The best restaurants you need to try in Kowloon

There’s no point in a restaurant boasting a great sky-high view if it doesn’t have great sky-high dishes to match. Above & Beyond at Hotel Icon doesn’t disappoint. The dim sum here is heavenly. We reckon you should leave your choices in the chefs’ hands at lunch and go for the dim sum platter that includes treats like the steamed pork dumpling with porcini, the deep-fried shrimp spring roll with avocado and the baked whole abalone tart with diced chicken. There’s a reason this place has been showered with awards over the years.

Anyone can cook eggs, but no one does it better than the Australian Dairy Company. The breakfast set consists of fluffy and moist scrambled eggs served with rich buttery thick toast, and comes with a plate of macaroni along with char siu in chicken broth. This meal is breakfast for many Hongkongers, but it is served around the clock, and the portions are enough to satisfy hungry dinner pangs. There are other popular eggs and milk based dishes on the menu (such as the steamed egg and milk dessert) but the breakfast set is the raison d’etre of this fast paced cha chaan teng. 

Sophisticated French fine-dining with gorgeous presentation in an elegant dining room, this Michelin-starred restaurant tweaks classic French dishes with modern twists. Expect decedent ingredients like lobster, truffles and foie gras cooked expertly and a menu based on what’s available seasonally.

Dining at Gaddi’s has been a five-star experience for more than 60 years now, due to its classically posh interior and impeccable service combined with modern interpretations of traditional French dishes. Don’t miss such signatures as the creamy lobster soup, roast Vendéen pigeon with muscovado sugar, and ginger soufflé.

Created by chef Hideaki Matsuo and headed by executive chef Agustin Balbi in the kitchen, Haku serves modern Japanese cuisine with a European edge. Guests can order à la carte but we highly recommend the chef's tasting menu. Dishes change to reflect seasonal ingredients but you’re likely to find signatures such as the uni brioche and assorted fresh sashimi.

People come from all corners of Hong Kong for a helping of the ‘Islamic beef burgers’ served up here. They also come here for the lamb curry and beef brisket noodles. Cheap as chips and tasty as hell – provided you’re willing to wait for a table during peak hours.

There are not many eateries left in Hong Kong that still makes their noodles the traditional way from scratch. Lau Sum Kee happens to be one of the few. Best known for its wonton soup noodles with dried shrimp roe, the noodles are made daily by kneading with a bamboo pole. The beef stomach noodles and the pickled radish on the table make for a winning combo.

La Vache does one thing – steak frites – and does it better than anyone in the city. More spacious than the original in Central, this Kowloon outpost sits 90. The meat is 10 ounces of quality USDA prime beef cooked to a thoroughly consistent level. There’s no menu – we weren’t lying when we said they only do one thing – but as well as your steak you get infinite portions of crispy fries and an organic green salad with walnuts to start. All for just $318.

Named after a Hindu temple in the Himalayas, this Nepalese restaurant is a place of worship for curry lovers. The Nepalese thali set menus range from $70 to $100 and are a great option for tasting a bit of everything with choices including mutton, chicken, fish or veg. You’ll get a curry, creamy black dahl, rice, and spicy fermented vegetable pickle, all served on a conveniently segmented metal tray. The restaurant is tiny and diners are crammed into this unassuming location behind the market stalls of Temple Street but the service is warm and the food always delicious.

Dim Sum doesn’t have to be pricy or deluxe. It just has to be tasty. And the fare at One Dim Sum is undoubtedly frickin’ tasty while also being frickin’ cheap. All the classics are here inside this ever-bustling Prince Edward space, from the har gau and siu mai to the turnip cakes and char siu bao. There are boatloads of dumplings to try, plus ribs and spring rolls and rice rolls and, oh, everything. And you rarely fork out more than $20 for each offering. Have dim sum of that!

Taking over the space in the InterContinental that once housed Spoon, Rech by Alain Ducasse is the first international outpost of Paris’s most famous seafood restaurant, Rech, which was founded in 1925 by Adrien Rech and reborn by Alain Ducasse in 2007. The menu showcases fresh fish, shellfish and oysters as well as a fantastic range of cheeses and indulgent desserts. 

At this Roman institution, start your hearty meal with a warm basket of focaccia before moving on to the delightful spaghetti with olive oil and chilli, and then digging into the savoury veal scallopini and polishing off the homemade tiramisu. The restaurant is also highly regarded for its indulgent creations come white truffle season.

Don’t expect incredible service or fancy interior design at this Hong Kong institution. They do one thing well and that’s consistently good roasted meats. The roasted Peking duck is a must, sliced tableside, ready to be rolled into a pancake with crunchy cucumber and hoi sin sauce. A word to the wise – book weeks in advance to get a table. You’ve been warned.

The art deco style of this Peninsula restaurant gives it a super-classy atmosphere and complements the top quality dim sum on the menu, like the steamed shrimp dumplings with bamboo shoots. Also enjoy authentic Cantonese dishes such as the pan-fried garoupa fillet and the superior bird’s nest and shredded bean curd soup. Pair your meal with premium Chinese teas prepared by the expert tea master. There’s nothing quite like Spring Moon when it comes to grandeur and taste. 

Named after the golden age of Chinese history, the T’ang Dynasty, this restaurant is furnished lavishly in extravagant burgundy and gold tones. The extensive menu includes signature dishes like stir-fried lobster with spring onions and shallots and golden-fried stuffed crab claw, and the more expensive bird’s nests and abalones. 

A favourite among Yau Ma Tei locals, the food here is consistent and plentiful. The signature dishes are the roasted young pigeon, TPK dry fried rice noodles with beef and Swiss sauce chickens wings. Even if that’s all you ever order when you’re here, you’ll still leave happy every time. 

One of the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, Tim Ho Wan is a must for hungry Hongkongers and tourists alike. Mak Kwai-pui, former chef of the three Michelin-starred Lung King Heen, set up the now global chain and decided to keep quality high and prices low. Get there early to minimise the time spent queueing or just embrace it as part of the experience. Classic dim sum is made and served with care and precision. Try as much you can and don’t miss the baked char siu bao.

Incredible dim sum up in the clouds. That’s what you get at this two Michelin-starred eatery 102 floors up the ICC in Kowloon. Welcome to the highest Chinese restaurant in the city, which is helmed by chef Paul Lau, who knocks up incredible dim sum creations here like pan-fried turnip cake with XO chilli sauce, baked oyster tart with black pepper and onions, and baked abalone puff with roasted goose and dried bonito. Dine like an emperor here.