Tim Ho Wan, Sham Shui Po

Tim Ho Wan made its name as one of the most affordable Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, and the brand is now known well beyond Hong Kong. The Sham Shui Po shop on Fuk Wing Street is one of the chain's early branches and holds a Bib Gourmand in the 2026 Michelin Guide, the award for good quality, good value cooking. It is a practical, two-floor restaurant focused entirely on freshly made dim sum.

The menu runs to more than 20 items, and some rotate every two or three months. The dish everyone orders is the baked bun filled with barbecue pork, and it is the dish that made the shop's name, so order a portion for each person. Shrimp dumplings and steamed beef balls with tangerine peel are other recommended choices, and the steamed egg cake, bean curd skin rolls with pork and shrimp and pan-fried carrot cake are popular too. There are also rice rolls, congee and rice dishes, and desserts such as sweet papaya soup with snow fungus.

The restaurant opens daily from 8am to 9.30pm, so you can come for an early breakfast or a late afternoon snack. Dishes arrive as they are ready, so order a few to start and add more as you go, and expect to share a table at busy times. The team keeps waits fairly short, but queues still build at weekends and lunchtimes. Prices are low, which makes this one of the easiest ways for budget travellers to eat well in Hong Kong. Credit cards are accepted, and there is wheelchair access.

Sham Shui Po is one of the older districts of Kowloon and makes an interesting contrast with the polish of Central and Tsim Sha Tsui, so combine your meal with a wander through the surrounding streets. The district is well connected by MTR, so it is easy to reach from Tsim Sha Tsui or Central.

The shop suits solo travellers, families and anyone who wants a quick, inexpensive introduction to Cantonese dim sum. Most visits take under an hour. Branch details can change, so check the official website before you go.