When it comes to Central seafood, nine out of ten people's first impression is either upscale fine dining or old-school dim sum restaurants. But what makes Central interesting is precisely that it has more than one face. Beneath the glossy surface of the financial centre, there are actually quite a few "hidden gems" — the Cantonese transliteration of the English "hidden gems", referring to those places that aren't well-known to tourists but are secretly recommended by local youngsters as pilgrimage spots. You don't have to wait until dinner time or a public holiday to visit these places — you can pop in for lunch, and some of them aren't even restaurants in the traditional sense.
This time, I'm taking you into Central's "secret realm" to see what other seafood treasures exist — completely different from the official establishments upstairs.
Introduction
Central's seafood landscape is actually more diverse than you'd imagine. Apart from the dried seafood street and the familiar restaurant groups, there are hidden seafood eateries behind Lan Kwai Fong, on the hillside of Queens Road, and even near the former site of the Central Market. Some sell Mexican tacos with Alaska crab meat, others serve Italian oysters with chilled Japanese sake, and some are just a bar counter with a few stools, run entirely by one auntie. These places typically have little to no marketing; they rely on word-of-mouth and repeat customers.
The biggest common thread among these places is that they're "unofficial". No fancy装修, no marketing budget, and no influencer photo spots with queues around the block. But precisely because of that, they're authentic — if you're tired of the identical chain restaurants in Lan Kwai Fong and want to find hidden seafood gems with local soul, this article is for you.
Key Highlights
The hidden gems in this article fall into three categories:
The first category is "International Seafood". Central's SoHo area has long been a gathering spot for expatriates, and the foreign chefs' homemade dishes are usually of decent quality and authentically tasty. There's a Mexican cantina behind Lan Kwai Fong run by an Argentine lady who makes ceviche daily — the classic Latin American citrus-marinated raw fish. They use Marl imported directly from Mexico, crisp and refreshing, combined with avocado cream and tangy lime juice — the first bite is impossible to stop at. The key point is that their seafood tacos cost just HK$35 to HK$45 each — not like the overpriced items elsewhere in Central.
The second category is "Japanese Seafood Bars". Central is full of Japanese salarymen, so competition among Japanese restaurants is fierce. But apart from the chain conveyor-belt sushi, there are a few "counter-style" sushi bars in the junction of Stanley Street and D'Aguilar Street, spanning merely ten-odd square feet, serving only lunch omakase with the chef sitting face-to-face, handing you piece by piece. One chef previously trained at Tokyo's "Sukiyabashi Jiro" for two years, and his creations have about seventy percent of the original's skill — yet you can get a 10-piece lunch set for just HK$200 to HK$350, which is practically a bargain in Central.
The third category is "Harbourside Hidden Cafés". Central Pier has historically been Hong Kong's most important seafood import and export hub, and if you walk past now, you can still see the nearby fish unloading area. But in the past two years, a café owner spotted the concept of "Victoria Harbour's last maritime flavours" and started selling sea salt ice cream with seaweed bits opposite the Star Ferry pier. It sounds strange, but the saltiness of the sea salt combined with the creamy ice cream creates an unexpectedly harmonious texture. Plus, since it's on the harbour front, you can watch the Victoria Harbour sunset while "eating the sea".
Recommended Places
1. La Casa de la Mar — SoHo Mexican Seafood Hidden Bar
This is the Argentine lady's seafood taco shop mentioned above, hidden on the second step of Gary's Steps in Lan Kwai Fong. First-time visitors usually can't find it because there's no signage. But as long as you pluck up the courage to push the door open, you're halfway there. Their specialties include: "Taco de Camaron" — fried shrimp with homemade yuzu honey pepper sauce, the shrimp meat is bouncy with a subtle citrus aroma, all made to order. There's also the "Ceviche Mixto", featuring a combination of sea bass, salmon, and scallops, marinated in lime juice to just-cooked perfection, served with corn chips and fresh jalapeño — the portion is generous enough for two to share. The owner says all their seafood comes from the Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market — no fancy frills, just daily freshness. Average spending: HK$35 to HK$80 per taco.
