Often left in the shadows by culinary giants Central and Sheung Wan towering above with some of Hong Kong’s top restaurants, Sai Ying Pun holds its weight for dishing out some of the best bites in the city.
Featuring a flurry of excellent Asian and Western restaurants, the neighbourhood is impervious to mass tourism, with many visitors heading west to Kennedy Town instead, making Sai Ying Pun a quiet spot to enjoy some much-needed respite from the crowds.
Zoom into our recommendations for dining in one of Hong Kong Island’s smallest yet most powerful ‘hoods.
The best restaurants in Sai Ying Pun
Brut!
Sai Ying Pun’s top fine-casual restaurant Brut! made the neighbourhood known to outsiders when it first opened, and the eatery has continued to put the Pun on the map with its incredible wine and bistro-style dining. Manned by chef CJ Jalandoni, dishes to order at Brut include the hondashi custard quiche (HKD108), hamachi “kilawin” carpaccio (HKD158), soy-calamansi striploin (HKD358), and Mediterranean octopus (HKD288).
Brut!, Shop C, G/F, 1 Second Street, Sai Ying Pun, 3460 5863, WhatsApp 5971 9938, book here
Dara
Modern Filipino restaurant Dara – winner of our Foodie Forks 2024 Best Filipino Restaurant award – continues to impress diners at their new location at the edge of Sai Ying Pun, after first opening in the area at the end of 2022. Featuring culinary masterpieces from the Philippines with modern touches, you won’t go hungry with the lechon kawali (HKD148), kare kareng baka (HKD158), sizzling sisig (HKD128), and tuna kinilaw (HKD128). Make sure to order some adobo rice (HKD118 for 2) to pair up with your mains.
Dara, Shop 3, 5–6, G/F, Soho 189, 189 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun, 5107 4474, book here
Luen Wah Cafe
Luen Wah Cafe is a neighbourhood restaurant in Sai Ying Pun familiar to locals for around 60 years. The menu is packed, featuring sandwiches, soup bowls, and Chinese- and Western-inspired noodle and rice dishes. The cha chaan teng’s baked pork chop rice with tomato (HKD65) is a signature dish in Hong Kong, along with the beef macaroni noodles (HKD33), luncheon meat sandwich (HKD22), and curry beef brisket with rice (HKD52).
Luen Wah Cafe, 28 Centre Street, Sai Ying Pun, 2540 1563
Chau Kee
Operating additional spots in Chai Wan and Tin Hau, Chau Kee’s original location in Sai Ying Pun steals the accolades for both an exciting dim sum menu and Cantonese-style French toast to die for. With salty bites of shrimp toast (HKD52), fried rice rolls with XO sauce (HKD46), and siu mai with quail egg (HKD28), for a sweet touch you must sink your teeth into the “golden lava”, black sesame, or purple potato French toast (HKD40). We have warned you of the sugar rush!
Chau Kee, Shop H1, G/F, Tung Lee Mansion, 1C–1K Water Street, Sai Ying Pun, 2559 2389
Uncle Padak
Uncle Padak claims its birth in Seoul as the “original KFC franchise”, so you know that their fried chicken, bibimbap, and bulgogi are bona fide! You would be silly not to order the fried chicken, of which we recommend the half & half (HKD228) of spicy soy fried chicken and boneless tteokbokki sauce fried chicken. Add on bulgogi kimchi cheese fries (HKD98) and grilled corn with cheese (HKD68) for a balanced Korean meal.
Uncle Padak, Shop D, G/F, 59 High Street, Sai Ying Pun, 2117 9792, book here
Kwan Kee Claypot Rice
You’ll spot Bib Gourmand winner Kwan Kee from streets away in the winter months, with a queue often snaking around the block, but the claypot rice restaurant still manages heavy crowds year-round. Specialising in Cantonese-style claypot dishes, head here to try the fish head with ginger and green onion (HKD100) and beef flank in curry sauce (HKD90). If you want to add a few extra-special dishes to your order, get the diced chicken with cashew nuts (HKD85) and fried fish fillet with sweetcorn sauce (HKD85) too.
Kwan Kee Claypot Rice, Shop 1, Wo Yick Mansion, 263 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun, 2803 7209
Ba Yi
Another Bib Gourmand winner, Ba Yi is the secret many Hong Kong foodies hold tight to their chest that we are willing to share just because we know how good their food is! Focusing on the northwestern region of Xinjiang in China, meat, vegetables, and carby dishes carry a strong meaty tone and tangy spice. For the full experience, go for dinner and order the dry-fried spicy spring beans (HKD68), roasted lamb kebab (HKD99), jing onion lamb rice (HKD80), tomato egg toss noodles (HKD50), and roasted lamb short ribs (HKD99).
