The flavours of Vietnam have been celebrated in Hong Kong for decades, beginning in the mid 1970s with the emigration waves of Vietnamese citizens seeking refuge in the city.
To serve the harmonious yet small community of Vietnamese and Vietnamese-Chinese, recipes from Hanoi, Hoi An, and Saigon have been propagated in kitchens across the city. Vietnamese food today sees a greater influence from Chinese ingredients and techniques.
Roasted meats, banh mi, bun cha, com tam, and pho all have seen a local love in town. Read down below for our recommendations on where to dine Viet-style!
The best Vietnamese restaurants in Hong Kong
BÊP Vietnamese Kitchen
Over in Central, Sheung Wan, and Tai Kok Tsui, BÊP Vietnamese Kitchen brings popular dishes from the whole length of Vietnam to a modern and spacious setting with large tables. Their signature dishes to order include the ga xe phay (HKD98) chicken salad, bun cha (HKD118), banh mi saigon (HKD86) pork belly and pate, angus beef pho (HKD118), and grilled chicken bun (HKD90). The walk-in only restaurant chain gets busy at lunch but calms down during dinner.
BÊP Vietnamese Kitchen, multiple locations across Hong Kong
Ăn Chơi
Sheung Wan’s Vietnamese restaurant Ăn Chơi gained a steady following before their Michelin Bib Gourmand award in the 2024 guide, and now has seen a city-wide infatuation ever since. For set lunches, their chicken gỏi salad (HKD70) or fish cake bánh mì (HKD70) hits the spot with a salty taste. On the à la carte menu, must haves are the gà nướng (HKD160) grilled lime leaf chicken, prawn & pork summer rolls (HKD80), and Dalat grilled rice paper (HKD70).
Ăn Chơi, G/F, 15-17 Mercer Street, Sheung Wan, 5286 1517, book here
Chôm Chôm
Chôm Chôm has strived for a modern take on Vietnamese fare, going at it for more than a decade. The no-reservations spot (à la Anthony Bourdain’s inspiration) does a good job with elevating favourites from the chef’s time working in the country. Small dishes ca ri fried chicken (HKD138) and hoisin eggplant (HKD88) dish out of a big dose of umami, paired up with sticky sour and sweet sauces. For big dishes, the chicken & cabbage (HKD128) salad and cha ca grouper (HKD228) are good for sampling heavy roasted charcoal flavours.
Chôm Chôm, G/F, 58 Peel Street, Central, 2810 0850
Saigon Etoile
Saigon Etoile serves just four main dishes and three sides but excels on preserving the pickled vegetable and salty meat flavours traditional to the streetside cafes in Vietnam. A first time visit must be enjoyed with the bò bún (HKD78) chicken or beef, a bowl of bouncy noodles, pickled daikon and carrots, and sour dressing. Their bún riêu (HKD68) tomato & crap noodle soup is a rare dish in Hong Kong served here, so too with their pate chaud (HKD38) minced meat pork pie.
Saigon Etoile, G/F, 118 Electric Road, Tin Hau, 2617 7135
Mâm Amis
Another gem found in Sheung Wan, among other spots in Hong Kong’s Little Saigon foodie neighbourhood, Mâm Amis brings the Vietnamese feasting to a larger operation than most. Grilling with charcoal and imbuing their food with sour notes is central to the menu here, notably with their pan seared foie gras (HKD188), grilled Vietnamese pork neck (HKD168), French roasted spring yellow chicken (HKD398), and beef carpaccio (HKD288).
Mâm Amis, Shop A & B, G/F, Fu Fai Commercial Centre, 27 Hillier Street, Sheung Wan, 2893 3309
An Nam
An Nam in Causeway Bay and Kowloon Tong focuses on the cuisine of Hue, Vietnam’s ancient capital and known for its herbal, beefy, and spring touch with an infusion of garden vegetables in every dish. For a true taste of the sub-cuisine, try their steamed rice flan (HKD108), beef tripe salad (HKD148), deep fried sole fish fillet (HKD138), and duck à l’orange (HKD288). Both locations are dressed in a similar style to Vietnam’s 1920s neoclassical restaurants.
An Nam, 3/F, Lee Garden Two, 28 Yun Ping Road, Causeway Bay, 2787 3922, book here
An Nam, Shop L1-20, G/F, Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, 2866 2803
Hương Vị Quán Viet Bac
Down the Sheung Wan lanes, Hương Vị Quán Viet Bac operates with a true touch for the real recipes of Vietnam. From the braised rice vermicelli with shredded chicken (HKD66) or lemongrass & beef (HKD68) to specialty rice with minced pork & belacan (HKD68), the restaurant dishes out unique styles not common to Hong Kong. Their mixed-meat concoction of Thua Thien Hue rice noodles (HKD75) bowl is a solid bet for a hearty bowl of broth.
Hương Vị Quán Viet Bac, Shop E, G/F, Willy Commercial Building, 28-30 Wing Kut Street, Central, 2907 4955
SEP
Whilst other Vietnamese restaurants in Hong Kong operate between the levels of casual to fine-casual dining, SEP brings the cuisine to a refined scope, touching on elements of Indochine cuisine with cooking made on a wood fire. Their dinner tasting menu (HKD1,680) sees a meeting of charcoal and sharp proteins: roasted dry-aged three yellow chicken, Brittany king scallop, and Hanwoo ribeye are all given Vietnamese twists.
SEP, 19/F, H Code, 45 Pottinger Street, Central, 2116 5433
Cóm Bánh Mì
Don’t ignore the name of this nine-year-old Vietnamese restaurant, Cóm Bánh Mì makes great sandwiches. Yet, it is their other simple dishes that make up the strength of the flavours. For a main and a drink priced at HKD75, choose between the crispy pork belly rice, Viet sausages noodle soup, the Hainan boneless chicken rice, and Hoi An sliced beef noodle soup, among other picks. Add HKD10 more for a side dish, including papaya salad, fried spring rolls, and garlic battered wings.
Cóm Bánh Mì, G/F, 28 Tai Wong Street East, Wan Chai, 2528 9131
Cô Thành
Housed in the Pacific Place mall, Cô Thành has endured two years of success in Admiralty, after a move away from their original spot in Central, in dishing out plates of Saigon specials in Hong Kong’s largest Vietnamese restaurant. Dishes to look out for include the signature bun bo hue (HKD138) beef and pork bone broth soup, banh mi thit ga nuong (HKD118) with lemongrass roasted chicken, pho chay (HKD138) vegetable broth, and the bo la lot (HKD108) beef rolled in betel leaf.
Cô Thành, Shop 123, 1/F, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, 7073 7735, book here
Viet Chiu Vietnamese Cuisine
This humble Vietnamese restaurant in Shek Tong Tsui, near the Hong Kong University MTR, is barebones with its appearance – only housing menu picture boards, short black stools, and small tables – yet delivers on a punchy salt with its dishes. The chicken fillets with lemongrass (HKD56) cold rice vermicelli and Viet style rice (HKD67) with assorted meats are simple and affordable plates of tangy flavours. Their signature pho raw & cooked beef noodle soup (HKD55) is well-bodied with a salty broth made from breaking down beef bones and simmering five spice and lemongrass.
Viet Chiu Vietnamese Cuisine, G/F, 406B Des Voeux Road West, Shek Tong Tsui, 2333 6551
