THE WONG KAR WAI DIARIES

A city that occupies so many folders in the collective mind. Never far from attention, never far from controversy, the sprawling gem hides more secrets than anyone could hope to uncover in their lifetime. From the highrises of Mid-Levels, bar and food streets of Central, quiet beaches of Shek-O, the sea between HK Island and Kowloon constantly trawled by Star Ferries and other floating devices, the chaos and claustrophobia of Tsim Tsa Tsui, the calmer pastures of the New Territories, market yelps in Mongkok and Sham Shui Po, temples and peaks in Sha Tin and Tai Wai, kind waters and trekking over in Sai Kung, it truly is one of the most magical places to explore on earth.

Whether you come here for a weekend of shopping or stay for an extended period of time, the first thing on your list has to be food. There are scant many places on earth that offer the diversity and deliciousness of eating out in Hong Kong. Dim Sum aside, the choices are endless with a whole passport full of nations who call it home. From authentic Pakistani food in Kowloon City, Indian food in the gigantic blister of Chungking Mansions (we love it really), Malay, Taiwanese, Ramen, Burgers, French fine dining, you'll find everything under the sun right here, under the sun.

The Mouth's editor lived in Hong Kong for a period, hunting illegal Wong Kar Wai DVD's at triad owned pop-up shops in Mongkok, eating far too much Pakistani food at Butt's Fast Food, and exploring the city with a camera at the ready. From those experiences, along with multiple successive trips, plus incredible local tips from the likes of Alex Mei, Ben Tse and Suki, the following tips are a combination of our own research and implicit trust in our sources that have been personally vouched for. If you want to read a more in-depth guide about sights, places to stay and things to do in Hong Kong then click on the link and read the great guide by Steve Rohan here

For a full link of all the places on google maps, click the icon below:

ONE DIM SUM

The Mouth could write a bible on Dim Sum in Hong Kong, and anyone staying longer than a few days should visit Tim Ho Wan (Sham Shui Po branch) and Din Tai Fung (Silverchord branch), but for the sake of not exhausting our readers we'll include three of our favourites here.

One Dim Sum is a classic spot that every trip to Hong Kong should start, and end at. Their Har Gao are especially delicious, as are the rice paper rolls with shrimp. At an average cost of under $3 a plate, go nuts.

VINYL HERO

Not all hero's wear capes, but this one wears a cap. Introducing the most insane record store you've never heard of, housed in an apartment in Sham Shui Po. The guard at the entrance will know what you're after and point you to the elevator, head up, knock on the door and try squeeze yourself in past the piles and piles and piles of records. A true hidden miracle of a place.

Read Time Out's mention about him in the local press.

YAT LOK

The battle forever rages on which goose leg comes up flying, but for our money it's Yat Lok (sorry Kam's!). Taking your first bite of this bird will literally bring you to tears. Once you've made the effort to go here, spend the extra bucks and get the drumstick as it's considered the most flavoursome part.

NYONYA COMING

Everyone loves a secret Malay restaurant hidden in a distant suburb of Shueng Wan. Well, this is your spot. The food is 100% authentic, so it's more than worth tracking down.

Their oxtail rendang is fire, their laksa's super tasty.

MUM'S NOT HOME

This delightful cafe /hangoutspace /clothing store is situated up a staircase that looks about to collapse, but fear not. Continue up, ring the bell and wait for the skipping owner to greet you. Inside is an oasis that makes you completely forget that busy Yau Ma Tei is meters below.

DIM DIM SUM

Another stone cold classic of the local Dim Sum game.

ISLAM FOOD

The meat patty that shook the earth. Head out by minibus to Kowloon City and park a few of these in your gob. Utterly addictive.

MUI KEE CONGEE

Slightly problematic to locate atop a shopping mall / parking house, Mui Kee serves up the old skool version of congee done in brass pots. You come here for the food, but the experience counts for half of it.

BOUND KOWLOON

If you miss the Brooklyn or Berlin vibes, then head over to this slick neighborhood bar where you'll bump into those on the fringes of local life.

WOODLANDS

Hong Kong offers fans of Indian food a huge amount of choices, but Woodlands smashes it's competition when it comes to authentic, delicious vegetarian food. You cannot beat their thali's. A circular spinning wheel of bliss.

DAIMARU RAMEN

This cosy little ramen shop has a line growing before the door handle is turned to open. Spot on bowls and a nice walk around the area afterwards is just what the doctor ordered to shake off the noodle sweats.

MIDO CAFE

Perhaps the worlds most beautiful cafe sits along the busy stretch of Jordan / Yau Ma Tei, but manages to block out the world in green shutters. Park your tired soul here for a cup of tea and dream of meeting Maggie Cheung or Tony Leung for a midday tryst.

Once you slip back into reality, head to Kubricks and pick up some movies.

MAK MAN KEE

A right of passage in Hong Kong is to crawl into a small booth and order a plate of wonton noodle soup. It's the perfect springy texture noodles, clear comforting broth and plump shrimp dumplings. Your spot if the rain hits.

WHITE NOISE RECORDS

Go meet the worlds coolest cat at this vinyl store, oh and pick up some records too.

HONBO BURGER

Hands down the best burger we tried in Hong Kong. If you're sick of noodles, dumplings and soups then head to this curious little area and get stuck in.

BUTT FAST FOOD

This one comes with a caveat. If you wish to inspect a certain underground life of Hong Kong that most visitors miss, then spend an afternoon walking around the different levels of Chungking Mansions. Not only a popular place for cheap (shitty) hostels, but on the ground floor towards the back and to the right is a long lane of Indian/Pakistani stalls serving up amazing, authentic versions of their home delights. This is not a place to go unless you can handle sitting on a stool in an alley whilst life passes by. The food is oily and heated up in a microwave, but if you want your Pakistani food the way local people eat it, this is your jam.

The chicken karahi is excellent here.