Why Hong Kong Takes Siu Mai Personally
If you have spent any time walking through Hong Kong’s older neighbourhoods, you have seen them: metal steamers stacked three or four high on a street cart, puffing clouds of vapour into the air, with a queue of people clutching coins and waiting for a bamboo skewer of golden-skinned dumplings. This is siu mai (燒賣), and Hong Kong has turned it into something of an obsession.
The version you will find on Hong Kong streets is not the pork-and-shrimp dim sum piece served at teahouses. Street siu mai, known as fish siu mai (魚肉燒賣), is a distinctly Hong Kong creation: a bouncy, slightly chewy dumpling made from a blend of fish paste and pork, wrapped in a thin yellow skin, and sold from steamer carts at as little as HK$1 to HK$2 per piece. Dipped in soy sauce and a smear of chili oil, it is one of the cheapest and most satisfying snacks in the city.
The passion runs deep enough that a Facebook group called the 燒賣關注組 (Siu Mai Fan Club) has attracted tens of thousands of members who photograph, rate, and debate every siu mai stall they visit. For expats new to Hong Kong, this is the street food rabbit hole worth falling into. Here are the shops that keep earning the highest praise.
Chun Wan Store: The 60-Year Legend in Kwun Tong
Few siu mai shops in Hong Kong can claim six decades of continuous service, but 駿運士多 (Chun Wan Store) in Kwun Tong has been doing exactly that. Tucked into the ground floor of a residential building on Chun Yip Street, this no-frills shop has earned a near-legendary reputation among the 燒賣關注組 crowd for its thin-skinned, fish-forward siu mai.
At HK$10 for eight pieces, the value is hard to beat. The skin is notably thinner than most competitors, letting the fish flavour come through clearly. The texture is what locals call 煙韌 (yin ngahn), meaning springy and chewy without being rubbery. The shop keeps things simple: siu mai, fish balls, and a handful of other snack items. No seats, no air conditioning, no pretension. Just the siu mai and a smear of their chili sauce.
| Chinese Name | 駿運士多 |
| Address | 觀塘駿業街60號地下 G/F, 60 Tsun Yip Street, Kwun Tong |
| Nearest Metro | Kwun Tong MTR (Exit A2), 5-min walk |
| Hours | Mon-Sat 7:00am to 6:00pm |
| Price | HK$10 / 8 pieces |
| Must-Order | Fish siu mai (魚肉燒賣) |
| Payment | Cash, Octopus |
| Tip | Arrive before noon for the freshest batches; the afternoon crowd thins the supply |
Golden Flower: The Sham Shui Po Institution
Sham Shui Po is Hong Kong’s undisputed street food heartland, and 金華美食 (Golden Flower Cuisine) on Cheung Wah Street has been one of its anchors for over 20 years. The shop sells a range of traditional Hong Kong snack items, but the siu mai is the draw, partly because of the dumplings themselves and partly because of what goes on them.
Golden Flower makes two condiments in-house that regulars consider non-negotiable: a goose oil sweet soy sauce (鵝油甜豉油) and a dark, fragrant chili oil that has more depth than the bright-red stuff most stalls use. Together they transform a HK$10 serving of five siu mai into something that punches well above its weight. The fish-to-pork ratio leans fish-heavy, producing a lighter, less greasy bite than pork-dominant versions. Multiple local media outlets and the 燒賣關注組 have featured this shop.
| Chinese Name | 金華美食 |
| Address | 長沙灣昌華街20號金華閣地下1號舖 Shop 1, G/F, Golden China Building, 20 Cheung Wah St, Cheung Sha Wan |
| Nearest Metro | Sham Shui Po MTR (Exit D2), 8-min walk |
| Hours | Mon-Sat 7:00am to 9:00pm |
| Price | HK$10 / 5 pieces |
| Must-Order | Fish siu mai with goose oil soy sauce and house chili oil |
| Payment | Cash |
| Tip | Ask for extra chili oil on the side; the goose oil soy is already drizzled on by default |
Fun Guo Lao: 10,000 Pieces a Day in Tai Po
In Tai Po, a shop called 粉果佬 (Fun Guo Lao) has built a reputation on pure volume and craftsmanship. The owner, known locally as “燒賣佬” (the Siu Mai Guy), wraps every dumpling by hand using a filling of hand-pounded shark meat, pork, winter vegetables (冬菜), and spring onion. The result is a denser, meatier siu mai with a distinctly bouncy texture that feels nothing like factory-made versions.
The shop reportedly sells around 10,000 pieces daily, which speaks to both the demand and the speed at which the team works. At HK$10 for five pieces, it is not the cheapest option on this list, but the hand-made quality justifies the price. A Kwun Tong branch has since opened for those who cannot make the trip to Tai Po.
| Chinese Name | 粉果佬 |
| Address | 大埔安慈路4號昌運中心地下32號舖 Shop 32, G/F, Cheong Wan Centre, 4 On Chee Rd, Tai Po |
| Nearest Metro | Tai Po Market MTR (Exit A3), 10-min walk |
| Hours | Daily 12:00pm to 8:30pm |
| Price | HK$10 / 5 pieces |
| Must-Order | Hand-pounded shark meat siu mai (手打鯊魚肉燒賣) |
| Payment | Cash, Octopus |
| Tip | The shop also sells excellent fun guo (粉果) and cheung fun; worth ordering alongside |
Siu Mai Queen: The Late-Night Fix in Yuen Long
Most siu mai shops close by early evening, which is a problem if the craving hits at midnight. 燒賣皇后妙舒 (Siu Mai Queen Miu Shu) in Yuen Long solves that by staying open until 2am, making it a go-to for late-night street food runs. The shop has since expanded to branches in Tsuen Wan and Whampoa.
