Sai Kung: Ultimate guide

Sai Kung is a seaside neighbourhood, so it should come as no surprise that there are some top quality seafood restaurants here. Restaurants with fish tanks and water-filled displays of freshly caught seafood line this street, allowing hungry diners to pick and choose what they want to eat before settling down inside. Many of the restaurants here also have a killer harbour view, so you can enjoy the sea breeze while you dig into scrumptious, made-to-order seafood dishes. From local eateries to Michelin-starred restaurants offering the freshest catch of the day, the promenade provides a lot of options for seafood dining. One of our top picks is the family-run Chuen Kee Seafood Restaurant overlooking Sai Kung harbour. This Michelin-recommended restaurant will cook up the catch that you bought from the junks floating in the harbour, or you can take your pick from the tanks filled with a wide array of live seafood like fish, molluscs, crabs, lobsters, and other sea creatures.  

Chuen Kee Seafood Restaurant I Photograph: Calvin Sit

Another must-try is Loaf On which holds the distinction of being a Michelin starred local Cantonese seafood restaurant in the area. Order the mantis shrimp, crispy fried squid, razor clams and scallops with garlic, and their popular fried tofu with salt and pepper. You can also buy your own seafood from the local fish dealers, and the restaurant will take care of the cooking.

Bakso I Photograph: Calvin Sit

For Indonesian flavours, head to Bakso eatery, named after the bakso meatball, which is a street food popular in Indonesia. The restaurant is inspired by the owner's memories in Bali where warm meatball soup would be their go-to after surfing all day under the sun. The restaurant has an al fresco lounge with scenic views of the waterfront. 

Miss Hui Homemade Steamed Bun I Photograph: Calvin Sit

Miss Hui Homemade Steamed Bun is one of the oldest shops in Sai Kung, selling traditional steamed buns and desserts. The shop offers chewy buns made with red beans, sesame, peanuts, and green tea. Drop by early to avoid the long queues, especially during weekends.

For mouthwatering Thai dishes, head to Sawaddee Thailand. The eatery offers authentic Thai fare at wallet-friendly prices. The must-try dishes on the menu include green curry, curried fish with rice, chicken or pork chop with rice, pomelo salad, and satay.

Padstow Restaurant & Bar I Photograph: Courtesy Padstow Restaurant & Bar

Looking for Western dishes instead? Padstow Restaurant & Bar near Hebe Haven dishes up modern British fare, including steaks, sausages, black pudding, and signature pies made with IPA or stout beer barley pastry. Drop by here on weekends to enjoy hearty traditional prime rib-eye roast that pairs perfectly well with pints of St Mungo Lager served exclusively in Padstow. Or, visit Turtle by the Sea to enjoy a sweeping view of Sai Kung Harbourfront as you nibble on pasta dishes, pizza, salads and sandwiches, or even enjoy high tea. 

Momentai I Photograph: Courtesy Momentai

Alternatively, head to Momentai after a long day of activities to dig into some no-frills comfort food like quesadillas, Caribbean skewers fresh off the grill, burgers, and more. Additionally this spot offers plenty of cocktails, wines, as well as a large range of craft beers on tap.

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If you're looking for a hot cuppa, there are many coffee shops in Sai Kung to explore. 

Head to Little Cove Espresso, an Australian coffee shop serving bulletproof coffee or organic colas that is great to pair with the healthy and Instagram-worthy Mediterranean dishes on the menu. Stop by for the nourishing grub and good coffee on their comfy couches. 

Cozy Coffee I Photograph: AC

Cozy Coffee's open-air, two-story cafe can be easily spotted by the main road leading into the town centre. The light-coloured decor on the ground floor attracts the post-beach crowd – and their pets – on the weekends, and the second floor's library theme makes for a more relaxed ambience.

Sai Kung Cafe & Bakery I Photograph: Courtesy Sai Kung Cafe & Bakery

With numerous locations around Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, Coffee Academics brings their coffee offerings to New Territories at their Sai Kung branch. Alternatively, neighbourhood classic Sai Kung Cafe & Bakery teas and coffees go wonderfully with their famous pastries like pineapple buns and Portuguese tarts. 

