TSIM SHA TSUI. Dynasty is located in the elegant Renaissance New World Hotel. The décor is a juxtaposition of the modern and traditional, highlighted by silk Chinese paintings and mirrors. The menu features the ever-popular bird's nest soup as an appetizer, and such entrées as the roasted pigeon, silver cod, or fried bean curd offer a delicious main course. The clientele is a nice mix of locals, tourists, and business people. Reservations are recommended, especially for dinner. MTR: Tsim Sha Tsui

KOWLOON. What started in 1948 as a catering business is today a thriving restaurant serving what many people consider to be the best Cantonese cuisine in Hong Kong. The food is labor-intensive and refined, with numerous double boiled soups and the more exotic of traditional Chinese ingredients (bird's nest, fish maw) making frequent appearances. Shark's fin dishes are numerous ­ indeed, Braised Most Superior Shark's Fin with Brown Sauce is widely regarded as the finest on offer anywhere. Abalone is a specialty, and Fook Lam Moon ages theirs carefully for the tenderest results. The food far outshines décor and service, but if you're looking for authenticity, Fook Lam Moon delivers admirably.

CENTRAL. The elegantly decorated Golden Leaf, located in the Conrad Hotel, offers unparalleled Cantonese cuisine and service in a classy atmosphere. For lunch, the Golden Leaf's dim sum is immensely popular with the business crowd. Meanwhile, at dinner, it is the shark's fin dishes or the suckling pig that take center stage. An á la carte menu also is available. Reservations are recommended, especially for dinner. MTR: Admiralty

CENTRAL. Luk Yu has the distinction of being Hong Kong's oldest still-operating tea house. It opened back in 1933, and not much about the place has changed since. The setting is still charming, with ceiling fans, wooden booths, marble tabletops, wood paneling and stained-glass windows. During the day it's packed with regulars who swear by the dim sum; in the evening there's a truly vast dinner menu. Service is notoriously indifferent (some might even say a bit rude), but this is a place you come to for the ambience.

CENTRAL. This sophisticated Cantonese restaurant is located in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and offers some rather brilliant views of Victoria Harbour. The traditional décor is replete with rosewood, wood statues and silk portraits. The elegance of the interior is surpassed only by the quality of the food served here, such as the beggar's chicken ­ one of the restaurant's signature dishes. The restaurant is also renowned for its traditional Chinese delicacies, including shark's fin and abalone. For dessert, Man Wah offers a delicious, and uniquely Chinese, take on pudding and fruit dishes; the poached pear in tangerine tea is a must-try. Reservations are recommended. MTR: Central