Third-wave specialty coffee cafes, rowdy raunchy bars, upscale speakeasy lounges, street side local hawkers, fine dining restaurants… Wan Chai is a bustling district in Hong Kong with an eclectic mix of tenants.

It is impossible to categorise this neighbourhood—because you simply cannot limit Wan Chai to a single trait when so much is going on at the same time.

From one-Michelin-star Fook Lam Moon Restaurant, local Hong Kong-style restaurant Joy Hing’s Roasted Meat, Omotesando Koffee’s first international outpost, peacock-themed cocktail speakeasy Ophelia to independent coffee shop The Cupping Room, here is our Guide to Bars, Cafes, Cha Chaan Tengs and Restaurants in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

DYNASTY RESTAURANT

Situated within Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel is Dynasty Restaurant, a fine dining establishment that serves a fine array of authentic Chinese delicacies. It is also a great place for dim sums.

Popular dishes include the Quail Egg with Minced Shrimp and Pork Steamed Dumpling (HK$65) and Black Truffle Sauce Vegetarian Dumpling (HK$58).

Renaissance Harbour View Hotel
3rd Floor, 1 Harbour Road, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2584 6971
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Sun: 11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Wan Chai

FOOK LAM MOON RESTAURANT

One-Michelin-star Fook Lam Moon Restaurant is a frequent haunt amongst Hong Kong socialites. Needless to say, a meal here is far from affordable and prices of handcrafted dim sums typically range from HK$60 to HK$70.

Fook Lam Moon Restaurant is also listed in our Guide To The Best Dim Sum Restaurants in Hong Kong.

Shop 3, G/F
35-45 Johnston Rd, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2866 0663
Daily: 11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Wan Chai

HAM & SHERRY

Ham & Sherry is a successful collaboration between restaurateur Yenn Wong and British Michelin star Chef Jason Atherton. The name itself says it all; house-cured meats and sherry is the name of the game.

Ham and Sherry boasts Asia’s biggest sherry list and sherry novices should try their tasting flights (HK$295), where you get to sample four sherries of your choice.

1-7 Ship St, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2555 0628
Closed on Sundays
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Wan Chai

HONOLULU COFFEE SHOP

Honolulu Coffee Shop is one of Hong Kong’s best cha chaan tengs and they are best known for their egg tarts. However, do make it a point to drop by in the morning to savour the freshest and tastiest egg tarts as there is a stark contrast in its quality during daytime and nighttime.

The Honolulu Pineapple Bun with Butter aka Bo Lo Yao is their next bestselling snack.

176-178 Hennessy Rd, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2575 1823
Daily: 6am – 12am
Nearest Station: Wan Chai

If you are going to Hong Kong for holiday, check out this list of the Top 11 Cha Chaan Teng (Hong Kong style tea restaurant) in Hong Kong.

JOY HING’S ROASTED MEAT

One of the best roast goose restaurants in Hong Kong, Joy Hing’s Roasted Meat is a small and unassuming local eatery jam-packed with native Hong Kongers throughout the day.

The dining experience here is certainly not for the fussy eaters; expect an elbow-to-elbow condition and non-existent staff service here. However, what you get in return is an extremely satisfying meal of roast goose and char siew at economical prices.

Chong Hing Building
265-267 Hennessy Rd
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2519 6639
Mon to Sat: 10am – 10pm
Closed on Sundays
Nearest Station: Wan Chai

KASA

Kasa is a 52-seater restaurant that specialises in Cantonese fusion cuisine. Patrons can expect an impressive selection of Instagram-worthy east-meets-west dishes that will definitely pique your interest. Think Molten Duck Yolk Custard Lava Cake (HK$38++) and lattes served in oriental tea cups.

It is also worth a special mention that every dish at Kasa is MSG-free.

Suite 103, 1/F Shui On Centre
6-8 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2659-9189
Mon to Fri: 8am – 9.30pm
Sat: 12pm – 9.30pm
Closed on Sundays
Nearest Station: Wan Chai

OMOTESANDO KOFFEE

Hailing from Tokyo, Omotesando Koffee is a popular Japanese coffee brand that took the world by storm with its quirky venue, irresistible baked custard cubes and espresso-based beverages.

