Having lived in Hong Kong for 11 years, you gradually build up a list of places you love and want to share with others. This list is something I built and maintain so that anytime anyone I know is going to Hong Kong, I can share the places and recommendations of the city I love and call my second home.

Things to do

The Obvious Places

1. Hong Kong Disneyland
2. Ocean Park
3. West Kowloon Cultural District
4. M+ Museum
5. Museum of Modern Art
6. Lady’s Market
7. Avenue of the Stars
8. Crossharbor Ferry
9. Shopping Districts
   1. Causeway Bay
   2. Tsim Sha Tsui
   3. Wan Chai
10. The Peak
11. Stanely

Off the Beaten Track

Hong Kong Promenade

Connecting Kennedy Town to the west and Causeway Bay to the east on the Hong Kong Island, there exists a fairly recently built promenade that allows pedestrians to walk the entirety of west to east of the Hong Kong Island. Walking this route offers a leisurely walk that allows one a great view of the Kowloon skyline.

Dragon’s Back

Hiking is a very popular Hong Kong past time. Understandably so, with the constant hustle and bustle of a metropolitan city, sometimes you just want to get away from it all and interact with nature. And this is surprisingly easy to do in Hong Kong. Multiple hiking trails dot the territory of Hong Kong. Very well maintained paved ways that are very easy to get to via public transportation. Dragon’s Back is one of the most popular of those hiking trails, and surprisingly easy. If you are curious of the hobbies that Hong Kongers engage in, give this trail a try.

Outlying Islands

There are multiple islands that surround the main Kowloon peninsula and Hong Kong Island. These outlying islands offer a slower pace of life and a peak at a more peaceful version of Hong Kong. They also offer opportunities for some wonderful seafood dishes. Chief among these outlying islands is Cheng Chau Island. Reachable with a short ferry ride from Central.

Chungking Mansions

Hong Kong is often seen as a melting pot of different cultures. One very prolific and prominent example of that is Chungking Mansions, a microcosm of the South Asian diaspora within Hong Kong. A large building complex that has multiple stalls of South Asian food, multiple secondhand electronic traders, and Indian restaurants a plenty. Chungking Mansions is certainly off the beaten path, but it is a must-see for anyone curious about what living in a multi-cultural city is like.

Places to Eat

My favorite thing to talk about. Anyone who knows me knows that eating is always the most anticipated part of any trip. And this is all the more true for Hong Kong. Food and restaurants in Hong Kong will always have a special place in my heart. There is no shortage of amazing places to go here.

Bakehouse

Egg tarts are synonymous with Hong Kong. And while Bakehouse doesn’t do egg tarts in the traditional way like Lord Stow’s , their sourdough egg tarts are absolutely divine. Most notably, they are the only egg tarts that my wife will line up for.

They also have the added benefit of being easy to find in Hong Kong (rather than have to go to Hong Kong for Lord Stow’s). They have multiple branches including in Wan Chai, Causewaybay, and Tsim Sha Tsui. I’m linking the TST branch below.

Delhi Club

Tucked on the second floor of Chungking Mansions is a wonderfully delicious Indian restaurant called Delhi Club. Specializing in more north Indian food, they have the different naan’s and curries you would come to expect of an Indian restaurant. The must-have is the mutton curry. It is so good, and a friend of mine captured that sentiment perfectly when he says that the “dreams of it daily” when he talks about that curry.

Kam’s Goose

A Michelin star restaurant, Kam’s Goose always has a long line winding outside during lunch and dinner, so if you want to score a table, best to go early (or during off-peak hours). I hazard to say that this restaurant serves the platonic ideal of roast goose at a very affordable price.

Rose Kitchen

The Rose Kitchen is a bit of a hidden gem. Its on the second floor of a fairly innocuous building in Wan Chai it is a great example of a Hong Kong cah chaan teng (canteen). It serves all the typical East-West fusion fare that is so common in Hong Kong. But most amazing about Rose Kitchen is their fried chicken (shown in the picture above). Crispy, juicy, and very flavorful.

Tim Ho Wan

Across multiple family trips to Hong Kong one place was always a must-go for us, Tim Ho Wan. Hong Kong and dim sum go hand-in-hand and Tim Ho Wan is a great example of the affordable Michellin star meals that come to define Hong Kong’s food scene. Their roast BBQ pork buns is a must try. So much so that the family always made a point to order extra to bring home.

One Dimsum

There is no shortage of dimsum restaurants in Hong Kong. One Dimsum is another option for those looking for a bit of variety. It has the benefit of being slightly more affordable than Tim Ho Wan.

Beefbar

This is a bonus one. For anyone that’s willing to spend a little bit more money on food while in Hong Kong, Beefbar is the place I would recommend, especially for their (Saturday all-you-can-eat beef roast menu option)[https://beefbar.com/menus-hong-kong/], its amazing food, good value, and its all you can eat.

I always will be happy to recommend Beefbar’s Saturday brunch because it was one of my first experiences in “elevated dining”. And it has been my barometer for what an elevated dining experience should make you feel. I always try to find an excuse to go back whenever I can.