One of the last true dai pai dong stands on the island, Sing Heung Yuen (勝香園) has been one of the…read morearea's classic destinations for lunch goers and streetside food lovers for decades. They have benefited greatly from the Central crowd and serve to be a destination for locals (and tourists). However, DPDs are endangered and it's important that we keep them alive.
Expect a wait during most mornings and afternoons, as folks are here to enjoy their unpretentious food. Most folks are here for their tomato soup, but specifically the tomato macaroni with beef (蕃茄鮮牛肉通粉) and their crispy buttered up buns (奶油脆脆). Often times I like to switch their classic dish up with instant noodle (蕃茄牛肉麵) and the crispy lemon honey buns (檸蜜脆脆). Together they go hand-in-hand with a milk tea or lemon tea for a complete meal.
If tomato is not your thing, than skip this place. Even as an authentic DPD / Hong Kong cafe, they lack a lot of variety. For the non-tomato folks, they have breakfast items like ham, eggs, luncheon meat, and corned beef for around $30HKD. It's not a bad option, but it's not worth waiting in line for just that alone.
Even though the staff is not the most well versed in English, there are plenty of expats here who have made it work. Their menu is in both Chinese and English and the seating is extremely tight, outdoor (#1) only, and not conducive to groups. While the lines are fierce in the morning, they are usually moving quickly since many folks are doing takeout. At most, it's 30-35 folks at a time.
Even though they are technically in Central, the best way to get here is to get off at the Sheung Wan MTR station and walk directly from the A2 exit. They close at 4:30 every day and are closed on Sundays. Expect to spend around $40HKD for a bowl of tomato'y goodness and just know it's cash only.
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(#1) It is a dai pai dong after all.