Seafood guide

As a former fishing port surrounded by water, Hong Kong takes seafood seriously — and a handful of specific spots have built their reputation almost entirely around it.

Sai Kung and Lamma Island

Both are known for waterfront restaurants with live tanks out front, where you choose your own fish, prawns or shellfish before it's weighed and cooked to order.

How pricing works

Seafood is typically priced by weight, and prices can vary significantly by season and species — always confirm the price per weight (and ask for the total once weighed) before agreeing to an order, especially at less touristed spots without English menus.

What to try

• Steamed fish with ginger and spring onion — the standard, and a good test of a kitchen's basic skill.
• Typhoon shelter crab — deep-fried and tossed with garlic and chilli, named after the fishing-boat communities that popularised it.
• Salt and pepper squid — a menu fixture found almost everywhere seafood is served.