Hong Kong food markets or cooked food centres (or dai pai dongs) have been a part of the Hong Kong eating experience for over a century and are an institution in themselves. The very fact that in 2016, a street food category was introduced to the renowned Michelin Guide for Hong Kong and Macau and that back in the 1960s, the Hong Kong government moved the traditional “Dai Pai Dong” / street food vendors inside in an effort to improve sanitation and minimise congestion on the streets in itself indicates that street food means business in Hong Kong. They serve affordable yet delicious Cantonese in a boisterous, communal setting, some close to accommodations like backpacker hostels for convenient access to travelers, with a variety of options to choose from. They’re great options for patrons looking for quick service and no-nonsense dining. The sizzling dishes, the hullaballoo, the fleeting aromas and the crowds are as much a part of this experience as well. These delicious food choices and overall experience would definitely encourage more travelers to stay in Hong Kong. So head over to these choicest food markets in Hong Kong for your quick fix of Cantonese grub.
1. Mui Wo Cooked Food Market
Located just around the corner from the Mui Wo ferry pier and the Silvermine beach, the Mui Wo market is famous for its seafood. Offering everything from open-air dining to the sea breeze to enjoy with your fresh seafood, this place has a great reputation for quality. However, it is smaller and more limited than other cooked food markets. Make sure you try out some of Hong Kong’s most famous food such as clams in pepper sauce, fried shellfish with vegetables and sweet and sour prawn.
Mui Wo Cooked Food Market
Address: Mui Wo Centre, 3 Ngan Wan Rd, Mui Wo, Lantau Island, 2984 1665
Opening hours: 6 am - 2 am
2. Nelson Street Wet Market
Nelson Street is lined with shops selling roasted meat, seafood, noodles, tofu and fish cakes. It also houses piled and piles of fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh and frozen meat and live seafood. The very fact that people watch the preparation of their seafood right from their live state, from scratch at these markets makes it not too ideal for the squeamish.
Nelson Street Wet Market
Address: 5 Nelson St, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
Opening hours: 7:30 am - 7 pm
3. Pei Ho Street Market and Cooked Food Centre
The best place to sample classic Cantonese dishes is Pei Ho. The market is loud and filthy yet serves some of the best Cantonese, Thai and Vietnamese food. It’s extremely busy during dinner time. A must try here is the Vietnamese drip coffee and it will be an instant hit for anyone who appreciates intense brew.
Pei Ho Street Market and Cooked Food Centre
Address: Pei Ho Street Municipal Services Building, 333, Ki Lung St, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
Opening hours: 6 am - 2 am
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4. Kowloon City Market and Cooked Food Centre
Kowloon City has earned itself the reputation of the best place for Thai food in the city and is often dubbed Little Thailand as well. The Amporn Thai Food particularly has gathered a lot of hype among visitors and it serves some of the biggest salt-crusted lemongrass grilled fish, some truly amazing fresh shrimp salad, tasty pad Thai noodles and coconut curries to be topped off by an iced red bean and coconut milk drink with sticky rice and mango pudding afterwards. The mixed beef satay dish here is great too.
This market is also one of the best places in south-east Asia to find fresh fruits. Lined with vendors selling plump, juicy fruits, this market is also the epicentre of Hong Kong’s Thai population. You’re likely to find the best of mangoes, rambutans, longans, durian among others. Interestingly, durian has flavours ranging from butterscotch to sweet onion.
Kowloon City Market and Cooked Food Centre
Address: 100 Nga Tsin Wai Road, Kowloon City
Opening hours: 6 am - 2 am
5. Temple Street Night Market
This night market is dotted with restaurants and cafes but the real life of the market lies in the dai pai dong or food stalls where you can find both snacks and full meals. The place is especially great for steamed fish, deep fried squid, chilli crab, claypot hot-pot rice, roasted pigeon. The delicious grub available here goes beyond local Chinese cuisine and also includes pizzas and Japanese fare. The market is also really famous for traditional Chinese medicine.
