2011 Hong Kong Mini Restaurant Reviews

We recently finished up our latest culinary tour of China in the Spring of 2011. Hong Kong is a world class city full of great food. Most of the Chinese food was superior to that in the San Francisco Bay Area and even Vancouver, BC Canada.

Here are some quick mini reviews of places we ate at, so you can understand how Hong Kong food compares, and so you select the best places on your visit.
We have full reviews for places we deemed important enough.

Other Buffets: Conrad Nicolini’s Sunday Brunch Buffet, Harbourside Buffet,, JW Marriott Hong Kong, Tiffen Buffet Grand Hyatt Hong Kong.

Other Hong Kong Reviews:  Lung King Heen, Chuen Kee Seafood,Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, Fook Lam Moon, Lei Garden, Ming Court, Sai Kung Seafood Market, Sun Tung Lok, Yung Kee.

If a restaurant does not have a website, we link to their Openrice page.

CNN Go has a nice list of 40 Hong Kong foods we can’t live without.

Tao Heung – 稻香

An unexpected quality dim sum restaurant with bargain prices (HK$6.80, $9.80, $12.80, and $15.80 per dish) near our hotel in Wanchai. This location is also upstairs from excellent Lei Garden restaurant. We had eaten at the Tsim Tsai Tsui branch last year and found this one was full of locals. It is one of the few that opens early at 7am and even gives a discount on dim sum before 11:30am on Monday through Saturday. (Must check out by 12:30pm) Prices drop to this level also between 2 and 4 PM.
Only rated 3.3 on Openrice, but good enough for us in the crowd of people eating there. Multiple locations.

Hits: Har gow, Chiu Chou dumplings, sesame balls, Empress Chicken congee, Eggplant with fish cake, pork buns, sugarcane juice, Lotus wrapped glutinous rice.

Overall rating (Stars) – 2.5
Food Rating – 2.5
Service Rating – 1.5
Atmosphere Rating – 2.5
Value – 4
Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Fair/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Come Back – Yes

Tao Heung
2/F, CNT Tower, 338 Hennessy road
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
2838 3097
OpenRice – 3.3

Fu Sing – 富聲魚翅海鮮酒家

A Michelin guide bib gourmand rated restaurant that we visited lunch. Food is solid but not awe-inspiring, several dishes like the roasted pork left a positive impression. Definitely below the level of Michelin one star restaurants.

Hits: Har gow (HK$29), baked char siu bao (HK$29), roasted pork (HK$78).

Overall rating (Stars) – 2.5
Food Rating – 3
Service Rating – 2
Atmosphere Rating – 3
Value – 2
Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Fair/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Come Back – Maybe

Fu Sing
1/F, Sunshine Plaza, No. 353 Lockhart Road
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
2893 0881
OpenRice – 3.7

Fat Mama’s dessert – 肥媽甜品店

A family run dessert place that serves up excellent Hong Kong style desserts. They stay open late.

Hits: Mango with grass jelly in condensed milk (HK$22), lychee, Sago in coconut milk (HK$25).

Overall rating (Stars) – 2.5
Food Rating – 2.5
Service Rating – 2
Atmosphere Rating – 2
Value – 2
Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Fair/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Come Back – Yes

Fat Mama’s dessert
ShopA,G/F,117 Thomson Road, Wan Chai
Wan Chai, Hong Kong

OpenRice – 3.9

Luk Yu Tea House – 陸羽茶室

A really old school restaurant that first opened in 1933. We had an adventure here, not just with the old-school food and servers, retro decor, but with the smelly sewage leak outside! The food is okay, most people don’t come here for the food.

Hits: Egg custard tart, shrimp dumplings

Overall rating (Stars) – 2.5
Food Rating – 2.5
Service Rating – 2
Atmosphere Rating – 3
Value – 1.5
Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Fair/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Come Back – No

Luk Yu Tea House
G/F-3/F, 24 Stanley Street,
Central, Hong Kong
2523 5464
OpenRice – 3.9

Maxim’s Chinese Restaurant – 美心閣

The search continued for a decent place to eat in the Hong Kong airport. This restaurant had amazing Shanghai Steamed Dumplings that were actually being carted around and offered to patrons. We expected them to be soggy, but you never know… Overall, the place is expensive, while quality is only okay.

Hits: Shanghai steamed dumplings, deep fried pork dumplings (HK$21), sesame balls, chicken porridge (HK$55)

Overall rating (Stars) – 2.5
Food Rating – 2.5
Service Rating – 2
Atmosphere Rating – 2.5
Value – 2
Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Fair/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Come Back – Maybe

Maxim’s Chinese Restaurant
Level 8, Departures Check-in Hall Mezzanine, Terminal 1
Hong Kong International Airport, Chek Lap Kok
2186 6068
OpenRice – 3.1

$25 Dining Certificate for $5

Overall Rating: (Good 2)

Come Back?

Food Rating:	(Good)
Service Rating:	(Good)
Atmosphere Rating:	(Good)
Value Rating:	(Good)

Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Below/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Alcohol:	Beer, Wine
Attire:	Casual
Parking:	Street
Reservations:	Yes