Michelin restaurants in Hong Kong you can dine at for under 20 US dollars

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    Michelin restaurants in Hong Kong you can dine at for under 20 US dollars

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Hong Kong is notoriously expensive. But if you know where to look, there are cheap eats to be found across the city. We've sifted through the Michelin restaurants in Hong Kong to create a list haunts you can pick up dinner for under 20 US dollars.

Alternatively, you could simply jump on our Hong Kong food tour and let our expert guides lead the way.

It's worth keeping in mind that almost all are Michelin recommended with a Bib Gourmand. The starred restaurants are, in the most part, beyond us mere mortals. But fear not, because the dishes cooked up in these Hong Kong Michelin restaurants are top notch.

Kwan Kee Noodles

Kwan Kee is one of the last remaining restaurants in the city that still make their noodles the traditional way by kneading the dough with large bamboo poles. Try the signature - hand-crafted noodles dressed in oyster sauce and roe. Between US $5 and $11 per dish.

Tim Ho Wan

Ask anyone in the city about the best Michelin restaurants in Hong Kong and you'll invariably Tim Ho Wan, a dim sum restaurant that became an international chain. The long lines that still form outside each of the restaurants are testament to the quality which hasn't been lost during expansion. All the dim sum is hand made and all is good. Expect to pay around US $13 for a meal.

Lau Sum Kee Noodle

Like Kwan Kee, this is one of the only restaurants left in the city that still make their noodles the old-school way. It's a third-generation restaurant that's been produced some fine bamboo noodles since the '50s. Try the excellent prawn wontons and the noodles with pork. One of our favourite picks. A bowl with set you back around US $7.

Ah Chun Shandong

This charming little 10-table restaurant in Kowloon knocks up some of the best dumplings in the city. Try the signature house lamb dumplings which are particularly good. Recipes are based on dishes from the eastern province of Shangdong. While you're at this Michelin restaurant in Hong Kong, try the chicken with clear noodles, sliced pork with garlic and the black fungus. A meal at Ah Chun Shandong will cost around US $13.

Lucky Indonesia

For something a little different, try the Lucky Indonesia, another Hong Kong Michelin restaurant with a Bib Gourmand. Don't be fooled by the slightly faded interior, this gem has some of the city's most authentic Javanese cuisine. Expect satay grilled over charcoal and excellent mee goreng. A meal at the Lucky Indonesia will set you back around US $8 - $12.

Nishiki

Nishiki is one of just a handful of Japanese Michelin restaurants in Hong Kong. It's found inside the Regal Kowloon Hotel and owned by a Japanese chef who has mastered the art of yakitori - skewered chicken cooked over a grill. The restaurant has created a loyal following over the 20 years it's been open, so try to book ahead. While it's possible to spend quite a lot at the restaurant, you can still nab a meal for under US $20.

Mak Man Kee

Mak Man Kee may not look like much from the outside, but for over 60 years they've produced some of the city's best wonton. Paper-thin egg wonton pastry clutch perfectly cooked prawn and line bowls of soup thats delicious without being overpowering. This Michelin restaurant in Hong Kong started as a dai pai dong (an outdoor street stall) in the 50s, but moved into its current shophouse a decade later and has been there since. It's good value at around US $7 - $13 for dinner.

Din Tai Fung

The Din Tai Fung franchise started with just one small restaurant in Taiwan. They first dish, and still the most popular to this day, is the xiaolongbao steamed buns famous for being made with 18 folds. Not only does this feature as one of the Michelin restaurants in Hong Kong, it was also voted one of the top ten restaurants in the world by The New York Times in the '90s. Dinner here is a little more expensive, but you can still eat for just under US $20 if you're careful.

Sheung Hei

Sheung Hei has a huge menu, but most come for their famed claypot rice which is still cooked the traditional way over charcoal. The aromatic pot is smoky and perfect crisp on the bottom. There are plenty of variations, but it's particularly good with spare ribs, pork belly and Chinese sausage. The claypot rice is only available in the evening, so don't try to visit for lunch. Between US $6 - $13 for most dishes.

Kam's Roast Goose

There's a reason Kam's has become one of the coveted one-star Michelin restaurants in Hong Kong. For three generations, the restaurant has been perfecting their roasted goose. Expect a tender and moist bird with perfectly crisp skin. There's other barbecued dishes which are all excellent, but it would be criminal not to at least try the goose. It's relatively small, so book ahead if you can. Expect to pay around US $20 per person without drinks.

Yat Lok

If you can't make Kam's, you could always try to get a reservation at Yat Lok, another one of the Michelin restaurants in Hong Kong that's been awarded one star. There's also sorts of barbecued good things, but the star of the show is, without a doubt, their roasted duck which supposedly goes through more than 20 different steps before cooking. It's a busy spot, so you may have to share a table. It's possible to have dinner for just under US $20 per person as a group.

Samsen

The Michelin restaurants in Hong Kong come in all shapes and sizes including this small Thai noodle shop in Wan Chai. The interior is decked out to look like a Bangkok-style street with faded Thai posters and concrete walls. The menu is full of Thai classics, but try the som tum papaya salad with salted duck egg, the Thai mango sticky rice and the house boat noodles all of which are excellent. The set lunch menu starts around US $17.

Ho Hung Kee

A Hong Kong institution - Ho Hung Kee has been feeding noodles to hungry locals in Wan Chai since the '40s. Today, you'll find this one-star Michelin restaurant in Hong Kong has an updated modern interior, but its wonton noodles are just the same as the original recipe. There are plenty more dishes on the menu including dim sum. But if you're really hungry, try the signature congee - a type of rice porridge. Dishes start around US $12.

Ancient Moon

This small haunt is inspired by Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine. It's a short menu features classics like nasi lemak and roti, along with more less well known dishes like bak kut teh (slow-cooked pork ribs in broth) and chilli pan mee (noodles with a spicy sauce). When it comes to Michelin restaurants in Hong Kong with a Bib Gourmand award, it's surprisingly affordable with plates starting around US $7 on their lunch menu.

Eng Kee

This unassuming little shop isn't a place to come for the atmosphere. Almost nothing has changed since it opened in the mid-90s. But this Michelin restaurant in Hong Kong is a worthy Bib Gourmand winner for it's divine beef brisket and springy egg noodles. While you are there, try the pork neck char siu and wontons. Dishes start around US $6 making it one of the cheapest in Hong Kong.

Good Hope Noodle

For more than four decades, this small shop has been making egg noodles the old-fashioned way - kneading them with bamboo poles. It's one of the few that still remain and adds a springiness that you simply can't get with machine made noodles. Try with prawn wontons and braised pork trotters on the side. It's also one of the cheaper Michelin restaurants in Hong Kong with bowls starting around US $6.50.

Kai Kai Dessert

Like any good meal, we're ending this list of Michelin restaurants in Hong Kong with dessert. The 40-year-old Kai Kai has been feeding the sweet tooth of locals with Cantonese favourites like almond sweet soup with sesame rice balls and beancurd with ginkgo nuts. Desserts start around US $2.50.

Still confused about where which Michelin restaurants in Hong Kong? No problem. Hop on our daily Hong Kong food tour to discover everything that's great to eat in the city. You'll be led by an expert local foodie guide who'll show you the ins and outs of Hong Kong's varied food scene from some of the last dai pai dong to the city's food markets.