If you’re after authentic Thai eats with a street food vibe, look no further than Samsen. This Wan Chai restaurant delivers with bold flavours and generous portions every time, and The Michelin Guide agrees with us – awarding the restaurant its Bib Gourmand rating. It may not quite be Michelin star, but this category is reserved for restaurants that offer exceptional food at moderate prices. The restaurant is open from 12pm to 2:30pm for lunch service, and from 6:30pm to 11pm for dinner; queues are expected (but it’s worth it, we promise), so head there early, or get ready to grab a drink close by while you wait!

Rating: Bib Gourmand
Cuisine: Thai
Cost: Main dishes range between $128 and $138
Must Order: Wagyu Beef Boat Noodles; Stir Fried Rice with Crab Meat, Egg, Spring Onions and Crispy Garlic

Sassy Tip: Although not yet officially recommended by the Michelin guide, Samsen now has a second location in Sheung Wan, with the larger space offering up a slightly different selection of Thai favourites, including Khao soi and homemade roti.

Samsen, 68 Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, www.facebook.com/SamsenHK

Read more: The Best Thai Restaurants In Hong Kong

Always a favourite for good value and authentic dishes, Din Tai Fung is a mainstay on our favourite restaurant list and definitely one of the best places to eat in Hong Kong if you have visiting guests. Boasting a Michelin Bib Gourmand rating, this world-famous pick is renowned for its juicy pork Xiao Long Bao, though the Steamed Shrimp and Pork Shao-Mai and Spicy Vegetable and Pork Wontons are also worth an honourable mention. Head to either the TST branch or its large space in Causeway Bay to get your fix!

Rating: Bib Gourmand
Cuisine: Shanghainese
Cost: Dishes range between $19 and $128 ($190 for six truffle xiao long bao)
Must Order: Classic Pork Xiao Long Bao

Din Tai Fung, multiple locations across Hong Kong, www.dintaifung.com.hk

If you’re wondering where to eat in Hong Kong for all things comfort, look no further than Shugetsu. Another Michelin Bib Gourmand pick, the homemade noodles here are some of the best going. The fully-customisable menu means that it’s up to you to design your perfect tsukemen, picking your noodle temperature (cold or hot), flavour-level (original or light), and noodle weight (100g, 200g, 300g). Dishes start at $88, with plenty of additions available to take your bowl to the next level.

Sassy Tip: If you’re more into your ramen than your tsukemen, Shugetsu also serves up a range of piping hot bowls – we love the Grilled Kurobuta Pork Belly Ramen ($99)!

Rating: Bib Gourmand (Central and Quarry Bay)
Cuisine: Japanese (ramen and tsukemen)
Cost: Ramen ranges between $88 and $112; tsukemen ranges between $93 and $135
Must Order: Shugetsu Tsukemen (with 300g noodles!)

Shugetsu, 5 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong

Shugetsu, 30 Hoi Kwong Street, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong, www.facebook.com/shugetsu.hk

Read more: The Best Tsukemen In Hong Kong

We can hardly round up the best cheap eats in Hong Kong and not mention Tim Ho Wan. Known to be the best value Michelin-rated dim sum in the city, it’s no wonder the restaurant scores highly in just about every top list of places to eat in the city! The branch in Sham Shui Po holds One-Star, whilst the North Point and Tai Kok Tsui branches hold Bib Gourmand status in the Michelin Guide. Dubbed “the best char siu bao” in the city, the humble barbecue pork bun is a must order, along with the likes of pan-fried turnip cakes, steamed shrimp dumplings and glutinous rice dumplings. Expect queues, but don’t worry, it’s definitely worth waiting for!

Rating: Bib Gourmand (North Point and Tai Kok Tsui), One Star (Sham Shui Po)
Cuisine: Dim Sum
Cost: Dishes range between $16 and $35
Must Order: Baked Barbecue Pork Buns

Tim Ho Wan, multiple locations across Hong Kong, www.timhowan.hk

Read more: The Best Dim Sum In Hong Kong: Where To Go For Every Occasion

With 2,290 one Michelin-Star restaurants in the world, it may come as a surprise to some that this Wan Chai restaurant makes the list with a One-Star rating. Specialising in roasted meats, Kam’s Roast Goose does exactly what it says on the tin, serving up a range of authentic delicacies including roast suckling pig, crispy roast pork, roast goose and roast pork ribs. You can order large plates of the roasted meats separately, or go for the roast on rice options which start at $42 for a single meat and $47 for double. We personally prefer the suckling pig and char sui to the roasted goose, but as the name suggests, the goose is what this hole-in-the-wall local is best known for.

