With so many ramen places around, Butao ramen does a great job. We got there around 630pm and beat…read morethe dinner crowd, so we were able to get seated quickly. Their menu is similar to Ramen Nagi. You can choose between regular, black (umami), red (spicy), or green (basil) broth flavors. They also do a rotating special ramen, which was lobster today. You can then choose the type of meat, spicy level, vegetable and noodle type/texture. We got the Black King, which has nice squid ink and umami flavors. Level 3 spicy had a mild kick, but wasn't overwhelming. The lobster broth ramen was also super flavorful, although the lobster meat itself was a bit tough. Overall, a solid place to come for a flavorful bowl of ramen with options to satisfy everyone except if you are on a diet.

Ramen here was SO GOOD (or I could have been starving. It was really late) and came out fast…read more The space is small, so you may have to sit at communal-ish tables.

Consistently on Michelin Bib Gourmand which means its an amazing meal for the price, I'm a huge fan…read moreof Mak's Noodles and Yat Lok since they are across the street from each other and awarded numerous Michelin accolades. The price is cheap and the flavors local yet slightly complex and interesting. I love coming here for a bite I know won't get me too full and give me a flavor of HK. They cook right at the steamy windows and each dish is made to order so its super fresh. Wonton Noodle Soup: It costs a whopping $6 US and the broth and wonton taste super traditional but well executed. They have the timing of the noodles down and they are always al dente and perfectly cooked. The broth has dried flounder giving it a deep umami flavor you will love!

On my wonton noodle tour, I decided to take myself to various well-known spots that pride…read morethemselves in making the best fresh shrimp wontons and springy noodles. I was excited to try Mak's for the very first time. Besides the quick and friendlier service, the space is well air conditioned and while cramped, the pros outweighs any of the cons. The signature wonton noodles were the best I have had and the quality really shows. Each bite of the shrimp wontons tasted crisp and fresh while the delicate wrapper held the full shrimp tightly and neatly. The shrimp itself was cooked to perfection and did not have any mushy texture nor overcooked chew. The noodles were as springy as ever and definitely tasted as much as they were worth. The broth was the clear winner whether or not you're the type to add some red vinegar or not. It is a broth with clear depth and flavor that does not overwhelm the tastebuds, nor send them to monosodium glutamate shock. It was such a great meal, I am already looking to enjoy another bowl sooner than later. And of course, for all the non-seafood lovers out there, the beef brisket noodles are just as worthy. Also, this spot serves free tea, no tea charge!

Had a good time even though we have to wait close to 100 minutes to get the table in Banquio,…read moreTaiwan. Restaurant was located in the basement of a large department store. So we could kill time in the store while waiting for our number to be called. Had plenty of dishes and 5 steam baskets of Xiao lung bao for six of us. Total cost usd $167.

Believe the hype! Their food was yummy and customer service was superb!…read more Visited on a Friday morning (opening time) and we were greeted with welcome bows... The line wasn't too long... I'd say just a few people, no more than 15. But I did see that a few minutes after we were seated, more people showed up waiting in line. This restaurant had the most attentive staff I've ever been to. Not just for a dim sum restaurant, any restaurant, period! Not in an annoying (American way), but they're there to remove empty plates as soon as it's finished and there for your needs if you needed something. Now the food... They gave instructions on how not to burn yourself eating xlb.. because we've all been there... Too hangry and excited to eat it as soon as it arrives to your table. Xlb was very good! Actually, every dish we got were all very good! We'd definitely like to try the San Jose, CA location one since it's close to home... Just to compare if the taste will be consistent. :)

If you're looking for a damn good hotpot joint with MASSIVE portions, then you've found it!…read more First off, let me warn you that this isn't a single bit of English here and the staff probably wouldn't be able to speak much (if any) either as this place is as local as it gets. So come with a Cantonese speaking friend! We typically come in a group of 6-10 and will have at least 2 pots going on at once. Don't overestimate your appetite because you'll end up ordering way too much, guaranteed. Even the servers were nice enough to tell us a couple times that we had way too many plates written down ("我地d野好大份呀") and suggested we take off a few items. Thank you for being so honest! Wash down all that grub with a huge bottle of beer! Get yourself a good balance and order a large plate of veggies. One plate of each item is more than enough for everyone! Be warned, you'll probably have plenty of leftovers.

