What's NOT to love about this place?? If you're visiting Hong Kong and you're obsessed with seafood…read moreas much as I am, this is the place to go! Located by the pier in Sai Kung, this seafood restaurant has live catch of the day, in tanks, waiting for the next person to CHOOSE which seafood they want before cooking it! Call me a tourist, but I find this very cool!! The restaurant has one side that shows you all the seafood selections they have for the day. Once you've picked your selection, the fishermen bring it to the chef and cook it the way you want it to be cooked. Being that I ate with family, 8 of us chose a package that came with the selection of the seafood and certain ways to cook it. For example, our package selection can with a seafood cooked with certain noodles, and some seafood seasoned and paired a certain way with vegetables. While this place is VERY expensive, it was well worth the money to try this place at least once on your trip to Hong Kong. The dishes were cooked to perfection. I've never had seafood that big cooked in so many different ways before! Being a Hong Kong native, it's foods like this that bring back memories of growing up in Hong Kong and what REAL seafood should taste like. The bill in total, for 8 people and the choice of your own seafood cost over 5,000HKD, which is equivalent to about $700USD. I've NEVER spent this much on food alone and if you think about it, it really isn't so bad if you're splitting it between 8 people. The dishes fill you way more than you'd think! *Alternative option- if you're not into picking your own seafood, there are other items on the menu where you would order normally and get what the chef makes you (obviously no big lobster meat in this case!)

What an underwhelming experience, especially considering Sing Kee has been awarded a Michelin star…read more It's a Friday night and partying was the number one on the list for the night, so we treated ourselves to a nicer dinner before a long night out. Once we sat down, in come two guys in suits, I guess you can call them managers, giving us numerous recommendations. It was fine at first because we needed some recommendations given it's vast menu. However, the recommendations would not stop, it was constant hounding. One of them gave legitimate recommendations, while the other try to sell us on the most expensive items on the menu. We ended up ordering these special deep-fried shrimp, beef on veggies, salted fish fried rice, and fried bean curds. The shrimp was scrumptious and by far one of the best shrimp I've ever tasted, it was also grossly overpriced at about $50 USD, or $400+ HKD. The beef on veggies was bad, the beef was not tender and tasted bland. The salted fish fried rice was meh, I've tasted better here in Boston. The salted fish that they used simply was not aromatic and did not have the distinct salted fish taste. The fried bean curd was very tasty, perfectly crispy on the outside with a hint of saltiness while super smooth and silky on the inside. The food was not Michelin star grade in my opinion. Here's the catch: the service was very annoying, the guy in suits essentially rushed us into ordering and would not stop bothering us even while we were eating. When the check came, he stood there the entire time awaiting my signature. It was by far the most uncomfortable restaurant experience I have endured in a very long time. In my 10 days in HK, I would have to say that this was my most dismal meal, ironic because it was also amongst the most expensive one. Meh.

My favorite tori paitan ramen in Hong Kong. I've tried the famous Ginza Kagari (篝) in Tokyo, but…read moreZagin Soba still has a special place in my heart. If you prefer your chicken broth to be rich and creamy, their soup ramen is a delectable indulgence. There is always a line wrapping the restaurant. ＊Signature Chicken Soup Ramen 鶏白湯そば Unlike typical ramen, their broth is uniquely frothed to a cappuccino style to make sure every strand of noodle fully adsorbs the broth. The chicken broth is thick, creamy and densely packed with flavor. You can easily tell it is prepared out of simmering the chicken essence for hours. Each ramen is accompanied by a slice of slow-cooked chicken, two slices of cha shu and deep-fried burdock chips. I am totally impressed by how tender the chicken breast is! I asked for addtional ajitama every time. The egg is perfectly soft-boiled and marinated.

This was my last lunch meal in Hong Kong before leaving and wow, I was not disappointed one bit…read more Came here in a whim just from a Google search and it turned out to be one of the best soba places I've had this year! I saw that there are often lineups, but I came after the lunch time rush ~2pm) and there was only 1-2 other tables and no wait. Inside was quite spacious with bar seating and table seating - I honestly didn't mind the bar because it was still roomy (even roomy enough to put my carry on below me haha). There was only ~3 options on their menu so I opted for their Signature Chicken Soup Broth Ramen ($148 HKD). I was honestly blown away by the foamy broth - lightweight but full of chicken flavour. Not salty at all and had such a clean and creamy taste. Noodles were cooked perfectly and tasted similar to thin ramen noodles. It came with 2 different cuts of chicken and both were so tender. I especially enjoyed the cut of the thigh. The fried burdock root had a nice chewy texture. It didn't get too soggy even sitting in the warm broth for a while. I'd say it could be just a tad more crispy because it was a little hard to bite though but the flavour was perfect. Honestly it is quite pricy for a bowl of noodles, but I would definitely revisit as it was that good. Definitely worth the trek out to try!

