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We often hear Causeway Bay hailed as the Mong Kok of Hong Kong Island, as this neighbourhood is always heaving with throngs of shoppers. During lunch hour, it gets even more chaotic as nearby white-collar workers emerge for their lunch break. Luckily, there is always good food to be had here at unbeatable prices; we’ve rounded up the best places in Causeway Bay where you can have a satisfying and affordable lunch.
Who doesn’t love a good bowl of cart noodles? Unabashedly local, this is the epitome of no-frills food. You first choose your noodle base from a choice of six (such as egg noodles, vermicelli, or flat rice noodles), then toppings from a wide range of options. A bowl of noodles with three or four toppings will not set you back by much. Our choice would be egg noodles with fish balls, turnip, spring rolls, and pork neck. Fork out an additional fee for a portion of crispy deep-fried fish skin or vegetables!
Wing Kee Noodle, 27A Sugar Street, Causeway Bay | (+852) 2808 2877
Experts in Thai classics, Kin Kao has revamped the space previously occupied by Delicious Thai, serving up lip-smacking soups such as Chiang Mai curry soup, boat noodle soup with sliced beef, and Thai-style spicy and sour soup noodle with pork ball with your noodles of choice. It also does a fantastically priced lunch sets, including a choice of poached Hainan chicken served on rice. Other top choices are the minced pork with chilli and basil on rice, and the slow-cooked pork knuckle on rice.
Kin Kao, G/F, 36 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay | (+852) 2630 3118
No way we would leave out DTF’s only island-side branch! The star of the show here is, of course, the delectable xiaolongbao, otherwise known as soupy meat dumplings. We will always go for the original steamed pork dumplings, but vegetarians will love the steamed mushroom dumpling. Each portion consists of six pieces, so if you’re still hungry, order one of the steamed pork and vegetable buns to round off your lunch.
Din Tai Fung, Shop G3–11, G/F, 68 Yee Wo Street, Causeway Bay | (+852) 3160 8998
This cha chaan teng serves up classic Hong Kong-style comfort foods that you can’t really go wrong with. It has deliberately kept a rather antiquated look and feel to the place, so there are hints of the nostalgic Hong Kong vibes of old, and it also has a cute menu featuring illustrations of some of the food available.
A generous portion of barbecue pork spaghetti with scrambled egg and grilled toast will sort you out for lunchtime. It also does an all-day breakfast which comes with steak, a scrambled egg, Parma ham, buttered toast, tomato, mushroom, and coffee or tea!
Café Match Box, Shop C&D, G/F, 57 Paterson Street, Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay | (+852) 2868 0363
Diners with small appetites who find themselves always having to deal with leftovers will appreciate the beauty of a good breakfast rice roll at Shanghai Hong Kong Noodle Shop. This common Shanghainese snack is made with glutinous rice wrapped around a piece of fried dough fritter, some pork floss, and a handful of pickled vegetables.
A portion of sticky rice roll in Shanghai style might seem small at first, but it gets filling very quickly because of the glutinous rice. Eat it while it’s freshly made so the rice is still hot and soft, and the fritter inside is still crispy. Complete the Shanghainese experience with a sweet soybean milk.
Shanghai Hong Kong Noodle Shop, 29 Jardine’s Bazaar, Causeway Bay | (+852) 2576 1343
While this traditional Chinese breakfast restaurant serves a delicious macaroni in soup, the bulk of its customers come for the milk-based Hong Kong-style desserts. Making a good silky milk pudding is a special skill, and one that Yee Shun has perfected.
We’d recommend going for the original steamed milk pudding first, and then, if you want to branch out, the steamed milk pudding with ginger or the steamed milk pudding with red bean, all of which you can choose to have hot or cold. Who says you can’t have sweets for lunch?
Yee Shun Milk Company, G/F, 506 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay | (+852) 2591 1837
For an international city, there are surprisingly not all that many authentic restaurants specific to Southeast Asian cuisine. Luckily, Warung Malang Club is here to provide us with hearty Indonesian food that is also very easy on the wallet.
Those just dipping their toes into this as a new cuisine should try the nasi goreng Indonesia, a fried rice that is a good introduction to the flavours of the country. If you want more traditional tastes, then also go for the nasi pecel lele deep-fried cuttlefish served with rice and spicy sauce. Of course, the restaurant also has everyone’s all-time favourite, nasi ayam bakar kecap, which is grilled chicken with rice.
Warung Malang Club, 2/F, Dragon Rise, 9–11 Pennington Street, Causeway Bay | (+852) 2915 7859
First published on 7 August 2015. Written by Catharina Cheung. Last updated by Lily Valette.
Covering the hottest new eats, the best places to play, offbeat takes on local culture, and so much more, Localiiz is every Hongkonger’s destination for how to live a well-rounded life in our vibrant city. Why the strange spelling? Well, Localiiz is designed to be your “local eyes”—and for that, you need two i’s.
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