初到香港 First2HK

Eat

Eat: learn how to order before chasing famous shops

How to order in a Hong Kong cha chaan teng, no tipping, tap water is drinkable. Halal kitchens in Jordan and TST. Markets and 7-Eleven also count as a meal.

Notes dated 2026-09

A meal in Hong Kong does not require a two-hour queue. “Ham and egg noodles, iced lemon tea” already explains the city: fast, salty-sweet, and you specify ice and sugar.

Rules that travel

  • Tap water is drinkable. Shops more often send a cold drink or hot tea. Ask if you want water.
  • Share tables when it is busy. Order after you sit. Do not hold four seats empty for friends.
  • Cash, Octopus, Visa/Mastercard, AlipayHK / WeChat Pay — small shops will not take all of them. Read the till stickers.
  • Mainland Alipay and WeChat Pay are not city-wide. Do not rely on that wallet alone.
Cha chaan teng orders Sets, less sugar, less ice, HKD prices. Halal Jordan, TST, near the mosque.

Meals without a restaurant

  • 7-Eleven and Circle K: onigiri, bread, oden. Also inside MTR stations.
  • Market cooked food: Chun Yeung Street, Sham Shui Po. Watch hygiene and the queue.
  • Bakeries: you do not need the one famous pineapple bun to have been to Hong Kong.

In this chapter

Cha chaan teng: saying the order is faster than the translator How to order a Hong Kong cafe set, milk tea, iced lemon tea, less sugar and ice. Share the table, pay at the till, no tip. Halal: a whole stretch in Jordan and Tsim Sha Tsui Around Kowloon Mosque and from Chungking to Jordan Road: Pakistani, Indian, Nepali, African kitchens. Look for halal signs. Do not assume the whole city is.

Questions

Do I tip?

Most cha chaan tengs, noodle shops, and fast food do not expect a tip. Some restaurants already add a 10% service charge. Do not leave extra cash on the plate unless you mean to.

Cha chaan teng: saying the order is faster than the translator How to order a Hong Kong cafe set, milk tea, iced lemon tea, less sugar and ice. Share the table, pay at the till, no tip. Halal: a whole stretch in Jordan and Tsim Sha Tsui Around Kowloon Mosque and from Chungking to Jordan Road: Pakistani, Indian, Nepali, African kitchens. Look for halal signs. Do not assume the whole city is. North Point: the tram runs through Chun Yeung Street market North Point on the Island: Chun Yeung Street market, with the tram running between stalls. A local breakfast explains the city better than a waterfront mall. Money: HKD, ATMs, wallets Hong Kong uses the Hong Kong dollar. ATMs, AlipayHK / WeChat Pay, and how much cash you actually need.