HONG KONG · CENTRAL & SHEUNG WAN

Central & Sheung Wan Route

Central and Sheung Wan, where the steam of yum cha and the oil of roast meats linger in the canyons between towers. From Lin Heung Kui's trolley dim sum to Mak Man Kee's wonton noodle, Yat Lok's roast goose, Lan Fong Yuen's silk-stocking tea, Kau Kee's brisket and a closing egg tart at Tai Cheong — a daytime route through old houses and cha chaan teng, walked across a city of slopes.

🚇 MTR Central & Sheung Wan🚶 ~120 min on foot🍽 6 dishes

What Central and Sheung Wan are

Central is the heart of Hong Kong Island, a financial district of banks and towers. At their feet, teahouses for yum cha, roast-meat shops and cha chaan teng still remain. Walk west into Sheung Wan and the city ages — the wholesale streets of dried seafood and Chinese medicine, and Hollywood Road with its antiques. It is a place of slopes and stairs, walked threading the canyons between buildings. The glamour of the main street and the lived-in smell of the lanes trade places within a few dozen metres.

What to eat here

This route turns on yum cha, cha chaan teng and siu mei. First, at Lin Heung Kui, flag down a trolley for har gow and siu mai — old-style yum cha. At the roast-meat shop, crisp-skinned goose over rice. For noodles, bamboo-pressed wonton noodle and slow-braised brisket noodle. When you're thirsty, a silk-stocking tea at a cha chaan teng. Close on the sweetness of a fresh-baked egg tart. Alternating salty and sweet, hot and cold, you can walk the slopes without tiring.

How to walk this route

Starting from Central or Sheung Wan station, walk up and down the slopes along the two main roads, Queen's Road Central and Des Voeux Road Central. Yum cha runs morning to early afternoon, siu mei and brisket at lunch, egg tarts and milk tea all day — each shop has its hour. Popular shops queue at midday but turn fast. Most take cards and mobile payment, but keep cash for the old cha chaan teng and stalls. Signs are mostly in traditional Chinese, so this site lists each shop's name in that script. With so many slopes and stairs, wear easy shoes. Hours are a guide; confirm on the spot.

Route map

Central Stn → Wellington St & Lyndhurst Terrace → Sheung Wan (yum cha, cha chaan teng, old houses)　·　numbers match the dishes below

The dishes on this route (6)

Tap through to each shop and dish

包1DumplingsLin Heung Kui×Dim Sum (har gow & siu mai)點心Steam-topped trolleys thread between the tables; the lid comes off so you can see inside before it is served. Har gow show the shrimp through thin skin, and siu mai give up their fat in one bite. Sharing a table is the norm — you brew your own tea and the waiter stamps your slip. Old-style yum cha, at its best from morning to early afternoon, when the range is fullest.Nearest MTR Sheung Wan, Exit A2Price from HK$30 a basket 麺2NoodlesMak Man Kee Noodle×Wonton Noodle雲吞麵A small bowl, gone in a few mouthfuls. The thin egg noodles carry the scent of lye water and a firm bite, the clear broth deep with dried shrimp and flounder. The wonton have thin skins wrapped around whole shrimp. So the noodles don't go soft, the wonton sit at the bottom and the noodles are piled on top — that is the rule.Nearest MTR Central, Exit D2Price ~HK$50 肉3MeatYat Lok×Roast Goose燒鵝The skin is crisp and amber, a thin layer of fat beneath, moist red meat below that. Chopped on the bone and served with a dish of plum sauce. Over rice, the juices and sauce soak into the grains. Ask for the leg (bei) and the meat is thicker. It queues at lunch, but the chopping is quick.Nearest MTR Central, Exit D2Price ~HK$70 over rice 酒4DrinkLan Fong Yuen×Silk-Stocking Milk Tea絲襪奶茶Several teas are strained again and again through a cloth sack, the strong brew married to evaporated milk. The tannin and the creaminess run thick — the cup that carries a Hong Kong cha chaan teng's morning. Hot or over ice (dung). The classic pairing is with a pineapple bun or egg-topped instant noodles.Nearest MTR Central, Exit D2Price ~HK$22 麺5NoodlesKau Kee×Beef Brisket Noodle牛腩麵Brisket simmered long, falling apart under the press of a chopstick. Two broths — clear or curry — and the noodle can be rice noodle or e-fu. Ask for the tendon cut (ngau gan naam) and you get melting, gelatinous richness. It closes for a stretch between lunch and dinner, so check the opening time.Nearest MTR Sheung Wan, Exit E1Price ~HK$60 甘6SweetsTai Cheong Bakery×Egg Tart蛋撻A cookie-dough shell baked around a custard so soft it wobbles. Fresh from the oven the shell crumbles at a touch and the centre is still warm and molten. Unlike the caramel-scorched Portuguese kind, the Hong Kong tart has a smooth, yellow face. Handed over wrapped one by one in paper.Nearest MTR Central, Exit D2Price ~HK$11 each

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