What sets Siu Mai Queen apart from the fish-dominant shops above is its filling: this is a mushroom and pork siu mai with a soft, almost juicy texture and a rich umami flavour that local reviewers describe as 菇味濃郁 (intensely mushroomy). At HK$15 for five pieces, it sits slightly higher on the price scale than street-cart fish siu mai, but the flavour profile is distinct enough to justify a dedicated visit.
| Chinese Name | 燒賣皇后妙舒 |
| Address | 元朗阜財街14號宏豐大廈地下11B及11C號舖 Shop 11B-11C, G/F, Wang Fung Building, 14 Fau Tsoi St, Yuen Long |
| Nearest Metro | Yuen Long MTR (Exit B), 5-min walk |
| Hours | Daily 10:00am to 2:00am |
| Price | HK$15 / 5 pieces; HK$22 / 8 pieces |
| Must-Order | Mushroom pork siu mai (冬菇豬肉燒賣) |
| Payment | Cash, Octopus |
| Tip | The Yuen Long original is the most reliable branch; Tsuen Wan hours are shorter |
Fish Matters: The Michelin Bib Gourmand Upgrade
For those who want the siu mai experience in a proper restaurant setting, 魚事者 (Fish Matters) in North Point and Causeway Bay has earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its approach to Hong Kong fish products. The siu mai here is made from 100% pure fish meat with no pork or lard, which gives it a cleaner, lighter flavour than the street-stall version.
Fish Matters also offers a clever menu item called 燒賣底 (siu mai base), where siu mai serves as the protein topping for a bowl of noodles or rice. It is a full meal rather than a snack, and a good option for expats who want to try quality siu mai in a sit-down setting with air conditioning and English menus. Prices are higher than street stalls, but the Bib Gourmand recognition confirms the quality.
| Chinese Name | 魚事者 |
| Address | 炮台山宏安道18號威德閣地下14號舖 Shop 14, G/F, Wai Tak Mansion, 18 Wang On Rd, Fortress Hill |
| Nearest Metro | Fortress Hill MTR (Exit A), 3-min walk |
| Hours | Daily 11:30am to 10:00pm |
| Price | Mid-range (individual items from ~HK$30) |
| Must-Order | Pure fish siu mai (純魚肉燒賣), siu mai base noodles (燒賣底) |
| Payment | Cash, Octopus, credit cards |
| Tip | The Causeway Bay branch at Hysan Place is convenient but smaller; North Point has more seats |
Three More Worth the Detour
永豐潮州食品公司 (Wing Fung Teochew Food) in To Kwa Wan sells what may be the cheapest siu mai in Hong Kong at HK$5 for five pieces. The filling is almost entirely fish with minimal starch, producing an unusually pure fish flavour. Find it at 47A Kowloon City Road.
梅姐香辣小館 (Mui Je Spicy Eatery) in Tai Po takes a different approach with a signature numbing chili oil (麻辣) that adds a Sichuan-influenced kick to standard fish siu mai. At HK$11 for eight pieces, the portions are generous. The shop sits at 63 Po Heung Street, a short walk from Tai Po Market station.
大圍小食 (Tai Wai Snacks) near Tai Wai MTR is the choice for odd-hours cravings: it opens at 5am and does not close until 2am. Ten pieces for HK$12, paired with a house-made spicy sauce that regulars consider one of the best in the New Territories.
Quick Info
| Shop | District | Price | Nearest MTR | Best For |
| 駿運士多 | Kwun Tong | HK$10/8pcs | Kwun Tong MTR | Classic thin-skin fish siu mai |
| 金華美食 | Sham Shui Po | HK$10/5pcs | Sham Shui Po MTR | House chili oil and goose oil soy |
| 粉果佬 | Tai Po | HK$10/5pcs | Tai Po Market MTR | Hand-pounded shark meat |
| 燒賣皇后妙舒 | Yuen Long | HK$15/5pcs | Yuen Long MTR | Late-night mushroom pork |
| 魚事者 | North Point | From ~HK$30 | Fortress Hill MTR | Michelin Bib Gourmand pure fish |
| 永豐潮州食品 | To Kwa Wan | HK$5/5pcs | To Kwa Wan MTR | Cheapest in HK, pure fish |
| 梅姐香辣小館 | Tai Po | HK$11/8pcs | Tai Po Market MTR | Numbing Sichuan chili oil |
| 大圍小食 | Tai Wai | HK$12/10pcs | Tai Wai MTR | Open 5am to 2am |
