Insider Tips Hong Kong: 10 Real Hidden Gems

Photogenic Residential Buildings

Apartment rents in Hong Kong are among the most expensive in the world. A monthly rent of the equivalent of $3,000 or more for a 400- to 500-square-foot apartment is absolutely the norm here.

Space is a precious commodity in Hong Kong, and buildings are correspondingly tall and tightly packed. We spent every day wandering the streets in amazement, gazing up at the enormous facades behind which hundreds or even thousands of people live.

For photographers, there are an incredible number of subjects here. Just walk through Hong Kong with your eyes open and remember to look up every now and then. You’ll be surprised at what you can discover up there.

We’d also like to introduce two particular buildings in more detail, as we found these two structures especially impressive.

Choi Hung Estate

Choi Hung Estate is a large residential complex made up of numerous apartment blocks, shops, sports courts, and schools.

Particularly photogenic is a sports facility on the roof of a parking garage between the buildings. Local girls especially have discovered this photo spot and come in droves to pose and snap away to their hearts’ content.

Choi Hung Estate is massive and the sports court isn’t all that easy to find. It’s on the roof of a parking garage and can be reached via a staircase. The satellite view on Google Maps is really helpful for locating it — you can make out the sports court very clearly from above.

Montane Mansion

Montane Mansion is absolutely typical of Hong Kong in its architecture. Around a narrow inner courtyard, the building’s walls rise up on three sides. It’s cramped, laundry hangs from the residents’ windows, and elderly Hong Kongers sit along the edges drinking tea, playing mahjong, or chatting.

The building has even gained international fame — it was used as a filming location in 2014 for Transformers: Age of Extinction, during which hardly a stone was left unturned.

Note: By now, Montane Mansion is no longer much of a secret. As more and more tourists arrive, there’s now a photography ban on-site. You can still look and marvel, of course, but please respect the residents’ wish for privacy.

Pei Ho Street Market

The Pei Ho Street Market in the Sham Shui Po neighborhood is a genuine off-the-beaten-path find. The district is considered the poorest in Hong Kong, even though it’s not all that far from the glitzy world of shopping malls and skyscrapers.

Even the walk to the market hall is an experience in itself. The streets in the area are one giant market where everything is sold — from food and clothing to bric-a-brac and talismans.

The market hall spans two floors. Downstairs you’ll find meat and fish, while upstairs it’s mainly vegetables. We didn’t spot a single other tourist during our visit.

The Pei Ho Street Market is definitely not for the faint of heart — it’s not just prime cuts on offer here. You can buy every single part of an animal, from head to offal to tail.

The fish section is where things get really intense. The fish are killed on-site and gutted right there. It’s not pretty, but it’s about as authentic as Hong Kong gets.

Chungking Mansions

Chungking Mansions is a building constructed in 1962, and hardly anywhere else in Hong Kong will you find such a melting pot of different cultures and people.

Rooms are rented to travelers in the narrow hallways, food from all over the world is served, and above all, everything you can possibly imagine is traded here — legal and illegal alike.

Businesspeople from Asia and Africa meet here to deal in electronics and other goods. Gordon Matthews from the University of Hong Kong has been researching the building for many years. According to his estimates, around 20% of all mobile phones in sub-Saharan Africa were traded through Chungking Mansions. Incredible!

For visitors, the building is fascinating simply as a way to glimpse the Hong Kong behind the facades. You can stroll through the corridors, eat a seriously good Indian curry, and soak up the hustle and bustle.

There are also a large number of budget accommodations in Chungking Mansions at relatively affordable prices. The rooms are very basic, but generally quite acceptable.

Shek O

If you want to escape the hectic pace of the city, Shek O is the perfect Hong Kong insider tip.

In this small fishing village on the southeastern tip of Hong Kong Island, you genuinely feel like you’ve landed in another world.

Everything here is suddenly very small: the houses are modest and the streets are more like alleyways. Every now and then a car putters by, otherwise you might occasionally see a pedestrian stroll past.

The village, which is more than 200 years old, is the exact opposite of the city — and yet it’s still a part of Hong Kong. That contrast alone makes it worth the trip.

There’s also a sandy beach where locals come to swim, especially on weekends. If you didn’t pack a swimsuit for your city trip, no problem — you can buy everything on-site at reasonable prices and dive right into the waves.

Horse Racing

We stumbled across horse racing in Hong Kong entirely by chance and thought — why not check it out? We’re really glad we did.

Happy Valley Race Course sits right in the middle of skyscrapers. Every Wednesday (except in August), the racetrack becomes the stage for a massive spectacle starting at 7:00 PM.

It’s mainly mainland Chinese residents and expats living in the region who gather here to throw their money around. While gambling is banned on the mainland, it’s permitted in Hong Kong — and the Chinese love to bet.

