From dim sum to three MICHELIN stars: the Hong Kong table, the back story

About From dim sum to three MICHELIN stars: the Hong Kong table, the back story

By the ULTIMATE Hong Kong Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Hong Kong is one of the great cities of the Cantonese kitchen. Its grand hotels hold some of the finest Chinese dining rooms in the world, and the MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong Macau 2026 gives three stars to seven of the city’s restaurants and two to thirteen more. A short walk from them, in the lanes of Central, Sheung Wan and Kowloon, dim sum houses, roast meat shops, noodle stalls and cha chaan teng cook the city’s everyday food.

The Cantonese dining rooms

T’ang Court at The Langham and Forum in Causeway Bay hold three MICHELIN stars in the 2026 guide; Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons, Lai Ching Heen at Regent, Tin Lung Heen on the 102nd floor of the ICC, Ying Jee Club and Rùn at The St. Regis hold two. Many serve dim sum at lunch, when the dining rooms are at their most relaxed.

Three stars

Beside the Cantonese rooms, the guide’s three-starred list runs to Amber and Sushi Shikon at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Caprice at the Four Seasons, 8½ Otto e Mezzo – Bombana in Alexandra House and Ta Vie at The Pottinger.

Book the dining rooms for lunch, when dim sum is served; queue for the noodle shops early.

Roast meats, noodles and dim sum

Yat Lok on Stanley Street and Kam’s Roast Goose in Wan Chai hold one MICHELIN star each for their roast goose. The Bib Gourmand list, for good cooking at moderate prices, takes in Kau Kee’s beef brisket noodles on Gough Street, Tsim Chai Kee’s wonton noodles on Wellington Street and Tim Ho Wan’s baked barbecue pork buns in Sham Shui Po.

Cha chaan teng and dai pai dong

The Tourism Board points visitors to the cha chaan teng, the city’s tea restaurants: Lan Fong Yuen in Central for “silk stocking” milk tea, Mido Cafe in Yau Ma Tei for French toast, the Australian Dairy Company in Jordan for scrambled eggs; and to the dai pai dong, open-air food stalls such as Sing Heung Yuen in Central and the cooked-food bazaar on Haiphong Road.

Booking

Most restaurants add a 10% service charge, and tea may be served and charged without your asking (HKTB). Book the starred dining rooms weeks ahead, especially for weekend lunch.

Our advice: plan one great Cantonese lunch, one tasting menu and as many noodle bowls as you can manage.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with From dim sum to three MICHELIN stars: the Hong Kong table, the back story before you go.