First of all this is a completely local Hotpot restaurant which means it is kinda dirty and you…read moredon't get any services in English. In fact you don't get any services in any languages because you simply don't get any services at all. Don't stand there expecting someone invite you in, no, they're too busy to serve you, just sit your ass on any empty tables and grab the menu yourself. And when I say grab the menu you don't really need to because there is only one Hotpot deserve to order which is the "pork bone hotpot", "豬骨煲". As you can see all the customers are having the same pot that got too many tomatos and corns that can't even fit in the pot. Yes that's the "豬骨煲". You'll see other hotpots on the menu, don't even try them. They suck. They really suck. They are just there to make the menu look like a menu. This is the most important thing so I'll make a new paragraph just to say it again: order only the "豬骨煲"!! Then you can order any food you want, but remember all of them are served in American supersize and slow as hell. The four stars here is solely for the "豬骨煲" because it's really tasty and unique. You don't get the same taste of "豬骨煲" in any other hotpot restaurant. If you combine the service since service is 0 on average it is 2 stars, but I'll say you should not expect any services on these kind of restaurant.

I don't understand the magic of Sichuan peppercorns. How the hell is it able to transform flavours…read moreinto a completely new explosive experience? How am I picking up on these flavours when I can't even feel my tongue? How am I suddenly able to not just tolerate...but ENJOY spicy food? There's only one word for it: magic. And all of this can be YOURS for a shockingly low price of HKD $110! That's what a 4 person set + one lunch set cost for each of the 5 of us. The 4-person set itself was more than enough food for 5 of us, and I had leftovers to take home for dinner. See, the Dan Dan Noodles included in the set doesn't mean one noodle dish to share, it's 1 bowl for every person in the set! 4 bowls of spicy, flavourful, chewy noodles! On top of that, there was: Jellyfish and Cucumber: To cool down your palette. 3 Layer Pork: Some weird chilled pork roll with a spicy/sour sauce and a mound of garlic...something in the middle (puree?) Don't let the notion of spicy/sour/garlicky/cold pork rolls turn you off. This was pretty good. Spicy Boiled Fish: The visual representation of Sichuan cuisine: a giant pot of chilies, oils, and spices. Submerged in all that red are pieces of flaky white fish, flat rice noodles, and veggies. Good, but damn, this left my tongue swollen and made me a mouth breather. Wontons: This was loaded in the peppercorns and their oils, which means one bite renders your tongue numb. The second bite makes you appreciate pork in a whole new way. The flavours were so intense. This was definitely one of my favourites. Kung Pao Chicken: I'm not sure what this was, but it wasn't Kung Pao Chicken. It had chickens, cashews, and was way too saucy to be a traditional Kung Pao. The sauce was sweet, spicy, and sour. The cashews had a hint of a spice I can't really put my finger on...cinnamon? Still, very delicious, and something unique. Fried Pork Cutlet Noodle/Century Egg and Tofu: This is the additional solo lunch set we ordered. The pork was marinated in Chinese rice wine, and it was a fantastically strong flavour. Century Egg and tofu made another great palette cleanser. They've got the AC jacked up high but the weird thing with this kinda spicy food is that it doesn't really warm you up. You just feel your mouth burning while your arms are cold. At least when you're in a state of conflicting temperatures, you can relax on their super comfy pillows. All I know is that after the meal, my mouth was on fire, my nose was running, and I was sweating profusely. Never felt better. (55/100) - 2017

Get the set menu at lunch, its an excellent deal. Note - the portions are somewhat large :-)…read moreOh, get here early - or prepare to wait for a *while*

It was alright. This was a Michelin guide, but, there was nothing special. Great if you are hungry…read moreand in the area, but definitely not worth a special trip. Shared tables with strangers.

