Temple Street night market, Mido Cafe's tiled mezzanine and old jade traders. Cantonese tradition at street level after dark.
Yat Tung Heen at Eaton HK in Jordan holds a Michelin star for refined Cantonese cooking, with a kitchen team that has crafted dim sum and stir fries here since 1990.
Signature: Steamed seafood dim sum, Barbecued meats platter, Stewed beef brisket
Order: Steamed seafood dumpling and barbecued duo of pork and goose.
Tip: Lunch dim sum is the deal; the steamed seafood dumplings are made to order, so allow time.
Mak Man Kee on Parkes Street in Jordan has been hand making wonton noodles since 1957, using a duck egg and flour recipe unchanged for three generations and holding a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Signature: Shrimp wonton noodle, Beef brisket noodle, Eight treasures shrimp roe noodle
Order: Dry tossed noodle with shrimp roe (har-zi lo mein).
Tip: Order the dry tossed noodle with shrimp roe; the broth comes on the side and the noodle texture survives the bowl.
Australia Dairy Company on Parkes Street in Jordan is the canonical cha chaan teng for scrambled eggs and steamed milk pudding, opened in 1970 with a queue out the door from breakfast to lunch.
Signature: Scrambled eggs on buttered toast, Steamed milk pudding, Macaroni in chicken broth
Order: Scrambled eggs on buttered toast and a hot milk steam pudding.
Tip: Order before you sit; the wait staff are famously brusque and the turnover is intentional.
Australia Dairy Company on Parkes Street in Jordan opened in 1970 and is the city's most famous cha chaan teng for steamed milk pudding, scrambled eggs and the speed of its service.
Signature drink: Hot ovaltine with steamed milk pudding
Tip: Order at the door, sit fast, eat faster; staff turn tables in 12 minutes. Closed Thursdays.
Mido Cafe on Temple Street is a 1950 cha chaan teng with original wood booths and a tiled mezzanine that has featured in films from Days of Being Wild to Suzie Wong.
Signature drink: Baked pork chop rice with iced milk tea
Tip: Climb to the upstairs window seat for the Temple Street view; baked pork chop on rice is the order.
Temple Street Night Market stretches a full kilometre between Jordan and Kansu Street in Yau Ma Tei, with seafood dai pai dong, claypot rice and street food stalls best after 20:00.
Try: Clay pot rice, salt and pepper squid, curry fish balls
Order: Claypot rice with Chinese sausage and salted fish.
Tip: Skip the seafood blocks at the south end; the claypot rice stalls midway are where locals queue.
Block 18 Doggie's Noodle in Jordan revives the 1950s street snack of stubby tail shaped noodles with curry fish balls, dried shrimp and pickled greens, plated 24 hours a day.
Try: Doggie's noodles with curry fish balls
Order: Doggie's noodles with curry fish balls.
Tip: Add the curry fish balls to the doggie's noodle; this is the canonical Hong Kong combo.
Kai Kai Dessert on Ning Po Street in Jordan is the Michelin Bib Gourmand sweet shop for late night tong sui, with walnut paste and black sesame soup served until 03:30 Mon-Sat.
Try: Tong sui (Cantonese dessert soups)
Order: Walnut paste with black sesame swirl.
Tip: Cantonese desserts split into hot and cold; in summer try the chilled mango sago, in winter the walnut.
Temple Street Night Market in Yau Ma Tei is Kowloon's most famous after dark market, running from 16:00 between Jordan Road and Kansu Street with seafood dai pai dong, fortune tellers and souvenirs.
Tip: Stalls only set up at 18:00 properly; arrive by 20:00 for the peak energy and most stalls trading.
Australia Dairy Company on Parkes Street in Jordan is the canonical Hong Kong cha chaan teng, plating scrambled eggs on buttered toast and steam milk pudding well under HK$80 a head.
Try: Scrambled eggs on toast and milk pudding
Tip: Eat fast and leave fast; the queue waits for the seat the moment you finish.
Yat Tung Heen at Eaton HK in Jordan holds a Michelin star for refined Cantonese cooking, with a dim sum lunch service that has run from the same Kowloon basement since 1990.
Order: Steamed seafood dumpling and barbecued duo.
Tip: Ask for the off menu seasonal soup; the kitchen rotates double boiled tonics with the calendar.
Temple Street Night Market in Yau Ma Tei keeps stalls open until midnight with seafood dai pai dong, claypot rice and chilli salt squid, late night Cantonese eating with no reservations.
Try: Claypot rice, salt and pepper squid, congee
Order: Claypot rice with Chinese sausage and chilli salt squid.
Tip: Claypot rice stalls midway down the street are the locals' pick; seafood at the south end is tourist priced.
Mak Man Kee on Parkes Street in Jordan trades until 00:30, the late night Michelin Bib Gourmand wonton noodle counter for diners coming off Temple Street or the Cross Harbour Tunnel.
Try: Shrimp wonton noodle and beef brisket
Order: Shrimp roe dry tossed noodle.
Tip: The dry tossed shrimp roe noodle is the move past midnight; the broth comes on the side.
Block 18 Doggie's Noodle in Jordan is open round the clock, plating curry fish balls and short tail shaped doggie's noodles to taxi drivers and Temple Street market vendors at 03:00.
Try: Doggie's noodles with curry fish balls
Tip: Add the curry fish balls to the noodle bowl; that combination is the canonical late night order.
Kai Kai Dessert on Ning Po Street in Jordan is the Michelin Bib Gourmand Cantonese sweet shop open until 03:30 Mon-Sat, with walnut paste, sesame soup and chilled mango sago for after midnight diners.
Try: Walnut paste and sesame soup tong sui
Order: Walnut paste with black sesame swirl.
Tip: Walnut paste with a swirl of black sesame is the canonical late night Cantonese dessert.
Australia Dairy Company on Parkes Street in Jordan trades until 23:00, the Hong Kong cha chaan teng for late dinner scrambled eggs on toast and steam milk pudding in Kowloon.
Try: Scrambled eggs on toast and milk pudding
Order: Scrambled eggs on buttered toast with hot milk pudding.
Tip: Closed Thursdays; on other late nights, order before you sit, eat fast, leave fast.