While its flagship location at an age-old traditional Japanese home is no longer in operations, Hong Kong is now home to Omotensando Koffee’s first international outpost.

G24-25, Lee Tung Ave
200 Queen’s Rd East
Tel: +852 2601 3323
Mon to Fri: 8am – 8pm
Sat and Sun: 9am – 9pm
Nearest MTR Station: Wan Chai

Tsim Sha Tsui has so many restaurants, eateries and cha chaan teng that it can be quite a headache to decide on where to dine at. For a start, here is a quick guide to the restaurants in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong that you can dine at.

OPHELIA

Former Australian miner Ashley Sutton is renowned for his outrageous bars in Bangkok and the influential tastemaker has opened a whimsical nightlife playground—a peacock-themed cocktail speakeasy that is unlike anything we have ever seen.

Inspired by the lavish opium dens of the 19th century, no expenses have been spared to create this fantasyland.

Shop 39A-41A, 1/F, The Avenue
Lee Tung Avenue, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2520 1117
Mon to Thu: 6pm – 2am
Fri and Sat: 6pm – 4am
Closed on Sundays
Nearest Station: Wan Chai

KAM FUNG CAFE

Kam Fung Cafe is a well-loved local institution known for its excellent milk tea, pineapple buns, egg tarts and baked chicken pies.

Kam Fung Cafe’s baked chicken pies are phenomenal; the crust is super buttery and melts in the mouth. We suggest you head there early to get the cream of the crop! Yes, these fresh-off-the-oven chicken pies are worth waking up early for.

41 Spring Garden Ln
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2572 0526
Daily: 6am – 7pm
Nearest Station: Wan Chai

KAM’S ROAST GOOSE

It is no surprise that Kam’s Roast Goose was bestowed the honourable Michelin star just within months of its opening in 2014. After all, owner Hardy Kam Shun-yuen is the descendant of legendary Yung Kee’s founder.

Fast forward to 2016 and Kam’s Roast Goose has maintained its shining star with its signature dish. Yes, the specialty goose restaurant has lived up to its hype!

Po Wah Commercial Centre
226 Hennessy Rd
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2520 1110
Daily: 11.30am – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Wan Chai

MANSONS LOT

Mansons Lot is interestingly named after a Scottish immigrant by the name of Patrick Manson. Sir Manson was the first person in Hong Kong to import live cattle and today, specialty coffee cafe is aptly named after him.

The European-style cafe serves a comprehensive variety of dishes and caffeinated beverages.

G/F, 15 Swatow Street
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2362 1899
Nearest Station: Wan Chai
Daily: 7.30am – 7pm
Nearest Station: Wan Chai

THE BUTCHER’S CLUB BURGERS

The Butcher’s Club was only founded in 2013, but has already quickly gained the recognition of locals and expats alike for being Hong Kong’s best burger joint.

The burger specialty bistro takes immense pride in serving dry-aged beef from Australia to meat lovers in Asia.

G/F, Rialto Building
2 Landale St
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2528 2083
Daily: 8am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Wan Chai

THE CUPPING ROOM

The Cupping Room is a well-established independent coffee shop in Hong Kong and home to the champion of Hong Kong Barista Championship 2013.

Set food inside Cupping Room and let the aroma of coffee beans engulf you—this Melbourne-inspired coffee shop is the go-to place for excellent coffees and one of our all-time favourites.

G/F, 32 Swatow Street
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2371 2338
Mon to Fri: 8am – 5pm
Sat and Sun: 9am – 6pm
Nearest Station: Wan Chai

22 SHIPS

Named after its address on Ship Street in Wan Chai, 22 Ships is a no-reservation tapas bar by English chef & restaurateur Jason Atherton and hotelier & restaurateur Yenn Wong. It is a fun place to dine at; enjoy your tapas in a buzzing and intimate setting.

22 Ship St, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2555 0722
Mon to Sat: 6pm – 11pm
Sun: 12pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Wan Chai

Kasa is a 52-seater restaurant in Wan Chai, Hong Kong that specialises in Cantonese fusion cuisine. Look forward to East-meets-West dishes that will definitely pique your interest. It is also worth mentioning that every dish at Kasa is MSG-free.

