Hong Kong is undeniably a foodie paradise! It  has one of the highest numbers of restaurants or cafes per capita and is home to some of the cheapest Michelin-starred food on earth.  The food in Hong Kong is so good that even McDonald’s is a local hot spot; serving a variety of noodles and rice dishes soaked in fresh egg yolk. My visit to Hong Kong was short, as I was on a two night layover en route to Thailand – so I wanted to make sure I try Hong Kong’s most worthy spots. Here are the top 5 must eat food spots! Make sure to save the google map on the bottom of this post with all of the locations tagged.

Dim Sum Icon

Dim Sum is the Chinese equivalent of Tapas, a variety of bite sized portions of food many served in steamer plates. There are so many different types of Dim Sum that a single menu at a restaurant can have upwards of 150 items – making it very likely for something to appeal to your taste buds and also very difficult to choose from. Dim Sum Icon is an Instagrammer’s heaven – serving a wide variety of plates that look like plush toys and famous cartoon and emoji characters. There are a few locations but the one I went to is located at the top floor of “The One” mall – it is a petite place that is impossible to miss as huge pictures of emoji characters hang over the tables. They get an A+ for originality in my book!

Hello Kitty Cafe

If this is not the most Instagrammable food place in the world then I don’t know what is! The “cuteness-overload” decor and the undeniable attention to detail in  every dish makes the Hello Kitty Cafe a hot spot for everyone, not just fans. The food is not the only thing that is feline themed … there is even Hello Kitty wine! Although the food is certainly delicious, remember that you are paying premium for the kitties face!

Hung Tong @ The Kerry Hotel

One of the best meals I had this year was at Hung Tong, a traditional Chinese restaurant serving authentic Cantonese cuisine. Like most other restaurants in Hong Kong, Hung Tong’s menu is absolutely massive and picking my meal took well over 15 minutes. Hung Tong offers a wide selection of dim sum, Cantonese style roast meats, congee, and superb desserts. The restaurant setting is opulent with dimmed lights and stunning views of the harbor. Guests are seated in large leather seats and are surrounded by raw red bricks with the decor resembling the heritage of Hung Hom – the area of Kowloon where the restaurant is situated.

Yum Cha

If you got a kick out of Dim Sum Icon, Yum Cha should be next on your list – the playful and creative vibe will leave your emotions and your palate satisfied. Yum Cha takes photogenic foods to a whole new level – with every item on the menu carefully and colorfully designed to perfection. Even if “cute food” is not something you are into, Yum Cha will challenge the notion by making your dining experience a fun and unique one!

Tim Ho Wan

The thrill of ordering a $20 Michelin meal is unparalleled with. Tim Ho Wan is one of the cheapest Michelin starred restaurants in the world and although its tough to decipher what exactly you’re ordering, its practically a guarantee that whatever you get will be phenomenal. The experience is quite simple – you get a long sheet of paper with all the items that the restaurant offers and a pencil: put a check mark next to all the items you want and wait for the server to take the paper from you straight to the kitchen. Although the food items are translated into English, without pictures it’s tough to know what you’ll actually get. The pork buns are absolutely to die for. Tim Ho Wan is cash only and the one thing in Hong Kong is that you cannot exchange cash in banks unless you are an account holder. Exchange locations aren’t very popular either so the bottom line is you should have enough cash in Hong Kong and don’t rely just on your credit card.