Islam Food Kowloon City, Hong Kong: Halal Restaurant Gem since 1950

I strongly recall that the thing I did the most in the first two months of moving to Hong Kong was researching and making a bucket list of all the local must-try restaurants. One that came up in almost every blog, youtube, or lifestyle publications I looked at was Islam Food 清真牛肉馆 located in Kowloon City. Ranking in my top 5 favorite places to eat, along with Jiangsu & Zhejiang in Causeway Bay, I made sure to go to Islam Food one last time before departing with city that I called home for more than two years.

Living up to its hype, Islam Food is a family-style Halal restaurant in the Kowloon City neighborhood of Hong Kong and my favorite place to get Pan Fried Beef Buns! Even during COVID-19 stricken times, where most people were eating out less, the restaurant had long lines! I waited more than 30 minutes when I went in September.

Long lines outside of Islam Food 清真牛肉馆 in Kowloon City, Hong Kong

Ambiance

Like a typical bustling family-styled restaurant, Islam Food is composed of multiple round tables and simple chairs. If you are lucky, you may get a table for yourself. But many times then not, you will have to share a large round table with other customers. The restaurant is rather rowdy and customer service is what you may expect from this type of Chinese restaurant but it’s all part of the experience!

What to Order

The pan-fried beef buns are hands down an absolute must-order. It’s also what the restaurant is known for. Their lamb dumplings are also very legit! Honestly, there’s nothing we didn’t like from the menu. You can’t go wrong with this restaurant!

Pan-Fried Beef Buns

Juicy, hearty, generously portioned wrapped in a crispy flaky Chinese style pancake, this beef bun has so much going on that every bite is just bursting with flavor and texture! Be prepared to eat though because this beef bun fills you up quickly but there are so many other things you have to try on the menu! So come hungry!!!

Beef Dumplings

Same as the beef buns, these lamb dumplings are juicy down to the last bite! Make sure you eat it with a spoon so all that juice doesn't go to waste! The skin is just the right amount of thickness for a dumpling and carries the meaty flavor that has been transferred to the skin through the steaming process.

Dried Scallop and Egg Fried Rice

I was not sold on the name and description at first but Pierre insisted that we try this fried rice as it intrigued him. So glad we went with it! It was so good! First of all, I didn’t know you can use dried scallops in fried rice and second I didn’t know that salty, fresh flavor could match so well with fried rice! A must-try!

Cumin Fennel Lamb

Yum! It’s common knowledge in Chinese culture that Halal restaurants always do beef and lamb dishes very very well. Although this one could’ve been even more flavorful with extra salt and cumin, it was delicious nontheless!

A Local Institution and Must-Try for Any Hong Kong Visitor

Every metropolitan has local institutions that play a great role in the history and culture of the city. Hong Kong’s Islam Food can be considered as such. In the Kowloon City neighborhood, which was a walled-up slum that was demolished in 1994 and now a beautiful Chinese garden and public park, Islam Food has been around since the 1980s. But its founder, Mr. Ma has been in the business since the 1920s in Mainland China and opened his first bun-themed restaurant in Hong Kong at Hung Hom in the 1950s.

Delicious with a unique piece of local history, Islam Food is definitely on my recommended list and a place you cannot miss if you live or visit Hong Kong!