Temple Street Night Market
Address: Temple St, Jordan, Hong Kong
Opening hours: 5 pm - 11 pm
6. Fa Yuen Street Market and Cooked Food Centre
Located at the northern end of the strip after fighting your way through the maze Ladies’ Market in Mongkok is, this market is lined with a plethora of Cantonese restaurants on the fourth floor. Dai Pai Dong restaurants are the speciality at this market. Some of the famous eateries are Beard Beard Hung and Mui Kee Congee among others. Mui Kee serves some of the best congee that Hong Kong has to offer.
Fa Yuen Street Market and Cooked Food Centre
Address: 3/F, Fa Yuen Street Municipal Services Building, 123A Fa Yuen St, Mong Kok
Opening hours: 6 am - 8 pm
7. Bowrington Road Cooked Food Centre
This place was actually born out of a government decision a couple of decades ago to move hawkers into cooked food centres and this place is now considered to be the king of cooked food centres and is packed with crowds. Open from six in the morning to two in the night, the place is full of crowds who appreciate value-for-money meals in a no-nonsense setting. Two of the most famous restaurants here are Wai Kee Cantonese Halal Food and Wing Kee. While the former is a Muslim spot for lunch, the latter is great for your late night cravings.
Bowrington Road Cooked Food Centre
Address: 21 Bowrington Rd, Bowrington, Hong Kong
Opening hours: 6 am - 8 pm
8. Queen Street Cooked Food Market
This place has more than ten restaurants to choose from, offering everything from Beijing-style dumplings to Indian, Nepalese, Thai and Italian. It is located between Sheung Wan and Sai Yin Pun and offers a fairly relaxed atmosphere as compared to other food markets. Two major eateries here are ABC Kitchen and Traditional Beijing Dumpling House. While the former serves full meals, wine and delicious creme brulee, the latter allows you to choose from a list of five traditional dumplings. A major hit at ABC is the roasted suckling pig. For your spicy-food cravings, the Indian restaurant here- Chautari comes to your rescue.
Queen Street Cooked Food Market
Address: 38 Des Voeux Rd West, Sheung Wan
Opening hours: 6 am - 2 am
9. Tai Po Hui Market and Cooked Food Centre
This place is a dai pai dong dining mecca and packs in a crowd almost always. It houses mostly takeaway counters of around 20 joints and has a communal dining space. There are Thai food stalls, congee stalls, dim sum and wonton noodles to be had. The crowd favourite here is Lam Kee that opens early in the morning and offers incredibly cheap and delicious dim sum, Sai Kee is another favourite and is famous for its pork cutlet served with a side of rice or noodles. Dong Kee Shanghai Noodles too packs a punch with its mean bowl of pork chop noodles. This market is open from six in the morning to two at night is particularly jam-packed during lunchtime and on holidays.
Tai Po Hui Market and Cooked Food Centre
Address: 3/F, Tai Po Complex, 8 Heung Sze Wui St, Tai Po, 3183 9180.
Opening hours: 6 am - 2 am
10. Java Road Market and Cooked Food Centre
This market is located in North Point and is also among the most famous markets in Hong Kong, making it pretty rowdy and crowded as well. Interestingly it has once featured on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations programme. It houses Tung Po, a seafood restaurant that’s famous among the localities as the city’s wildest dining experience and also plenty of other Chinese joints in the same centre which serve typical Chinese street food with cheap beer and have communal tables with blue and pink chairs. Tung Po, which has built itself a reputation for cooked food excellence offers a mix of clay pot dishes, stir-fried seafood and braised meat. The signature dishes here are squid-ink pasta with cuttlefish ball, deep-fried Bombay duck fish with salt and chilli and succulently braised lamb brisket.
Java Road Market and Cooked Food Centre
Address: 2/F, Java Road Municipal Services Building, 99 Java Rd, North Point
Opening hours: 6 am - 10:30 pm
Working your way around Hong Kong's food markets as a tourist
The ground floor at such markets is typically dedicated to meat and fish, the first floor is fruits and vegetables and the second floor typically has cooked food centres. The sizzling dishes, the hullaballoo, the fleeting aromas and the crowds are as much a part of this experience. It is important to note that there isn’t much English spoken around here so tourists may have a bit of difficulty communicating but most stalls have picture menus and you can just point and explain what you want.
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