If you're looking to devour noodles that are good quality and good value, visit this Bib Gourmand…read morerestaurant on Fuk Wing Street. There are several round tables inside which seat 4 persons semi-comfortably, on round stools. It's a family business that uses the bamboo pole kneading method so that noodles have a springy texture. Their wontons are made on site with whole prawns and pork, plus pickled radish are made in-house and are complimentary during your dine-in meal. Try the signature tossed noodle with shrimp roe and braised beef brisket and tendon. The tossed noodles are dry but springy, and the sprinkle of shrimp roe gives it a little extra texture and flavor. The beef is moist and slightly fatty. The wontons had a nice thin skin and tasty and fresh filling inside, just like their fresh dumplings. Overall a good spot to get your noodle fix and experience the typical Hong Kong noodle culture while sharing a table with other noodle connoisseurs (or just an auntie or uncle slurping delicious noodles in soup).

We love this place. It's a little pricey but the food quality is excellent. Service was great…read more Beautiful classy restaurant. Perhaps this is how the price is based on.

You might be wondering why a bowl of noodles is so cheap, especially at the Peak. It's because a…read morebowl of noodles is made for ants here, and is 2-3x smaller than a normal bowl. There's only about 4 wonton in their signature dish. That being said, their noodles are quite good. However, treat every dish like a snack, not a meal.

I was fortunate enough to come here with my cousin in laws and man am I happy they did. I was…read moredebating between 4 and 5 stars because, don't get me wrong, this place is freaking amazing. The only reason 4? Well... 5 is ONLY for "as good as it gets" something that is the best in it's league. Apparently this place is one of the only ones that do this style of cooking. Not to say they haven't earned the 5 stars. It's still dang amazing. The setup: You come in and select your seafood. In all HK style seafood restaurant cases, it's got tanks full of live, fresh, delicious seafood. They've also got a sauce bar where you can make your own sauce using soy sauce, hot oils, anything you could want. After selecting the poor organisms that will be subject to your stomach, they bring them out in various shifts and steam them in the table's central steamer. Before they start that though, they put some rice in the bottom so the juices from all of your seafood drips down. At the end of the meal, you have seafood flavored congee. HOLY CRAP IS IT GOOD. The Food: The seafood is fresh and amazing. We got a lobster, razor clams, chicken, pork, shrimp, and I honestly can't remember off the top of my head. It was all super fresh and super tasty. They set timers for each thing they put into the steamer so everything is cooked perfectly. They do bring things out once at a time so you don't have cross contamination which is nice. The only down side to this place is, as far as I could tell, they dont' speak English. As a "useless chinese person" (self proclaimed title due to not speaking Chinese) I struggled to comprehend anything. Thankfully, the cousin in laws were my translators.

Tucked away in the streets of TST (roughly a 10 minute walk from the MTR), Steam Seafood Hotpot…read moreRestaurant was my first try on the fairly new hotpot style that's currently a craze in HK. Essentially, all of the raw dishes are taken to the pot for "steaming". Most of the options that are given are fresh seafood.. so if you are a fan of fish/shellfishes, you would love this type of restaurant. Similar to traditional hotpot spots, you create your own sauce on the side. In the end, all the natural taste/juice of each unique dish is drip down to below the pot, where there's a congee (now infused with the flavours of the seafood) for your final course. Again, with this being my first time trying this type of restaurant in HK, it definitely did not disappoint! Pros: Great service. There was essentially a waitress serving two-three tables at once. As each time they insert a new dish in (whether that's fish, crab, vegetables, lobsters, etc), they have a specific timer for each type of food as they all require a unique time for preparation. Once each dish is done, the server would divide the course equally to each individual on the table. Fresh food. All the seafood is as fresh as can be (as they should be). Some of the food were pre-marinated (such as the lobster), and others were steam as it is (the shrimp balls). Sets to order from that is recommended for a party depending on the number of people. This way, you are not over ordering or under ordering. You can always add on more food if you are still hungry in the end. Cons: A little far from the MTR, which isn't a big deal but since it was raining heavily on the day that I went, it probably seemed longer than it actually was. Tough to locate. Its tucked away on a street that's virtually a dead end. Being a visitor from abroad, it took a while to locate this place. Although I'm sure locals would be able to find it swiftly and with ease. Tips: Go during lunch as you can get the same exact set of food for 3/4 of the price and also you don't need to pay for the 10% service fee at lunch time. They do take reservations so call ahead just in case especially for dinner since I would imagine it being much busier.