A Visitor’s Guide to Hong Kong’s Cooked Food Centres: Where to Find the Best Local Eats
Hong Kong’s cooked food centres are a paradise for food lovers, offering a vibrant mix of traditional cha chaan teng classics, fresh seafood, and global cuisine. Tucked within the city’s bustling municipal buildings, these lively food halls provide an authentic and affordable dining experience. Whether you're craving silky milk tea, succulent roast meats, or freshly steamed seafood, this guide will lead you to some of the best cooked food centres in Hong Kong.
Roast duck at Wai Kee at Bowrington Road Market and Cooked Food Centre
Kowloon City Market and Cooked Food Centre
While Kowloon City is famed for its Thai restaurants, its cooked food centre on the third floor of the Kowloon City Municipal Services Building is a hidden gem for local delicacies. Start your day at Lok Yuen, known for its decadent deep-fried French toast, available with indulgent fillings like Lotus Biscoff, satay beef, or Ovaltine. Their rich satay beef noodles are also a must-try. By evening, head to Ma Chai for a comforting hot pot experience featuring a flavourful satay soup base, hand-cut beef, and deep-fried fish skin.
What to Try: Satay beef noodles, deep-fried French toast, hot pot
How to Get There: Take the MTR to Sung Wong Toi Station and walk 10 minutes to the Kowloon City Municipal Services Building.
Sheung Wan Market and Cooked Food Centre
Located on Queen’s Road, Sheung Wan Market is a bustling food hall with a mix of local and international flavors. The star here is Shui Kee Coffee, a classic cha chaan teng where you can enjoy Hong Kong-style French toast, shallow-fried for a softer texture, alongside a corned beef and egg sesame bun. Pair it with their famous bottle-chilled milk tea, the best way to enjoy smooth and undiluted flavours.
What to Try: French toast, corned beef and egg sesame bun, bottle-chilled milk tea
How to Get There: Take the MTR to Sheung Wan Station and walk five minutes to the market.
Bowrington Road Market and Cooked Food Centre
Perfectly positioned between Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, Bowrington Road Market and Cooked Food Centre is a go-to spot for late-night dining. Wing Kee Restaurant offers classic Cantonese dishes with wok hei perfection, including deep-fried salt and pepper squid and braised baby back ribs in black vinegar sauce. Nearby, Wai Kee specializes in halal roast duck, a rare and beloved dish in Hong Kong, along with fragrant mutton curries.
What to Try: Salt and pepper squid, black vinegar ribs, halal roast duck
How to Get There: Take the MTR to Causeway Bay Station, Exit C, and walk five minutes to the market.
Ap Lei Chau Market and Cooked Food Centre
For the freshest seafood in Hong Kong, Ap Lei Chau Market is the place to be. Browse the ground-floor stalls for the catch of the day before heading upstairs to Chan Sun Kee, where chefs will cook your selections to perfection. Signature dishes include steamed humpback grouper with scallion and soy sauce, steamed abalone with tangerine peel, and razor clams with vermicelli and garlic.
What to Try: Steamed fish, abalone with tangerine peel, fried three treasures
How to Get There: Take the MTR to Lei Tung Station, Exit B, and walk five minutes to the market.
Queen Street Cooked Food Market
For a refined take on food hall dining, ABC Kitchen in Queen Street Cooked Food Market serves European fare in a relaxed, communal setting. Expect bistro-style dishes like pan-seared foie gras, roasted suckling pig, and duck confit, all at a fraction of what you’d pay in fine dining establishments. The best part? There's no corkage fee, so feel free to bring your own wine.
What to Try: Roasted suckling pig, foie gras, pavlova
How to Get There: Take the MTR to Sheung Wan Station and walk five minutes to the market.
Wong Nai Chung Market and Cooked Food Centre
Nestled in Happy Valley, Wong Nai Chung Market and Cooked Food Centre is a haven for seafood lovers and comfort food enthusiasts. The ground-floor market brims with fresh fish, scallops, and razor clams, while the cooked food centre upstairs offers some of the best casual dining in the area. Try Cheong Kee, where you can savor thick, fluffy toast topped with a range of sweet and savory options. For dinner, don’t miss Gi Kee, known for its delicious typhoon shelter-style dishes, wok-fried to perfection.
Must-Try Dishes: Fluffy toast, wok-fried typhoon shelter-style seafood
How to Get There: Take the MTR to Causeway Bay Station, Exit A, then take the tram or a short taxi ride to Happy Valley.
Tai Po Hui Market and Cooked Food Centre
If you’re willing to travel to the northern part of Hong Kong, Tai Po Hui Market and Cooked Food Centre is a rewarding destination. With around 40 stalls, this two-story market offers a mix of dim sum, dai pai dong favorites, and local desserts. Don’t miss Tung Kee, known for its crispy fried pork chop noodles—golden, juicy pork paired with springy noodles in a fragrant broth. For something sweet, Sweet Bon Bon serves sesame-stuffed mochi, soft and chewy with a nutty filling.
Must-Try Dishes: Fried pork chop noodles, sesame-stuffed mochi
How to Get There: Take the MTR to Tai Po Market Station, then walk five minutes to the market.
Final Tips for Visiting Cooked Food Centres
Arrive early or late to avoid peak-hour crowds.
Bring cash as some stalls do not accept credit cards.
Order at the counter, grab a table, and wait for your food to be served.
Share tables with locals to experience the authentic Hong Kong dining culture.
Whether you're indulging in silky milk tea, steaming hot pot, or fresh seafood, Hong Kong's cooked food centres offer a delicious and affordable way to explore the city's diverse culinary scene. Venture beyond the tourist hotspots and dive into these vibrant food halls for a true taste of local life.
