Rubin Verebes is the managing editor of Foodie and is very opinionated. Transforming his hobby of eating and drinking into a career, he shares his account of Hong Kong’s F&B scene and the worldwide state of dining in Rubin’s Take, a monthly opinion column.

I vividly remember my last meal at Kau Kee, Sheung Wan’s viral braised beef brisket noodle soup eatery. In June 2022, two friends and I ventured to the restaurant on a wet, soppy day to pour the broth and aromatic beef chunks into our faces. No line existed at the time. 

Now, if you visit the century-old beef noodle spot, you will inevitably face a 排長龍 – a Chinese phrase popular in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China translating to “endless queue,” a queue the length of a dragon. The queue at Kau Kee typically runs dozens of people long, with most of the visitors coming from the Mainland and attracted to the restaurant via posts shared on Xiaohongshu.

Across the road, cha chaan teng Sing Heung Yuen often attracts weekday lunch queues that wrap around the block. Their tomato macaroni soup and crispy bun with lemon and honey have long been guilty pleasures for the wealth of Sheung Wan’s white-collar workers. 

long queue restaurants worth the time Hong Kong
Photo credit: Dennis Uy

For the lunch-queuers of Sheung Wan, Gough Street’s two viral restaurants point to a greater trend in the city today: Hong Kongers vote with their feet regarding where good food can be found around town.

My argument for why restaurants garnering long queues offer great food is simple. Whilst advertising campaigns on Instagram, Threads, and Xiaohongshu might tip the scale to cure virality for a restaurant, when new eateries open or introduce new menus or experiences, it is a restaurant’s long queue prevailing long after the peak of its online buzz that proves that the food is really worth the wait.

Taking after the UK, Hong Kongers queue with grace, just like the Brits. It is a cultural phenomenon that we have treasured before and after the handover. A Hong Kong queue support group has even been created on Facebook.

long queue restaurants worth the time Hong Kong
Photo credit: Jon Lim

For Thai food in Hong Kong, some of the best bites can be found at Samsen, beset with throngs of hungry locals and visitors to its Central, Wan Chai, and Sheung Wan locations. Soi.29, a Thai-style dai pai dong restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui, usually has a queue forming daily an hour before opening at 6PM, with diners eager to sample their well-seasoned dinner menu.

Sweet tooths in Hong Kong are familiar with the quality egg tarts of Bakehouse and traditional butter cookies of Jenny Bakery on both sides of the harbour. Their long queues are a given and have only increased now that tourists have rediscovered their sweets.

Everyone knows that, unfortunately, if you want to savour the scrambled eggs of Australia Dairy Company, you will have to brace their corner-wrapping queue, but it is worth it for what I believe is Hong Kong’s best egg dish. Another cha chaan teng worth a mention is Tai Hang’s Bing Kee Cha Dong, which exudes a true Hong Kong vibe that other cafés cannot replicate without decades of operation in the neighbourhood.

long queue restaurants worth the time Hong Kong
Photo credit: Danny Wong

The initial time I came to this argument was on my first (and failed) visit to Oi Man Sang last summer, one of Hong Kong’s most popular dai pai dongs, in Sham Shui Po. I clearly underestimated the popularity of this restaurant on a Saturday evening (silly me) and was quoted a three-hour wait for a table for four. 

We left for a Pakistani restaurant nearby that fixed our hunger pangs and then continued on with our night. I have been eager to return to Sham Shui Po to confirm my belief that the queue is well worth a taste of Oi Man Sang’s famous wok hei

The views expressed in this column are those of the author’s and do not represent or reflect the views of Foodie.

Rubin Verebes is the Managing Editor of Foodie, the guiding force behind the magazine's delectable stories. With a knack for cooking up mouthwatering profiles, crafting immersive restaurant reviews, and dishing out tasty features, Rubin tells the great stories of Hong Kong's dining scene.

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