don’t let that kill your slow-life vibes — get your snacks to go and sit on the street, or in the little park around the corner. [$]

In traditional Chinese medicine, eating snake is believed to keep you warm. In the winter, eating snake soup is a must for many, and one of the most famous places to do so is at Ser Wong Fun (it literally translates to Fun the Snake King), which has been around for over a century. It’s said that its soup recipe was passed down from the original inventor of the dish. But snake isn’t the only thing this place is known for — people also come for the vast array of hearty Cantonese classics, such as preserved sausages in claypot rice, pan-fried fish cakes with clam sauce, and stir-fried prawns in soy sauce. [$-$$]

Luk Yu is probably featured in every tourist guidebook ever written, but it’s worth putting up with the fanny packs and condescending service for two things: the gorgeous, meticulously maintained 1930s decor, and the sweet and sour pork. The latter, lest you think it a fabricated Chinatown dish, does in fact have its roots in China. At Luk Yu, the sauce is made the traditional way, with hawthorn, giving the deep‐fried nuggets of pork a deeper, cherry‐like color and a more rounded tartness than the ketchup‐and‐vinegar takeout variety. [$$]

Colonial Hong Kong had its awkward moments, like when the Chinnery used to be a women‐free zone. Thankfully, that changed in 1990, and now anyone can darken its meticulously polished timber doors and order a perfectly executed Manhattan from the ivory‐jacketed barman. Consider dropping in for a lunch of tikka masala, served in actual silver dishes just as it was in the 1960s. [$$]

In a few short years, Daniel Calvert and his team have made Belon a force to be reckoned with, not just in Hong Kong, but globally. The precise, deceptively simple, classically inspired French plates hint at Calvert’s training at the likes of Pied à Terre in London, Per Se in New York, and Epicure in Paris, but the results (think: an unadorned plate with a bar of foie gras torchon so smooth it looks airbrushed and a row of preserved blueberries) have created a culinary lexicon of their own.

When Amber opened in 2005, fine dining in Hong Kong was, for the most part, all about stuffy, old-fashioned French food, with everything flown in from Europe. Chef Richard Ekkebus arguably changed all that, first translating ingredients like Japanese sea urchin into dishes fit for a modern European culinary lexicon, then, with its refurbishment, overseeing a pivot toward a radically pared-back form of fine dining, leaning into East Asian fundamentals like wild vegetables, dashi, and steaming. Amber tops most restaurant guides and lists, internationally and globally, so book well in advance. [$$$$]

In a city where more is more, Arcane is a bit of a dark horse. This quietly sophisticated fine diner showcases the work of Shane Osborn, Australian by way of London’s Michelin-starred Pied à Terre, now known more widely for his bromance with fellow Aussie finalist Mark Best on Netflix’s The Final Table. With much of the produce coming from Japan, as well as the restaurant’s own petite kitchen garden, dishes are in tune with the seasons. Don’t be surprised to see combinations like Australian wagyu with yamaimo (Japanese mountain yam) and espelette. [$$$$]

Before it was Asia’s financial center, Hong Kong was made up of a series of fishing villages, and seafood snacks, like fish ball noodle soup (the “fish balls” are actually made from eel), remain a typical lunch. On Lee has been in the neighborhood for over 50 years, starting out as a dai pai dong (street food cart). To sample all its specialties at once, order a bowl of noodles with a combination of fish cake, fish balls, and beef brisket. [$]

As street carts disappear from the streets, so have egg waffles (aka eggettes), and a good one is hard to come by these days. Master Low Key is indeed a master of the craft — each “egg” is crunchy on the outside and slightly hollow, with a little just-cooked batter inside. Be prepared to queue, especially on weekends. [$]

After Cantonese immigrants from neighboring Guangdong province, the second most prominent group of people in Hong Kong hail from Shanghai. Trade groups and fraternities associated with the region are still going strong, and one of the trade groups opened Zhe Jiang Heen as a sort of restaurant‐slash‐clubhouse. Luckily you don’t have to be brokering a deal in Shanghai to gain access, so everyone can get a taste of classic Shanghainese dishes like shrimp stir‐fried with Longjing tea leaves, smoked eggs, and hongshao rou (slow‐cooked pork belly in a dark soy and vinegar sauce). [$$$]

Kin’s Kitchen is about as close as you can get to Cantonese home cooking without an invitation to someone’s house. It’s operated by father and son Kin‐wai Lau and Chun Lau, both of whom are food writers with a scholarly approach to Chinese cuisine, and eating here is like tasting recipes that have been refined and distilled from generations of home cooks. You’ll be thinking about the steamed egg custard topped with morels for days. [$$]

Flip through any Hong Kong guidebook written before 2010, and Yung Kee was probably high on the restaurant list for its famous roast goose. It was a Hong Kong legend, but a high‐profile family feud regarding ownership of the restaurant divided the clientele. Many food lovers now prefer Kam’s; it’s operated by a portion of the family that left Yung Kee and took chefs with them. Although a much less glamorous establishment than Yung Kee, Kam's lack of VIP rooms and frivolous banquet menus means that they concentrate on what they do best — Cantonese‐style barbecued meats. [$$]

Sichuan food, with all its chiles, vinegars and spices, is almost as foreign to the subtle seasonings favored by Hongkongers as it is to the American palate. Sijie (and her eponymous restaurant) was the first to bring untamed, fully-dialed-in Sichuan flavors to Hong Kong. Sijie herself will even come out and chug a beer with you at the end of the meal. [$$]