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Restaurants Overview

Stand your ground when faced with a barrage of 16-stroke Chinese characters. Don't flee from the gruesome goose hanging in the window or wince at the steaming cauldron of innards, the swinging knots of gnarled intestine, or the rows of webbed duck feet that announce the corner restaurant's offerings. If you do, you'll find that your meal will taste better than anything at the western-theme restaurant or pan-Chinese chain down the street.

Besides losing your culinary inhibitions, what's the best way to have a memorable meal in Hong Kong? First, choose a restaurant that's full rather than empty. Then check out what's on everyone else's plate. Don't be shy about pointing to an interesting dish at your neighbor's table. This is often the best way to order, as many local specialties don't appear on the English version of the menu.

Whether Cantonese, traditional Italian or French, or celebrity-chef chic, most of the pricier restaurants lie within five-star hotels. While you shouldn't let these places monopolize your culinary exposure to Hong Kong, some are really world class. And of course, Hong Kong is the world's epicenter of dim sum, and while you're here you must have a least one dim sum breakfast or lunch in a teahouse. Those steaming bamboo baskets you see conceal delicious dumplings, buns, and pastries -- all as comforting as they are exotic.

Meal Times

Locals eat lunch between noon and 1:30 PM; dinner is around 8. Dim sum begins as early as 10 AM. Reservations aren't usually necessary except during Chinese holidays or at of-the-moment or high-end hotel restaurants. There are certain classic Hong Kong preparations (e.g., beggar's chicken, whose preparation in a clay pot takes hours) that require reserving not just a table, but the dish itself. Do so at least 24 hours out.

You'll also need reservations for a meal at one of the so-called private kitchens -- unlicensed culinary speakeasies, which are often the city's hottest tickets. Book several days ahead, and if possible, join forces with other people. Some private kitchens only take reservations for parties of four, six, or eight.