Speaking of pets, Sai Kung is a great place to bring your pooch as there are a lot of welcoming areas for your furry friends. A popular cafe for dog lovers is Shiba Taro Cafe. Here you'll find Taro the Shiba Inu, who welcomes his guests with a warm and friendly smile. Bring your pooch along and enjoy the range of doggy-themed goods on offer and check out the Shiba-themed products on display.

Taro the Shiba Inu I Photograph: Calvin Sit

If you love dim sum, don't miss Nowhere Man, drop by and relax here for a nice cuppa, enjoy the good vibes and dig into their unique and innovative dishes, which include Hong Kong-style pork san choi bao ($68) to deep-fried duck spring rolls ($48). 

The Bottle Shop

For craft beer enthusiasts, visit The Bottle Shop, a beer store where you can buy artisan brews, exotic craft beers, and ciders sourced from across five continents. Get something hoppy, malty, dark, fruity or barrel-aged and enjoy it by the nearby seating area or bring it with you for your beachside picnic in Sai Kung.

The Dutch Cheese and More | Photograph: TA

For drinks and grub, take a seat at plant-based resto-bar 2084, get some Asian-inspired plant-based tapas and enjoy two for $55 on Italian house wines and Bavarian lager during happy hour from 3pm to 7pm daily. And if cheese and wine pairing is more your speed, grab one of the few seats at the cheese store The Dutch Cheese and More overlooking the harbour, sip on wine or beer while nibbling on strong-aged, smoked, or chilli and pesto goudas.

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Go around window shopping at the local boutique shops, handicraft stores, Japanese grocery stores, and zero-waste stores in Sai Kung centre. At Oelili, you'll find an eclectic selection of top-quality handmade goods from locally painted ceramics and bamboo steamers, to cast iron egg waffle moulds, knives, purses to handbags, various accessories, and much more. Japanese-inspired store, Final Fragments offers clothes, handcrafted bags, and other items (zakka) that focus on timelessness, rather than the newest trend of the season. The clothing here is made from natural materials, such as cotton, linen, wood, rattan, and iron, with basic designs and simple cutting in a laid-back, loose style for full comfort. 

BeCandle I Photograph: TA

Another popular haunt in the area is BeCandle, one of our favourite fragrance candle stores in Hong Kong. Each product sold here is handcrafted, so make sure to visit and pick up one of their scented or decorative candles, or learn first-hand about their craft and make your own candle at one of their bespoke candle workshops. 

Lilidays I Photograph: TA

For other lifestyle products, you can also peruse the display of Lilidays store. They have everything from skincare, candles, essential oils, engraved whisky tumbler, bags, jewellery, houseware, and bottled beverages like umeshu, mead, and ales from local and imported brands. 

Live Zero I Photograph: Calvin Sit

For eco-conscious shoppers, don't miss Live Zero, Hong Kong’s first zero-waste grocery store offering a comprehensive range of eco-friendly, plastic-free products including stainless steel straws, beeswax food wraps, bamboo toothbrushes, water bottles, and more. The shop also allows you to buy organic food and ingredients in bulk which includes flour, nuts, dried fruit, quinoa, oats, among others.

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HKwalls annual street art festival wrapped up in Sai Kung in 2021, so you can now add a street art scavenger hunt to your itinerary and tour the 18 HKwalls murals in the neighbourhood, which will take you around one and a half hours. Use this map to locate all the murals or book a private walking tour with Wanderlust Walks' lead storyteller Alexandra Unrein so you can get a better insight into each graffiti and street art.

2021 HKwalls mural I Photograph: TA

Take a 15-minute boat ride from Sai Kung pier to reach Yim Tin Tsai, a small island initially populated in the 1740s by a family from Guangdong. The descendants of these people developed salt farms on the island and made their living selling the salt – which explains the island’s name as it literally translates to ‘little salt field’. With competition from rapidly growing economies in the 1960s and 1970s, the industry began to decline, and villagers left the now derelict island. In honour of Yim Tin Tsai's rich heritage, a restoration project was launched in 2013 to restore the fields to their former glory. Yim Tin offers beautiful sights to see including a historic church, a beautifully restored school, old houses, and of course, salt pans.