Founder Adrian Lo Chun-shing has a vision of serving traditional Hong Kong classic delicacies reimagined and together with chef Ciro Tam, they have nailed it with their unique creations. Think burgers comprising sunny-side-up eggs and Japanese char siu sandwiched between pineapple buns and lattes served in oriental tea cups.

Kasa Tea Sets (from HK$38++) are available in the afternoon and each set comprises a main course and a coffee or tea. We would recommend the Sunny-side-up Egg, Japanese Char Siu with Ginger Mayonnaise, Pineapple Bun (HK$48++ per set) – which is essentially a contemporary rendition of everyone’s all-time favourite Hong Kong street food Bo Lo Bao.

There are several other interesting main courses in the tea set menu, such as Shrimp Roe Noodles with Mentaiko Sauce, Chilled Chinese Barbecue Pork and Scrambled Eggs Corn Beef Sandwich.

Choose from Cappucino, Espresso, Flat White, Latte, Long Black, Macchiato, Mocha and Hong Kong-style Milk Tea/Coffee to go along with your delicious main course.

Last but not least, the Kasa-style Molten Duck Yolk Custard Lava Cake (HK$38++) is a must-order. Kasa has successfully integrated the liu sha frenzy into a Western molten lava cake. Instead of the typical chocolate base, Kasa’s interpretation is a golden-brown buttery crumbly cake stuffed with duck yolk lava that oozes out when sliced through.

Kasa
Suite 103, 1/F Shui On Centre
6-8 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2659-9189
Mon to Fri: 8am – 9.30pm
Sat: 12pm – 9.30pm
Closed on Sundays
Nearest Station: Wan Chai

All coffee lovers must have heard of the famous Omotesando Koffee in Tokyo. What was meant to be a pop-up store at a tiny, traditional Japanese house in Omotesando’s residential area ended up lasting for an extended period of five whopping years.

Name of its novelty spread far and wide – even tourists were making special trips to check out Omotesando Koffee.

Sadly, Tokyo’s famous Omotesando Koffee’s has shut its doors approximately half a year ago. But that is not the end of the beloved coffee brand. There are now a few outlets across Japan and the hipster coffee shop has too recently opened its very first international outpost in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Hong Kongers you guys have no idea how jealous we are!

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Fans of Omotesando Koffee can look forward to the specialty coffee bar’s high quality espresso-based beverages and baked custard cubes at Hong Kong’s outlet. Consistency remains top-notch as founder Eiichi Kunimoto has relocated to Hong Kong for this overseas outpost too.

Source: Asia Tatler

However, the ambience of the Hong Kong-based coffee shop is clearly a world apart from the original store. Instead of being housed in an age-old traditional Japanese home, Hong Kong’s Omotesando Koffee is located within a shopping complex alongside other lifestyle and F&B brands.

Nonetheless, good coffee makes up for it all. We look forward to visiting Omotesando Koffee when we next visit Hong Kong!

Omotesando Koffee
G24-25, Lee Tung Ave
200 Queen’s Rd East
Tel: ?852 2601 3323
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Nearest MTR Station: Wan Chai

So everyone associates Yung Kee with the best roast goose in Hong Kong. But do you know about Kam’s Roast Goose at Hennesy Road in Wan Chai?

Said to be the up and coming brand, Kam’s Roast Goose is actually owned by the Kam family too! We will get back to this story in a bit, because more importantly, we have heard so much about how Kam’s Roast Goose is way better than Yung Kee.

Of course, we had to make a trip down to develop our own conclusion. So, is Kam’s Roast Goose really better than internationally acclaimed Yung Kee’s?

If you are still confused, the Kam family started off with Yung Kee. Their reputation is built on decades of accolades and positive media coverages, but as with many other successors’ family politics, the Kam family had their own family drama, with the founder, Kam Shui Fai’s sons – Kinsen Kam Kwan-sing and Ronald Kam Kwan-lai - getting into disputes about the business and eventually leading to falling out.