Ba Yi, G/F, 43 Water Street, Sai Ying Pun, 2484 9981
Krua Walaiphan
Under the stewardship of chef Walaiphan Hanyut and manager Renee Dancel, Krua Walaiphan has enjoyed a local fandom around Sai Ying Pun for its authentic Thai menu, shunning MSG and flavour enhancers for genuine Thai chilli, spices, and sauces. Their tod man pla (HKD65/4pcs) fish cakes are to die for, so too with their som tum goong (HKD125) green papaya salad for a spicy kick. We recommend mains of pad ka prao (HKD148) spicy minced pork with Thai basil and gai yang (HKD162) BBQ chicken thighs, with an order of the Thai roti and curry dip (HKD64/6pcs) on the side.
Krua Walaiphan, G/F, 64 High Street, Sai Ying Pun, 2804 1555, book here
House of Culture
Former Brut chef Gavin Chin’s new restaurant House of Culture explores his childhood with a menu of Malaysian curries and Australian-style classics with Japanese influences. The funky interior matches the menu’s creative flair. We love the rendang short rib (HKD398), Mum’s chicken curry (HKD238), Grandma’s focaccia (HKD128) with Lao Gan Ma chilli sauce and preserved lemon, and spring onion bhaji (HKD98).
House of Culture, Shop B, G/F, Kenbo Commercial Building, 335–339 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun, 2886 9689, book here
Northern Dumpling Yuan
If there’s a dumpling shop in Sai Ying Pun deserving of attention, it’s Northern Dumpling Yuan. Boasting a menu with 15 varieties of boiled, deep-fried, and soup dumplings, the spot is an expert in its craft. It’s best to chomp on the green onion and mutton dumplings (HKD35/HKD56), leek and pork dumplings (HKD33/HKD53), and vegetarian dumplings (HKD33/HKD53). Order sides of smoky Beijing grilled duck breast (HKD49) and celery and dried bean curd (HKD34).
Northern Dumpling Yuan, 1 Water Street, Sai Ying Pun, 2549 9001
La Paloma
Located just above Dara, La Paloma has stood the test of time, churning out quality Spanish tapas, paella, and meat roasted in their custom-made oven. For tapas, we always recommend the boquerones (HKD98), steak tartare (HKD188), pimientos del padrón (HKD90), and gambas al ajillo (HKD188). For larger groups, order the 52-month jamón Ibérico platter (HKD288/HKD380) to snack on.
La Paloma, 1/F, Soho 189, 189 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun, 2291 6161, WhatsApp 5249 2406, book here
Tan’s Gourmet
Tan’s Gourmet has ridden a wave of success mainly through OpenRice finds and word of mouth. The pan-Chinese bistro serves up dishes from all corners of the Middle Kingdom. Our top menu picks go to the Sichuan-style Angus beef in chilli oil (HKD188), golden honey crispy pork (HKD188), sautéed cumin lamb (HKD178), and dry fried green beans with minced beef (HKD88). End on a sweet note with the scrumptious strawberry in hot toffee (HKD168).
Tan’s Gourmet, Shop B, G/F, Kam Lun Mansion, 39–41 High Street, Sai Ying Pun, 2368 7188
Ciao Chow
Once standing at the foot of Lan Kwai Fong as the area’s top pizza restaurant, Ciao Chow now can be found in takeaway form in Sai Ying Pun. The restaurant’s great flavours are captured exactly as before, with flavours like vodka (HKD138), BBQ teriyaki chicken (HKD148), or the mortadella (HKD138) proving the importance of thin crusted pizzas with salty toppings in Hong Kong.
Ciao Chow, Shops 1 & 2, G/F High Park 99, 35 Western Street, Sai Ying Pun, 9603 1832
Two-and-a-Half Street
Two-and-a-Half Street is where the cool kids of Sai Ying Pun and local tourists head when they want to be seen dining in style. Enjoy bowls of grilled salmon quinoa salad (HKD136), cheesy meatball pasta (HKD108), and Turkish egg (HKD92) whilst dining al fresco. Their coffee is quality and fits in with the vibe embraced at the cafe, secluded from the neighbourhood’s rush whilst sitting on their camping chairs.
Two-and-a-Half Street, G/F, 1 David Lane, Sai Ying Pun, 9088 2609
Pondi
Long-standing veteran of Sai Ying Pun’s food scene, Pondi has survived and thrived through it all with a menu bringing together French and Indian flavours. The restaurant is conceptualised within the world of French-colonised Pondicherry in southern Indian. On the menu, to savour the clashing of both worlds, we recommend the duck khanda bhaji (HKD138), tofu korma (HKD128), grilled butter chicken (HKD188, ¼), and the dry-aged beef tartate (HKD168).