During the 2016/17 racing season, a total of $115.8 billion was wagered here. Written out in full, that’s 115,800,000,000. Mind-blowing!

But even with a small budget you can have a great time, as bets start at just 20 HKD (about $2.50). The races themselves are over very quickly, but it’s still super interesting to soak up the atmosphere.

Admission costs a symbolic 10 dollars (about $1.25) for standing room — one of the best-value experiences in the city.

Cattle Depot Artist Village

The Cattle Depot is a former slaughterhouse that’s now home to artists. The low brick buildings feel somehow completely out of place in Hong Kong — you’d be far more likely to expect something like this in Berlin or London, not in a typical Hong Kong residential neighborhood.

Compared to similar creative spaces in Europe, the Cattle Depot Artist Village isn’t all that spectacular. There are a few studios, and occasional exhibitions or theatrical performances take place.

It’s not worth making a special trip across town just for this. But if you’re in the area or have simply already ticked off everything else, the Cattle Depot is a worthwhile lesser-known spot to add to the list.

The Best Dim Sum

The question of the best dim sum in Hong Kong is above all a matter of personal conviction — much like asking where to find the best Wiener Schnitzel in Vienna.

Dim sum is a specialty of Chinese cuisine. These steamed — and sometimes pan-fried — dumplings come with various fillings, the most popular being pork or shrimp.

Many people recommend the Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan (find it on Google Maps in Central), which has four locations in Hong Kong. It holds a Michelin star, but it didn’t win us over. The atmosphere is very sterile — you feel more like you’re in a cafeteria — and the dim sum itself didn’t really blow us away either.

Our absolute favorite restaurant in Hong Kong is DimDim Sum Specialty Store (find it on Google Maps). The dim sum there is so outstanding that we ended up eating there a total of three times.

You check off which dim sum you want on a slip of paper. Prices range from 15 to 25 HKD per portion, with each portion containing three to four pieces. For the equivalent of about $20, two people can eat until they’re completely full.

Don’t expect a cozy, leisurely meal, though. Like so many restaurants in Hong Kong, everything here moves very quickly and efficiently. You arrive, order, eat, pay, and leave. But you’ll leave happy.

Our favorites were the rice rolls with shiitake mushrooms and black truffle, the Shanghai soup dumplings with black truffle, and the traditional Siu Mai with a quail egg.

Whether you’re staying in the city for a while or just passing through on a short stopover in Hong Kong, dim sum is an absolute must-try!

The Best Rice Rolls

Rice rolls are another classic Chinese dish you shouldn’t miss. The slightly slippery rolls made from rice noodles come with various fillings and are served with soy sauce, chili sauce, and a sweet sauce.

The small, unassuming shop Hop Yick Tai (find it on Google Maps) is famous for its rice rolls and is also recommended by the Michelin Guide. For less than a dollar you get a portion of rice rolls, which you can eat on the go or at one of the rickety metal tables inside.

International Restaurants

One of the great things about Hong Kong is that so many nationalities live here together, each bringing their own specialties to the table. We didn’t just try Chinese cuisine — we also had fantastic Vietnamese, Japanese, and Indian food.

Here are some international restaurants in Hong Kong we can recommend:

Ichitora Ramen (find it on Google Maps): This small restaurant serves really delicious and authentic ramen — the classic noodle soup from Japan. We fell in love with it on our trip to Japan, and here it tasted exactly like the real thing.

The little spot is tucked away in a side alley off the Midlevel Escalator. When you ride the escalator up, the restaurant is on your right.

BEP Vietnamese Kitchen (find it on Google Maps): We’re also big fans of Vietnamese pho, which you probably can’t get better anywhere than on the streets of Saigon. At BEP Vietnamese Kitchen it came very close — and honestly, the high-quality, tender meat in the Pho Fillet Hanoi was actually noticeably better than what we’d found in Vietnam itself.

You’ll almost certainly walk past both spots, as they’re located right in the Central neighborhood on Hong Kong Island — the best area to stay in Hong Kong.

Sky Restaurants Without a Dress Code

Hong Kong is known for its countless rooftop bars and terraces. Most of the time these spots are super exclusive, with a fairly strict dress code, and you’ll pay a small fortune for drinks.

But there’s a great alternative. On the roof of the IFC Mall (find it on Google Maps) there’s a huge, freely accessible rooftop terrace — the Rooftop Garden. You can bring your own drinks and snacks and enjoy stunning views of Kowloon.

Hungry travelers are well taken care of too, as a large section of the terrace is lined with cool restaurants with their own outdoor dining areas — including the popular burger chain Shake Shack.

In terms of views, there are definitely more spectacular rooftop terraces in Hong Kong, but hardly any more affordable ones. The IFC Mall rooftop is one of our favorite secret spots in the city — a real find among Hong Kong’s sky-high dining options.