Michelin-starred restaurants are typically thought of as ultra-exclusive, innovative, expensive—and sometimes pretentious—dining. But the winds of the foodie world are now blowing in a different direction. Michelin just bestowed one star upon a no-frills street stall: Singapore’s Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle, which serves up delectable braised chicken to ever-growing lines.

But this fresh appreciation for affordable dining is actually old news in Hong Kong. While there’s no shortage of expensive restaurants, locals revere great food regardless of how simple or how cheap. As a foodie so aptly put it: As long as the food is great, Hong Kongers “don’t care about whether a restaurant has chandeliers.” And an abundance of cheap, delicious dining options seems to validate this claim.

One of Hong Kong’s best-kept budget culinary secrets is Wellington Street, where a cluster of low-key, cheap noodle and dumpling restaurants either have Michelin stars or have been Michelin recommended. This little culinary oasis in central Hong Kong Island is just down the street from an Isabel Marant boutique and the one-stop luxury shopping at Harvey Nichols. At each of these places, you can find super-cheap, ultra-casual places to hobnob (often literally elbow to elbow) with food-loving locals. In fact, Wellington Street (and a couple of places just around the corner) might offer the world’s only opportunity for a “Michelin crawl” that isn’t a bank-breaking splurge.

Mak’s Noodle

 

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Wonton noodle soup might be one of the most ubiquitous dishes in the world—it’s served almost everywhere, from buffets in American suburbs to Jerusalem’s few Chinese restaurants. But there’s a world of difference between those wontons and the ones served at Mak’s Noodle. This diner-style restaurant—complete with small booths—arguably dishes up the best shrimp-stuffed wontons in what can only be described as a very competitive market. The plump wontons burst with perfectly seasoned and tender shrimp, straining against thin flour wrappers. They’re typically served in small, overstuffed bowls full of umami-rich soup and thin noodles. Take some time to watch the action in the open, permanently steamy kitchen, where old pros in white paper hats make dish after dish of the good stuff.

77 Wellington Street, Central

Yat Lok

 

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When you visit Yat Lok, which consists of a single, small cramped room, you can expect to be jostled, elbowed, scowled at, and maybe even yelled at by one of the many middle-aged, no-nonsense, apron-wearing waitresses. But the fabulous food makes any aggravation—including an often lengthy wait—worthwhile. Yat Lok’s mirrored walls are covered with pink menus that itemize the choices in large red and black Chinese characters, but the culinary star here is clear: Tender chunks of roast goose with delectably crispy skin marinated in ingredients like soy sauce and wine, and typically served with sweet plum sauce. Try the goose atop a bowl of thick rice noodles in a fragrant scallion-thick broth.

34-38 Stanley Street, Central

Tsim Chai Kee