Yim Tin Tsai I Photograph: Calvin Sit

A minute walk from Yim Tin Tsai Pier will lead you to St Joseph’s Chapel, built in 1890 in Romanesque style by visiting PIME missionaries who developed a strong relationship with the Hakka Chan clan. The chapel has since been named a UNESCO-listed heritage building as well as a Grade II historic building. Next to the chapel is Yim Tin Tsai Heritage Exhibition Centre, a visitor’s centre designed to celebrate Yim Tin Tsai’s rich heritage. The venue houses a small collection of the village's historical artefacts from ceramics and homeware to everyday items. 

Tin Hau Temple I Photograph: Calvin Sit

Tin Hau temples were common features in the fishing villages of Hong Kong, and Sai Kung is home to the oldest Tin Hau temples in the city. One popular attraction is the Tin Hau Temple located just off Po Tung Road, a Grade II-listed building, dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea. And one of the more prominent and older temples in Sai Kung is Joss House Bay Temple near Clearwater Bay which is a Grade I historic building. A rock next to the temple bears an inscription dating back to the year 1274. Meanwhile, Leung Shuen Wan in Sai Kung East Country Park houses a Grade III historic building, a Tin Hau temple that was built by fishermen in 1741.    

Sai Kung East Country Park I Photograph: Shutterstock

Sai Kung peninsula is home to gorgeous beaches and picturesque hiking trails which make it well worth the trip outside Hong Kong's concrete jungle. Here you can do a lot of outdoor water sports, including see-through kayaking and snorkelling. One of the most accessible beaches in Sai Kung is Trio Beach hidden behind the Hebe Haven harbour that can be reached via a 30-minute hike from Hebe Haven (Pak Sha Wan). The beach area has showers and lifeguard towers on-site, and also offers a few beach snack stalls so you can refuel while lingering by the beach. Another option is to head down to Tai Long Sai Wan, Cantonese for ‘Big Wave Bay’, and while away at any of its four beaches with the quieter one being Sai Wan. Located on Sharp Island is Hap Mun Bay Beach (Half Moon Bay) which is within the UNESCO Global Geopark. The beach is small but features the region’s unique rock formations that offer picturesque scenery. The beach area provides changing rooms, toilets, and barbeque pits, so you can make the most of your visit. 

Sai Kung I Photograph: Shutterstock

For an enjoyable adventure, try catching the breathtaking sunrise at Hong Kong's largest reservoir, High Island Reservoir East Dam. A 30-minute taxi from Sai Kung Town will take you to the area, or you can hike your way here before daybreak to catch the spectacular sunrise views and the picturesque clear turquoise lake. Head down the slope and walk along the High Island Geo Trail and take tons of pictures amidst the hexagonal rock columns at Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark. 

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There are a few short-term rooms or entire house rentals in the Sai Kung district, which you can book via Airbnb. You can also book hotel accommodations at WM Hotel or the popular The Pier Hotel.

WM Hotel I Photograph: Courtesy WM Hotel

At WM Hotel, the guest rooms make use of the immense sea view, so expect balconies or your own private garden or rooftop. Amenities include a rooftop infinity swimming pool, a well-equipped fitness centre with a sauna and steam room, dining facilities, a chapel, and eight multi-functional rooms.

The Pier Hotel I Photograph: Courtesy The Pier Hotel

Meanwhile, The Pier, ideally situated on Pak Sha Wan – also referred to as Hebe Haven, a harbour in Sai Kung for yachts and boats – houses 40 modern rooms and suites with balconies overlooking a scenic view of the pier, which always provide a perfect backdrop for the 'gram. It's the ideal place to stay when hiking through the country parks, exploring beaches around Sai Kung, or when visiting for the biggest summer regatta in Hong Kong. 

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