This open-air food stall in Tai Hang might be small, but the chefs here are big on serving some of the best local eats across the city. Food lovers come far and wide for the famed deep-fried pork chop noodles, but you shouldn’t miss out on their condensed milk toasts and sandwiches that come packed with generous fillings of scrambled eggs and grilled pork chop. While you’re there, don’t forget to order a cup of silky smooth milk tea to complement your meal.

See also: Where to find the best French toast In Hong Kong

Featuring typical dai pai dong aesthetics—think colourful plastic chairs, umbrella-topped tables and a cooking station with large woks—Sing Kee offers a nostalgic setting for guests to enjoy an authentic Hong Kong dining experience. Always bustling, this place draws eager crowds at all times of the day, but don’t let the lines deter you, as your patience will pay off when you feast on their signature stir-fried clams in chili bean sauce, steamed scallops with garlic, as well as deep-fried squid with salt and pepper.

Their seafood offerings are solid, and if you’re looking for some flavoursome meaty dishes to go with an ice-cold beer, the sizzling chicken pot and sweet and sour pork are must-tries.

See also: Where to find the best cart noodles In Hong Kong

This rustic eatery is a favourite among the foodie crowd for good reason. So Kee Cha Dong has been serving up classic cha chaan teng fare for the past 42 years, where guests can expect nothing but dishes prepared with meticulous attention to detail and the best possible ingredients.

Come for a fragrant bowl of instant noodles with pork chop and a sunny side up, and order a cup of hot milk tea to wash it all down. If you’re still craving more, there also some excellent Hong Kong-style sandwiches and toasts on offer. Its close proximity to the MTR station is a plus, as well as its nostalgic vibes and amicable service.

This popular dai pai dong in Central needs no further introduction. Frequented by the hood’s office crowd and food enthusiasts with a penchant for local eats, Sing Heung Yuen has a reputation for dishing up delectable, home-style Hong Kong dishes in an atmospheric setting since opening in 1959. 

While the tomato soup noodles with beef and egg is the specialty here, one should not overlook the crispy buns topped with lemon jam and honey. Always served piping hot and fresh, these buns can also be enjoyed with butter and condensed milk, which guarantees decadent flavours you won’t soon forget.

See also: Hong Kong-style breakfast: Where to find the best instant noodles In Hong Kong

Okay, so technically Mui Kee isn’t a food stall operating on the roadside, but it still deserves a special mention for its modern approach to classic dai pai dong menus. The restaurant takes pride in its consistently well-made, authentic Cantonese fare with twists on traditional recipes—whether you go for crowd-pleasers including crispy roasted pork knuckles, salt and pepper tofu and spicy eggplants with minced pork in clay pot; or other main dishes such as beef satay with broccoli and fried oyster omelette, quality is guaranteed here. While you’re there, be sure to order some cold beers and enjoy them with a Chinese porcelain bowl!

A true hidden gem of Tai Hang’s dining scene, Shun Hing Cha Dong offers simple yet satisfying local eats to delight your taste buds. The small restaurant’s unpretentious interiors hint that the focus is on the food quality, with the kitchen using age-old techniques and fresh ingredients to create classic Cantonese dishes such as scrambled eggs and prawns rice, instant noodles, as well as baked goods including pineapple buns and toasts. Just like other traditional dai pai dongs, this place with limited communal seating has no air conditioning, but that’s all part of the charm.

Despite being located in Fo Tan far away from the city centre, Tai Yuen still crowned as one of Hong Kong’s most talked-about dai pai dongs, with locals continually flocking to indulge in their excellent Cantonese dishes. The restaurant is most famous for its roasted pigeon and salt and pepper tofu, but they don’t skimp on seafood offerings, too. Save room for the steamed scallops with garlic and vermicelli, and black bean chilli clams—you won’t regret ordering these. Bonus: the place is air-conditioned and completes with a semi-outdoor dining area that guarantees a comfortable dining experience, without sacrificing the nostalgic vibes.

ChorLand Cookfood Stall has quickly become a beloved modern dai pai dong spot among locals since its launch a few years ago, thanks to its energetic ambience and stellar Cantonese dishes executed with respect to traditional recipes. Boasting a team of highly skilled and passionate chefs, you’re likely not to be disappointed with whatever you order, but if you’re a traditionalist, you can’t go wrong with their signature dishes including typhoon shelter squids, sweet and sour pork, and stir-fried clams in black bean sauce.

If you’re feeling adventurous, get the house specials, such as minced pork patties with lotus root and truffle, and oat-crusted deep-fried shrimp balls with egg yolk. Complimentary sweet potato and ginger soups will be also served to round off your meal—seriously, what’s not to love?

Kowloon Bay may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking about the most exciting dining districts in town, but there’s a selection of surprisingly good restaurants out here to impress food lovers, and among them, Hong Kee Restaurant is definitely one to put on your radar. The seafood dishes at Hong Kee are all worth digging into such as garlic steamed prawns and deep-fried Bombay duck with pepper and salt, but you should also save room for their meaty stir-fries and pot dishes, which are all equally impressive. Oh, and did we mention that the restaurant is also a favourite amongst locals looking for a high-quality lamb hot pot meal in winter?