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Header image courtesy of @paksoihk (Instagram)
Sai Ying Pun is undoubtedly one of our favourite neighbourhoods, not least because of the wide array of good grub tucked all along its hilly slopes. With everything ranging from Mexican and Korean, to local CCT flavours and home-made dumplings, it can’t be easier finding something to whet your appetite. Here are some of the best spots in Sai Ying Pun to grab lunch for under $100!
This tiny burger shack only has about six seats huddled outside, so it might be best to order this lunch to takeaway. For the portion size and ingredients stuffed into these burgers, the price is a proper steal!
A Classic Beef Burger is only $42, while a Double Cheese Burger is $68. There are also some more interesting flavours such as the Hawaiian pizza-inspired Pineapple Bacon Burger ($60) or the BLT sandwich-like Continental Burger ($59). For $18 more, diners can have fries and a drink added on as well. Gorge away!
C+ Burger, Shop 6, G/F, 10C Water Street, Sai Ying Pun | (+852) 6010 8431
One of the rare finds for vegetarian food in the western district, Po Lin Yuen has various mock beef, pork, and fish dishes made from bean proteins. They’ve got takeaway lunches priced as low as $33, but offerings from their regular à la carte menu are also very reasonably priced.
Most of their rice dishes come in at under $50, such as the Potatoes & Bean Curd Sheet with Curry Sauce Rice ($49) and the Fried Rice with Vegetarian Salted Fish & Bean Curd ($49), while noodle dishes are mostly under $60—worth trying is the Fried Noodle with Eggplant & Bean Curd in Chili Sauce ($55).
Po Lin Yuen Vegetarian Food, G/F, 308 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun | (+852) 2517 1178
Tacos are one of those foods that make us think of food trucks along a beach on a hot summer day. Unbeknownst to many, Taco Chaca is actually Hong Kong’s first California-style taqueria, and serves up so many different styles of taco-y goodness.
Our favourites include the Mid Wilshire Taco ($68) which includes Korean bulgogi beef and kimchi, and the Baja Fish Taco ($62) with battered pollock, guac, and salsa picante. Each portion includes two tacos, but if you prefer quesadillas, then order the Chorizo Quesadilla ($78).
Taco Chaca, G/F, 119 Second Street, Sai Ying Pun | (+852) 2559 9519
Uncle Padak serves the type of fried chicken that you often see and salivate over in Korean dramas. While we normally love their signature dish The Padak ($138), these guys also do great lunch sets. The Lunch Combo ($98) will get you their famous boneless chicken pieces, wings, rice balls, salad, a radish starter, and soup to wash it all down with.
If you’d prefer to have something less protein-heavy, then go for the Kimchi Fried Rice + Soup ($88) or the Beef Bibimbap + Soup ($98) instead. Mind you don’t get too distracted by the endless stream of K-pop videos playing on the TV screens!
Uncle Padak, 59 High Street, Sai Ying Pun | (+852) 2117 9792
For some hearty, Chinese comfort food, look no further than Hometown Dumpling. While dumplings are obviously their main thing, they also cook up a range of authentic rice and noodle dishes.
Their special lunch sets will only set you back by $40, and consist of choices such as Bitter Gourd and Grouper Rice, Pork Chop on Vegetable Rice, and Noodles with Fried Bean Sauce. Each set also comes with a soup of the day as part of the meal, so this really is top bang for your buck.
Hometown Dumpling, 418 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun | (+852) 2803 0887
This unassuming local restaurant is definitely an institution in the area. Its interesting name—meaning ‘three minus one’ in Cantonese—purportedly comes from how one of the three co-founders backed out from running the business after receiving a negative reading at a fortune telling session, and chose to become a regular employee instead.
They are also one of the rare teahouses in Hong Kong which still make all their dim sum by hand each day. Gorge on all your dim sum favourites such as Crab Roe Siu Mai ($18), Har Gau ($18), Black Bean Sauce Ribs ($18), Char Siu Rice Rolls ($19), and much more besides.
Saam Hui Yaat, 11 Pokfulam Road, Sai Ying Pun | (+852) 2547 3917
This eatery is a bit of a local hotspot for lunch, and it’s easy to see why—they do reasonably priced food that is kind of like a crossover between a western steakhouse and Japanese yoshoku.
Of the 12 lunch sets available, we like the Soft Crab in Rice with Curry Sauce ($74), the Pan-fried Teriyaki Chicken Thigh ($54), and the Shioyaki Saba ($78). Even a six-ounce Grilled New Zealand Rib Eye is only $82. Diners can choose to have their choice of mains come with either rice, spaghetti, or French fries, and the meal is also inclusive of a soup of the day or a drink. Do note that Chess Café is closed on Thursdays though!
Chess Cafe, Shop A, G/F, Block 2, 128 Second Street, Sai Ying Pun | (+852) 9148 1483
You’ll know your taste buds are in good hands when you realise that the two chefs who opened Krua Walaiphan both come from the superb Chachawan, but are serving their dishes at a fraction of their old restaurant’s prices.
We will always go for either the Chicken Pad Ka Prao ($79) or the Smoked Duck Red Curry ($77)—these mains all come with jasmine or sticky rice. Tom Yum Goong Noodles in Soup ($82) is also a good choice, though if still in doubt, you can’t go wrong with a classic Green Chicken Curry ($75). All their lunch options are also served with a daily soup.
Krua Walaiphan, G/F, Ko Wang Court, 29 High Street, Sai Ying Pun | (+852) 2804 1555
Catharina has recently returned to her hometown of Hong Kong after spending her formative years in Singapore and the UK. She enjoys scouring the city for under-the-radar things to do, see, and eat, and is committed to finding the perfect foundation that will withstand Hong Kong’s heat. She is also an aspiring polyglot, a firm advocate for feminist and LGBTQIA+ issues, and a huge lover of animals. You can find her belting out show-tunes in karaoke, or in bookstores adding new tomes to her ever-growing collection.
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