Hi all

I've read lots of threads about high end dining, and I am sure we will avail ourselves a few times. But I also understand that some of the local eatereis can be quite good.

The issue is, neither of us reads or speaks a lick of Chinese. Does anyone have recommendations for foreigner freindly cheaps eats?

Thanks

If you like wonton noodles, I highly recommend the following:
- Mak's Noodles at 77, Wellington St, Central
- Wong Chi Kei at 15C (or B - can't remember, but look out for that name), Wellington St, Central

For dim sums:
- Jade Garden at 1, Hysan Av, Causeway Bay. This might not be one of those super cheap eateries, but it's not expensive either. I filled myself up with 5 fairly big dishes, including dessert, and paid just slightly over HKD100. It also has another branch at the Tsim Sha Tsui area, don't know the exact address but google's ur best friend.

Most restaurants in HK are used to tourists and supply menus in English.

It's funny that QF009 will call Mak's Noodle's "cheap eats" . While US$3 may not seem a lot, they're probably the most expensive noodle shop in all of Hong Kong! But I'll recommend it too. Hahaha.

Well it's not expensive either. ^

Hong Kong is so metropolitan that you don't need to worry about not speaking a lick of Chinese. I found Hong Kong to be cheap in general as far as food is concerned.

$3 noodle may be expensive for a local person in Hong Kong (but I don't think this is the case for many) but shouldn't your perspective on the high/low price based on how much you'd normally pay back home? Of course I'm assuming back home will likely have western standards.

I'd recommend just walking around and pop into a place that your eyes and stomach leads you to. You can always check the menu beforehand for prices if you want dirt cheap...

Cheap of course is relative, I've gone to an amazing restaurant with the view, the food and the crowd to please all my senses for fraction of what I would've paid for say in New York. I've also had amazing calamari Hong Kong style, for a few dollars.

My favorite wonton noodle shop is called Chi Ge (chee-gay), in Causeway Bay, across the street from the Times Square shopping complex, on Russell Street.

Actually, US$2.60 to $3.25 is about right, if you're talking about between HK$20-25 per bowl, in a fixed location shop in a major commercial district such as Central, TST, Causeway Bay, Wanchai.

Some places in Central or TST may charge $3 (or close to it) for a bowl of noodles, but I doubt you'll find any with a portion that small.

Their "shui gow noodles" have only 3 shui gows in it, and I could finish the whole thing in 2 minutes.

Anyways, I wasn't really complaining. I actually went eat there last time with my mom, and she explained to me that Mak's portion is actually the "right size" for wonton shops in the old days, as wonton or shui gow noodles is really not a full meal. They're supposed to be just for snack. Anyways, the portion size went up everywhere, and Mak's holding its tradition.

Anyways, there's a noodle shop right across the street from Mak's, and it's also pretty good. Slightly cheaper, bigger portions. But it's not as famous.

A lot of the Cheap eateries frequented by locals don't even have menus printed in English. Sure some have waiters than can converse in English and translate the menu for you. But if you run into one that doesn't then you'll undertake the risk of ordering something undesirable to your diet.

Anyways to keep things simple, just head into the food courts of the major malls and you'll find plenty of cheap eateries. Those such as the ones located in Festival Walk have plenty of choices from cheap local eateries such as Cafe de Coral aka Tai Ka Lok, Noodle Place, Spaghetti House, etc to name a few.

My all time favorite for light snacking after the long day in the office are those stalls selling Ka Lei Yu Tan (Fish Ball curry on stick).