Where to eat in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong’s street food haven

In a vertically inclined metropolis where glass-fronted skyscrapers rapidly uproot charmingly rickety old builds, Hong Kong’s Sham Shui Po district – on the northwestern edge of the Kowloon peninsula – is standing its ground, proudly radiating its 70s-era vibe like a fossil trapped in amber. 

Emerge from the metro and you’ll find yourself surrounded by market stalls peddling cheap and cheerful knick-knacks, walk-ups with exteriors embellished with air-con units and racks of drying laundry. Hanging above, time-faded signs advertise pawn shops, noodles and cha chaan tengs (local diners) in heady brush strokes. You’ll also find artisanal coffee shops, second-hand stores, and temples thick with incense smoke, such is the area’s chaotic charm.

What started out as a small coastal village later became home to a prisoner-of-war camp during Hong Kong’s wartime occupation by the Japanese, before morphing into the buzzing textile wholesale and manufacturing hub that it is today. Wander its warren of backstreets and you’ll find storefronts stuffed with rolls of taffeta and jacquard, and entire streets specialising in supplies such as beads, buttons, leathers and ribbons.

The area is also home to an unmissable local food scene, starring bites with a nostalgic bent. Visitors are generally lured to the slopes of Hong Kong Island’s Sheung Wan and the tourist-thronged streets of Tsim Sha Tsui, but Sham Shui Po deserves a place on your itinerary. Whether you’re in the market for a truly memorable meal, or embarking on a full-blown snack crawl, these venues will more than satisfy any food lover’s quest for flavour-packed, authentic fare.

Hop Yik Tai

Snacking is a sport in Hong Kong, and a pit stop at Kweilin Street is perfect if you’re not in the mood for a full-on feast. Hop Yik Tai (opening image) does these appetite whetters superbly, where you’ll want to order unfussy, decidedly more portable versions of dim sum mainstays such as siu mai (the version sold here as street food contains fish, while the iterations found in dim sum steamers are made with prawn and pork), curry fish balls with a satisfying bite, and the stall’s famed cheung fun rice noodle rolls, unfilled, rolled, and topped with sesame sauce, seeds and a drizzle of piquant chilli sauce (optional but highly encouraged). Hong Kong natives lap up these chewy, satiating morsels from childhood and many never stop… for good reason. 

Kung Wo

Hold off on ordering the soy milk at Hop Yik Tai, and quench your thirst at Kung Wo Beancurd Factory, which is best known for it. Pull up a stool and punctuate your snack trawl with an iced glass of the sweet and nutty nectar (head and shoulders above what you might pour in your coffee back home) and accompany it with a bowl of tofu pudding, cold or hot depending on your preference and the heat of the day. Add a dash of syrup and a generous sprinkling of orange osmanthus sugar and top up as you make your way through it to keep the flavours sweet. Silky-smooth and moreish, Kung Wo’s tofu dishes make returning to the supermarket dross a sobering experience, and its pudding will persuade you of tofu’s high esteem within Hong Kong’s dessert hall of fame.

Oi Man Sang and Tin Cheung

These unpretentious dai pai dongs – casual streetside eateries – on Shek Kip Mei Street are among the last remaining businesses whipping up addictive stir-fries in woks heated over kerosene, which is increasingly rare as the government no longer grants licences for it. These are on full, fiery display for diners at their plastic-topped tables. They’re also decades-long rivals, and you’ll likely meet locals with strong feelings about which business serves better steamed razor clams and fried crab in a mound of fried garlic (known as typhoon shelter crab, as the dish was often served to fishermen who sought refuge from the seasonal storms). Regardless, make a reservation where they’ll take you, arrive with a big group, keep the beers coming, and you’re in for a riotous time. The seafood dishes are excellent, but make sure you balance out the menu with meat and veg – such as the roasted pigeon and so-called ‘king of stir fries’ featuring chives and dried tofu – as prices for shellfish can add up fast.

San Lung Cake Shop

Seeing the sights in frenetic Hong Kong is a marathon, not a sprint – and between exploring Sham Shui Po’s atmospheric side streets and catching screenings at the nearby art house Kubrick cinema, you’ll need treats to keep you going. At the enduringly popular San Lung, those with a sweet tooth can sample a gamut of nostalgic Hong Kong bakes. You’ll find crowd-pleasing crispy egg rolls, flaky lo po beng, or wife cakes, stuffed with a sweet winter melon filling, and glutinous rice dumplings that have a sticky and deeply satisfying chew. Fans of black sesame will love the springy sesame rolls, nicknamed ‘film rolls’ by locals. And if you’re in town for Mid-Autumn Festival come September, pick up a few of its moon cakes, filled with cured egg yolks and either red bean and orange peel or lotus paste. They keep well and make excellent souvenirs.