I met up with a friend for lunch here. It's steps away from PMQ which is super convenient…read more I ordered the Bun Thit Nuong (lemongrass pork with rice noodles), and it came with a drink (lemon honey drink) for HK$82. Noodles to me were undercooked a tiny bit but the lemongrass pork flavor was good. They had a pitcher of fish sauce which was very convenient for me to pour over the noodles. I should try more items like the pho, banh mi sandwiches or spring rolls. Service was not bad, when it got more crowded our server gave us the "You are finished and need to leave" eyeball so we left after less than an hour :)

I've long ranted about subpar Vietnamese places in Hong Kong (and in New York). There are always…read moreexceptions to the scene and I would place Bún Cha in the "much better" category. They have made a smart business decision in setting up shop in that Central-meets-Sheung-Wan part of town and offer the kind of Northern Vietnamese fare that just about anyone can enjoy. In some strange way, Bún Cha reminds me of places in Vietnam. It is incredibly small and located on a steep hill just across from PMQ. How they've managed to squeeze in some tables in here is beyond me, but know the seating is extremely tight. Even with a table or two on the outside, they experience lines / queues during peak service hours all the time. Unlike a lot of their nearby eatery neighbors, they stay open during that weird 3pm-6pm time frame, which is when I like to eat here. Crowds be gone. Similarly to Vietnam, the Viet speaking staff works behind an open kitchen / counter in clockwork type fashion. Everyone has a role and they do it well. Thank the stars for the massive air conditioning units from above; back in the motherland the wall fans aren't enough to keep sweating from dripping into the food. Thank goodness they stack a ton of napkins for everyone to use. Onto the food: My pho bo (really "pho tai") was wonderfully garnished with the basil, scallions, and onions with a small side of lime and chilis for additional zest and bang. I love that they include hoisin at the table (tuong den) because frankly, the broth needed it. It's definitely not MSG-laden but may be less potent in the eyes of other fellow pho lovers. In that sense, it was mildly disappointing, but certainly not a deal breaker. And for what it's worth -- it's a big ol bowl. No one mentioned anything about xe lua! I've also sampled their version of bun thit nuong, i.e. vermicelli with grilled pork and it was refreshing. The pickled veggies were fresh and I appreciated the generous dousing of fried garlic, peanuts, shallots across the dish. Unlike some versions in the US / Australia where there is a massive heap of salad beneath, this one did not have that. Plenty of bún; just the way I like it. Add to that a jar with a handle full of nuoc mam, which I've not seen in any Viet restaurant in HK. Kudos on that. The real star of the show was the cha gio, or Vietnamese spring rolls. They're more akin to the nem cua of northern Vietnam -- spring rolls stuffed with minced pork, crab, glass noodles, and fungus. They were light, crispy, and even airy; just like the stuff back in the motherland. Even the accompanying lettuce was stiff with freshness, which made the meal all the more pleasant. It all comes at a price. At around $70HKD for the average noodle dish, it's hardly highway robbery but it's certainly along the same price point as most places in Central. They make a killing on the drinks, charging as much as $40HKD for stuff like Hanoi Beer, which is an easy $4HKD in Hanoi itself. Rent does need to get paid after all and with *good* Viet food in demand, they've certainly got one of the better options in town.

Seafood Ramen was golden to say the least. It had half a lobster (nice portion of meat), huge…read morescallop and I believe oyster but can't be too sure. Portion was just about right. Soup was great (almost finished it all) and the ramen was firm. The egg was cooked about right. This place is one of my favourite spots now because they have a wide selection of ramen. I really wanted to try their limited edition sake kasu ( only makes 5 bowls a day) but I was craving for seafood. Paid $155 for it which compared to other places it is a bit expensive but can't complain. Service was quick because I guess we were the only ones there. Place is small and we came late as they there half an hour until closing which is at 12am.