Hardy Kam Shun-yuen, the son of the Kinsen Kam, then started Kam’s Roast Goose to continue his father’s legacy, and though Kam’s Roast Goose has only been in operations for slightly past a year, it has earned its 1-Michelin Star already.

Now, the difference between Kam’s Roast Goose and Yung Kee is glaring. The former is a small, simple and unpretentious outlet that sits not more than fifty, and has a concise menu that focuses on its roasts; the latter is now a multi-level restaurant that sits on the prime Wellington Street, with a full menu of Cantonese dishes on top of the regular roasts. And sure, their roast goose is good.

But Kam’s Roast Goose is no less fatty, juicy and fragrant; even better with the subtly sweet plum sauce! A regular portion costs HK$135, and needless to say, we finished the portion in the blink of an eye.

We tried the Char Siew (HK$55) as well, but this disappointed us quite a bit. Not too sure about you, but to us, a plate of heavenly char siew has to be chewy and juicy with a good ratio of fats, while boasting a slightly charred skin. But the ones here are Kam’s looked lacklustre and tasted mediocre. It could fundamentally do with more sweetness and oil.

What you really have to do when dining at Kam’s is to ditch the white rice, and go straight for the Prince Kinsen Noodles (HK$35). The price tag might set you back a bit, but know that you are in for a real treat. The plate of unassuming noodles is not your regular Hong Kong-style noodles.

Instead, look forward to a surprising braised flavour, because your egg noodles are cooked al dente, then tossed in the essence of a roast goose drumstick’s – its prized oil and juice. Forget about being healthy for now, and just enjoy the signature Prince Kaisen Noodles with their famous roast goose.

And back to the poultry. Here’s the million dollar question – does Kam’s Roast Goose really roast better geese? There are many versions of the verdicts, and we do think Kam’s is the winner. The overall experience of dining at the small outlet is more pleasant as well, with the staff being more hospitable and helpful with your questions and requests.

Nothing unnecessarily pretentious about dining at Kam’s; just sheer satisfaction from savouring the classic Hong Kong roasts. And yes, Prince Kinsen’s Noodles. Damn, we’ve got cravings again.

Kam’s Roast Goose
226 Hennessy Road
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2520 1110
Nearest Station: Wan Chai

We cannot quite put a finger to Wan Chai when we first set foot in that neighbourhood. It is bustling like many other areas in Hong Kong, but for the lack of a better description – Wan Chai is quite distinctly Hong Kong. Forget about how people discount Wan Chai for its red light district (because it is really just one lane that you can easily miss), because there is so much more to look out for.

We love Wan Chai for its little gems and unexpected finds – comfort Hong Kong cuisine in humble settings, locals peddling their wares and arts, executives loosening their ties to unwind over a good lunch… and all these make up Hotel Indigo.

A relatively new baby in the local hotel scene, Hotel Indigo Hong Kong Island is everything Wan Chai is. It reflects snippets of its characteristic neighbourhood, and this is precisely what Hotel Indigo wants to create, so that guests feel blended in to the local culture, and locals resonate with the comforting familiarity.

Lushly furnished with resplendent hues, step into a whimsical world of arts right in the heart of Wan Chai. The rooms in Hotel Indigo quite unlike your typical commercialised properties. Every room has its unique configuration, together with a collection of art pieces and local touches to boast. Catch glimpses of the bustling vicinity from their ceiling-to-floor windows, and sip tea on the furry couches while reading your favourite magazines in the quiet corner of your room.

We enjoyed meals at the in-house restaurant too, where the kitchen dishes out a mix of continental and international cuisines. If you are feeling Eastern, their boiled soups are lovely. And to satisfy your Western palates, they have pretty mean salads, too!

Our favourite part about staying at Hotel Indigo? The location is superb. Just a stone’s throw from the MTR station, getting around is a breeze and we really enjoyed our little strolls back home every night. And it is really refreshing to stay out of the popular and typical districts for a change.

The next time you plan a trip to Hong Kong, book a stay with Hotel Indigo and experience what it is truly like to breathe in the essence of a neighbourhood; a charming one, at it!

Hotel Indigo Hong Kong
242 – 246 Queen’s Road East
Wanchai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 3926 3888
Note: This was an invited media stay