2. Itamae — Stanley Street Ten-Square-Foot Sushi Bar
This shop is located in the alley between D'Aguilar Street and Wellington Street — a true "ten-square-foot shop". Not that you can get anything for ten dollars, but the shop is only about ten square feet in size. Chef Ken previously worked at a high-end sushi restaurant in Central for ten years before opening this tiny shop last year. His lunch omakase accepts only twenty customers daily — once they're sold out, they close. For ingredients, the fish is delivered directly from Tsukiji, and the sushi rice is a blend of red and white sushi vinegar that Ken mixes himself — the acidity is just right and the texture has optimal stickiness. Their "Central Special" ($280) has 12 pieces, including tuna belly, flounder fin, sweet shrimp, and seasonal Hokkaido uni battleships. Get there before 12pm for the good stuff — arrive late and they'll say there's no more space.
3. On The Pier — Central Pier Sea Salt Ice Cream Van
If you're taking the Star Ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central, you can try this pop-up ice cream van at the pier before boarding. They call themselves "Victoria Harbour's Last Flavours", selling ice cream made with Victoria Harbour sea salt (combined with imported quality milk, of course), then sprinkled with rock salt and dried seaweed bits. Flavours include plain sea salt, roasted tea, and a limited-time yuzu salt ($35 per cone). About the environment — to be frank, if it's a nice day it's absolutely brilliant, but if it's windy or rainy you might have to stand and eat — there aren't many indoor seats. But it makes up for it in uniqueness and is perfect for photos with Victoria Harbour.
4. Oyster Station — D'Aguilar Street Rock Oyster Bar
This place has been around for a while, the facade is never particularly noticeable, but it fills up every happy hour. They mainly supply seasonal oysters from the USA, Australia, and France, opened on the spot, served with three different sauces: traditional red wine vinegar, Japanese ponzu, or Thai chilli yuzu juice. Their pricing is simple: starts from half a dozen, or HK$18 to HK$28 per single oyster. If you want to pair with wine, you can upgrade for HK$30 to get a sparkling wine or sake flight. The most special thing is that they change their menu monthly, launching an "Oyster of the Month" according to season — like Florida rock oysters in October or South Australian Coffin Bay in November — so it's always different. Even if you go every month, there's always something new to try. Average spending: HK$150 to HK$300 per person.
Practical Information
The common characteristics of these hidden gems are: some don't accept reservations and require queuing on site; some only accept cash or Octopus, and PayMe or Credit Card might not work. Here's the practical information整理好:
Regarding transport, all are within a 5 to 15-minute walk from Central MTR station. The nearest is Exit E, which is only a 3-minute walk to La Casa and Oyster Station. To get to Itamae, you can walk from Exit A of Central Station to Cochrane Street, then head up the slope — about 8 minutes. For On The Pier, just head towards Central Pier, past the Star Ferry entrance and you'll arrive.
Regarding costs, the average spending at these hidden shops is roughly: tacos or small dishes are HK$35 to HK$80, lunch sets are slightly cheaper at HK$200 to HK$300; if you want to go all out on oysters with wine, it's around HK$250 to HK$400 on average.
Regarding opening hours, these shops have very inconsistent schedules: La Casa is typically 11am to 9pm, Itamae only operates from 11:30am to 2pm, On The Pier follows the Star Ferry schedule — open when there's a ferry, closed by 5pm — while Oyster Station is the most stable: Monday to Saturday 12pm to 10pm, closed on Sundays.
Travel Tips
If you want to visit these hidden gems, here are a few suggestions:
First, it's best to go Monday to Friday; Saturday and Sunday afternoons typically have long queues, which can really dampen the experience. Second, most of these places prefer cash — many of Central's old-school small shops are still "cash is king", so it's advisable to have some ready. Third, many of these hidden gems are quite well concealed — like La Casa and Itamae, many tourists might walk right past without noticing. If you're worried about finding them, I'd suggest asking locals directly — these places rely on word-of-mouth, and if you ask around, someone will usually be happy to point you in the right direction.
Last but not least, if you want to experience the real Central — not just the chain stores and travel agency recommendations, but the secret corners where local youngsters go after work — then these hidden gems are definitely worth exploring. I hope you find your next favourite in the financial centre's secret sea!