You wouldn't know of this place unless someone took you around, or you just happen to come across…read moreit... or you Yelped. I had their Pork Ramen in Jigoku Hot and Spicy Sauce. It's not their most recommended ramen, but it's still pretty delicious, especially their Pork. It just so soft. Mm... What I like most about this shop is that they're not joking around with their spicy level. For the noodle that I ordered it comes with their "Jigoku sauce" meaning "Hell sauce", it ranges from 0.5 to 3. Most people should be able to handle 0.5 spicy. Level 1 spicy kicks it up a notch where you kind of can handle it, but you'd need to drink more water. If you got level 3 spicy, you'd probably have a stomach ache from it's spicy content. I'm probably overreacting, but you could try it out yourself.

Used to be my go-to spot since there are so many customization options with tenderness of noodles,…read moresoup base flavor, toppings etc. Sad that this branch closed down

This Butao in the Sha Tin location is nestled right next to Din Tai Fung (a one-star Michelin…read morerestaurant) yet still manages to attract a waiting line of equal length. If that's no indication of how good the place is, perhaps the food will be a better one; I ordered the squid-ink ramen and was utterly beyond satisfied. The order form they have you fill out is laden with customisation options, so the broth comes as rich as you want it to be and same goes for noodle firmness, spice level and condiments. I went for a rich broth with normal firmness on the noodles. The broth definitely has a dominant squid-ink taste yet it's well-balanced with a robust creaminess. The pork belly was tender and succulent and ordering extra noodles makes it even easier to finish the rest of the broth. I would most definitely recommend a visit to Butao! P.S: the seating can be rather limited at times so expect to be sat close next to strangers.

Somewhat of a touristy rendition of a HK Cafe, Kai Kee gets kudos for being open later than most…read moreand offering a far more substantial menu than a majority of its competitors. Aside from the fact the place is spacious and clean (with solid bathroom action to boot!), a huge bonus is they actually bake their own egg tarts and pineapple buns, which are often sold out as soon as they become available. The only drag? The food itself. Not that the expectations are high but for the price (which is higher than average for Kowloon HK cafes) it ought to be on a slightly different level. Its not terrible, but there is a lot of room for improvement. Not sure if I'd make this part of any active rotation, but this is worth a look when nothing else is open and when HK Cafe cravings are rampant.

nicely/newly decorated interior giving it a modern look…read more service remains typical Hong Kong nonsense attitude; could seem rude to outsiders. food is on par with Hong Kong standard, along with pricing. offers an array of food from local specialties to some westernized favorites. but i would suggest to stick with the local speciality stuff. we don't go in rush hours so it wasn't difficult to find seats, but can see peak time being packed. some seating area in the back is a bit weird to get in and out, but we managed. cleaniness is alright, not spotless but not gross either. don't know if there's a restroom; never in need of it but assuming it'll be good to have. would go back for the convenience and price.

We heard from a friend about Tono Daikiya AYCE (sushi, sashimi, seafood, drinks, desserts) in Tsim…read moreSha Tsui. It was about $120 for 2 people. You can't find great AYCE sushi for that price in the SF Bay Area. Nice layout of fruits, cold drinks and desserts in a refrigerator, hot drinks, and hot & fried foods centrally located near tables. The sushi, sashimi, seafood, and specialty items are done by ordering through a QR Code on your phone. You can order as much as you want, but there's a time limit of 2 hours. At around an hour or so, they'll pass by with the bill. No rush, but it's a reminder that your time is ticking! We had a fabulous time eating at this buffet/AYCE spot! The seafood is fresh and prepared nicely. For the price, you can't beat it! Definitely check this out if you're in HK and wanna feast!!

Great buffet ! Lots of selection . Fresh seafood and sashimi. Service was great and nice ambience.read more

Located at a very busy shopping complex in the Yau Tong District, it can be accessed by car through…read morethe Eastern Tunnel crossing the harbour from HK side. The mall itself is already a destination, after shopping, stopped by this open concept Vietnamese Cafe for a break and something to eat. Ordered from their Afternoon Tea Menu, we both had Pho Soup, I ordered mine with Lemon Grass Chicken Wings, and D ordered the Locomotive Pho, which is actually a mixture of a variety of meats and seafood. Both were surprisingly delicious, of course I am not saying that they are remotely authentic, but hey, its Hong Kong where "Fusion" food is King!! Both Pho can be had with an added appetizer, we ordered the Spring Roll and Fried Cuttle Fish Cake, again both were made really well! We also shared a Vietnamese Shredded Chicken Salad, which turn out to be huge in size! Very refreshing indeed! I have to say everything we ordered gave us a pleasant surprise and if we are back in this area, we will for sure pop in for a bit!