Rating: One Star
Cuisine: Cantonese Roast Meats
Cost: Roasted meats range between $65 and $165
Must Order: Roast Goose and Suckling Pig on Rice

Kam’s Roast Goose, 226 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, www.krg.com.hk

We wouldn’t blame you for walking past this Gough Street mainstay without giving it a second glance, but for those in the know, Kau Kee is a must-visit and has been awarded Bib Gourmand status by the Michelin Guide. Stationed on Gough Street for close to 90 years, the chefs here clearly know what they’re doing, and the daily lunch and dinner time crowds are testament to that! Kau Kee often packs out – it’s not uncommon to see a long queue snaking down the street, so be prepared to wait for a bowl of its famous Beef Brisket Noodles! Though the service may be lacking, the big steaming bowls of comfort food ensure Kau Kee remains one of our favourite cheap eats in Hong Kong

Rating: Bib Gourmand
Cuisine: Cantonese (beef brisket noodles)
Cost: Noodle dishes range between $35 and $188
Must Order: Kau Kee’s Special Beef Brisket in Broth

Kau Kee, 21 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong

Introduced by Michelin in 2016, “The Plate” marks a high standard of cooking at a particular restaurant (with no price limitations), but falls short of an official star rating. With locations all over the city, egg waffle favourite Mammy Pancake in TST has claimed itself a Plate award for the last few years in the Michelin Guide. Serving up gai dan zai to hungry Hongkongers, Mammy Pancakes offers flavours such as matcha, pork floss and salted seaweed, although our favourites are the chocolate chip or just the classic egg puff.

Rating: The Plate
Cuisine: Street Food (egg waffles)
Cost: Ranges between $20 and $35 per pancake
Must Order: Original Egg Puff

Mammy Pancake, 8-12 Carnarvon Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong; with further locations in Hung Hom, Sheung Wan and Causeway Bay

Serving up dumplings, noodles and a whole host of other authentic delights, Wang Fu has more than earned its Bib Gourmand Michelin status. Advertising its dumplings as “100% homemade”, this menu mainstay is a must-order, with around nine varieties available – and prices starting at only $58 for 10 pieces! No matter how big an appetite you have, you’re sure to be satisfied after an order of these. And if you don’t fancy a wait, you can always order this Hong Kong cheap eat on Deliveroo to enjoy in the comfort of your own home.

Rating: Bib Gourmand
Cuisine: Beijing style dumplings
Cost: Dumplings range between $58 and $75 (for 10); $105 lunch set includes five steamed dumplings of your choice, one rice or noodle main dish and a drink (available on Deliveroo)
Must Order: The lunch set is a great deal and we can’t get enough of the Pork & Chinese Cabbage Dumplings

Wang Fu, 65 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong

If you’re a lover of classic Vietnamese pho, Brass Spoon is worth trying. The Wan Chai outlet has been awarded Bib Gourmand status for four years in a row! Its clear and flavourful soup base is famously cooked for at least 16 hours and is topped with al-dente noodles and tender raw beef for the perfect warming dish. Be sure to get there early though! As is the case with most of the best places to eat in Hong Kong, the shop is known to sell out of its legendary pho daily due to high demand.

Rating: Bib Gourmand (Wan Chai)
Cuisine: Vietnamese pho
Cost: Pho ranges between $82 and $125
Must Order: Premium Raw Beef Pho

Brass Spoon, Shop B, GF, 1-3 Moon Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, www.facebook.com/brass-spoon

This authentic Causeway Bay mainstay shows the warmth of Japanese hospitality in true style. All broths here are tonkotsu style (pork based), but with four variations on the menu (original, spicy, soy and garlic), there’s sure to be something for everyone. Ramen Jo has locations in both Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui, but it is only the Causeway locations which have earned The Plate Michelin rating.

Rating: The Plate
Cuisine: Japanese (ramen)
Cost: Dishes range between $85 and $112
Must Order: Soy Sauce Tonkotsu Ramen

Ramen Jo, G/F, 3 Caroline Hill Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, www.facebook.com/RamenJo

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in June 2018 and was most recently updated on 10, March 2020.