Old and New Spots in Hong Kong for Everything From Smoked Pigeon to Cool Cocktails

(SPOT.ph) What’s a trip to Hong Kong without a few food stops on your itinerary? Its dining scene is diverse, no doubt, reflective of the administrative region’s own varied population and history. Hong Kong is home to everything from decades-old holes-in-the-wall, to Instagrammable coffee shops, to grand Cantonese restaurants serving banquet meals to large groups, to buzzy bars stirring and serving up refreshing cocktails. If you’re searching for inspiration, these dining and drinking places have got your back.

Now No. 2 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, Wing is as much a lauded restaurant as it is a peek into Chef Vicky Cheng’s journey to learning more about his Cantonese roots. Cheng had moved from Hong Kong to Toronto at a young age, then flew to New York to study French culinary arts and work for chef-icon Daniel Boulud. While his other restaurant VEA (located just above Wing) unites French techniques and Chinese ingredients, Vicky goes more all-out Chinese at Wing, serving portions for sharing, banquet-style. Still he allows his creative spirit to shine by incorporating playful twists, resulting in signatures like the House-Made Golden Crystal Egg (essentially a clear century egg, served in a mala sauce); the famous Sea Cucumber Spring Roll, or sea cucumber braised until soft and quivering, then encased in a paper-thin fried spring roll wrapper; the Baby Pigeon that's smoked in sugarcane; and the chili-kissed Fragrant Alaskan King Crab served with pan-fried cheung fun (rice rolls).

Wing is at 29/F The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong.

Teochew is one of the more underrated Chinese cuisines, characterized by the use of fresh seafood and lighter cooking techniques like steaming, braising, and poaching. A reliable spot for Teochew fare is Lok Hau Fook in Kowloon City, which opened in 1954 and is located in a pre-war building that’s maintained its original look through the years—Chinese porcelain figures, colorful dragons on the walls and all. It’s here that you can have your fill of Mixed Meat Platter in Master Stock, a traditional platter of miscellaneous proteins (goose, goose liver, tofu, and boiled eggs in Lok Hau Fook’s case) braised in a  deeply savory; Oyster Omelette with crisp edges and a gooey center full of plump oysters; and Pomegranate Chicken, a dish of minced chicken in egg white crepes tied into bite-sized bags that resemble blooming pomegranates.

Lok Hau Fook is at 26-36 South Wall Road, Kowloon City, Hong Kong.

Tucked away in Gough Street—an area frequented by young locals—is this tiny cocktail bar founded by celebrated bartender Shelley Tai, who famously won the Hong Kong and Macau leg of the Diageo World Class 2019 cocktail competition. Tai’s accolades aside, the vibe at Mius itself leans toward laid-back. The space is sleek and dominated by warm tones, and the drinks are as playful as they are ultimately approachable. Try the Strawberry Negroni, a blushing variation on the classic with fresh strawberry juice and pink peppercorn; or the refreshing Gin & Apple infused with kaffir lime, pandan, and a green apple soda.

Mius is at 29 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong.

The best parts of the old and the new come together at Dragon's Den, a Cantonese restaurant housed in the Tin Ma Court Commercial Centre. It goes for a retro-cool aesthetic with the use of old-style signboards, dragon motifs, and bamboo furnishings in a polished, well-lit space. Likewise, the menu lists their takes on Cantonese favorites like alongside more modern offerings. The Smoked Dried Aged Pigeon is a must-try with its paper-thin, crackly skin and smoke-infused, deeply savory meat; the Roasted Goose is rightfully moist with glossy, lacquered skin; and the Stir-Fried Noodles delivers a satisfying dose of wok hei, or that distinct smokiness that one can only get from a good wok. Pair these with their sparkling yuzu genmaicha tea, which has fizz, citrusy notes, and a dry finish not unlike champagne. Despite being a relative newcomer (they opened in August of 2025), Dragon’s Den has already gained acclaim in the form of a Michelin Bib Gourmand award.

Dragon’s Den is at Shop S02, 2/F Tin Ma Court Commercial Centre, 55 Chuk Yuen Road, Wong Tai Sin, Hong Kong.

Tai Wo Tang is a café with quite the fascinating history. Housed on the ground floor of a building built in the 1920s, it was originally a Chinese medicine dispensary that opened in 1932, run by known medical practitioner Master Chung Pak Ming. The dispensary closed in 2017 and was transformed a year later into the nostalgic-hip café that it is today. Certain parts of the original have been retained, including the OG steel gate, the 'hundred-drawer' medicine cabinet, the signboard with their name in gold, and the wooden bench where patients would wait for their turn. But the food and beverage lineup well fits in with the present, in that it incorporates nostalgic flavors into modern formats. Specials not to miss include the Tai Wo Tang latte (with espresso, earl grey, and honey); the Egg Waffle with Chicken (think Western chicken and waffles, HK-style); and the Homemade Pancakes with Haw Flakes and Fresh Made Fig Jam.

Tai Wo Tang is at 136 Nga Tsin Wai Road, Kowloon City, Hong Kong.

Cantonese cuisine finds an opulent expression at Forum, which opened in 1977 and currently holds three Michelin Stars. Their two-story space is divided into a grand banquet hall, miscellaneous venue rooms, and a 'premium room' on the second floor where you’ll find a grand display of dried abalone varieties from around the world. Behind the restaurant is the late Chef Yeung Koon-yat, who is also called the Abalone King for his signature Ah Yat Braised Abalone dish that remains a Forum favorite today. Forum also applies their luxe touch to dim sum, serving especially juicy and flavorful versions of Steamed Pork Dumpling with Crab Roe and Steamed Shrimp Dumpling with Pork (akin to siomai and hakaw, respectively, in Filipino parlance).

Forum is at 255-257 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.

A great meal is made all the better with a great view to match, and Hung Tong—the in-house Chinese restaurant of Kerry Hotel Hong Kong—delivers on both the visual and gastronomic front. It can be found on the seventh floor of the hotel, right by the terrace that provides an unparalleled view of the Hong Kong Island skyline. Their approach to Cantonese cuisine honors tradition but leans toward contemporary, with more global ingredients like Wagyu beef, foie gras, and truffle found alongside your classic goose and abalone. In particular, their Deep-Fried Wagyu Beef Cheek dish brings to mind gyukatsu with its crisp crust and juicy center. 

Hung Tong is at L/7 Kerry Hotel, 38 Hung Luen Rd, Hung Hom, Hong Kong.

One of the many Akira Back restaurants around the world can be found in Hong Kong, specifically the futuristic Henderson Tower on Murray Road. It’s named, of course, after Korean-American chef Akira Back, whose food reflects his own background, melding the flavors of Korean and Japanese cuisines with the free-form spirit of American cooking. The space is no doubt stylish with its marble surfaces, velvet-lined seats, and pearl-like ornaments hanging from the ceiling. Yet their food is easy to love, simultaneously mischievous in setup and presentation but nostalgic in flavor. Try the signature AB Tuna Pizza, a cracker-thin pie with a sheet of tuna dolloped over; or the 48-hour Wagyu Short Ribs in an umami-rich jus. Akira Back is included in the 2026 Michelin Guide Hong Kong.

Akira Back is at 5/F The Henderson, 2 Murray Road, Central, Hong Kong.

Special thanks to the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

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