22. Knife cut noodles,Shanxi Knife-Cut Noodle King
Opened for well over a decade now, this Tsuen Wan noodle shop is one of the few places in Hong Kong that do authentic Shanxi knife-cut noodles fresh-to-order. Grab a seat by the open kitchen and watch as the chef slices the dough ball with lightning speed into strands that fly right into the pot of boiling broth. The chewy noodles are delicious served in clear soup and with sliced, braised beef shin or marinated pork belly. 245 Sha Tsui Rd, Tsuen Wan, 2409 1209. $32.

23. Pittu, AJ’s Sri Lankan Cuisine
Tucked away right at the end of Sai Kung’s famous seafood street, AJ’s is, to our knowledge, the only dedicated venue in town that doles out authentic Sri Lankan food. The cosy restaurant does a killer pittu – a dish made of rice meal mixed with grated coconut, compressed and steamed in a bamboo mould. The cooked pittu tastes almost like sweetened couscous and is eaten with a side of warm dhal curry. The kotthu roti is another must-try. A popular Sri Lankan street snack, this dish is made with chopped roti stir-fried with egg, shredded greens and a choice of beef, chicken or lamb. 14 Sai Kung Hoi Pong St, Sai Kung, 2792 2555; www.aj.srilankan.hk. $45.

24. Budae jjigae, Go Koong
Also known as “army stew”, this hearty Korean dish was invented during the Korean War in the 1950s when people combined all their leftover rations into one shareable pot. Go Koong’s version is made with a spicy, kimchi-based broth that includes spam, sausages, mushrooms, sprouts, cheese, tofu and a whole mishmash of other random things. Toss a shin-ramyeun (Korean ramen) into the pot when the ingredients are half finished and you’ve got yourself a simple but fully satisfying feast. Shop 202, 2/F, Toyo Mall, 94 Granville Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2311 0901. $250.

25. Mo-hinga, Chi Mei Bo
This Burmese specialty consists of slippery rice noodles served in a thick, yellow stock flavoured with fish meat, spices and chopped banana stalks. You can slurp the noodles down but the traditional way of eating mohinga is by mashing up the noodles into small chunks and eating it like a congee slurry with the delicious soup. Shop 8, Block A, Merlin Centre, 98 Shun Ning Rd, 2387 1186. $16.

26. Hotpot-grill, Chai Rung Thai Food
This clever Thai creation kills two birds with one stone. The charcoal-fired appliance has a raised barbecue dome, which is lubricated with lard for grilling meats and offal. The meat juices trickle down the sides of the dome and into a surrounding vat of clear broth, where you can cook meats, vegetables and vermicilli nooodles hotpot style. Totally genius. 33A Nam Kok Rd, Kowloon City, 2718 6588. $250.

27. Ume shio ramen, Mist
There are several reasons to love Mist. Firstly, it’s one of the two Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong to win a Michelin star. Secondly, they make all their ramen noodles from scratch in their ramen factory. And lastly, their noodles are car-azy good. We’re especially enamoured with the ume shio ramen, which is served in a deliciously umami chicken and kombu broth flavoured with Mongolian rock salt, preserved plum and a single shiso leaf. Oishii! 4 Sun Wui Rd, Causeway Bay, 2881 5006; www.mist.com.hk. $120.

28. Bò seven món (beef seven ways), Perfume River Vietnamese Restaurant
This traditional Vietnamese meal is made up of seven different courses of beef. Perfume River’s rendition kicks off with a serving of Vietnamese beef salad followed by various sliced, barbecued and steamed versions of the red meat. The steamed beef balls are especially good. The multicourse meal also includes a bowl of beef congee to help cleanse the palate. 89 Percival Street, Causeway Bay, 2576 2240. $150.

29. Kibbeh, Sumac
There’s no better way to start a meal at Sumac than with a plate of kibbeh. These golden brown Lebanese croquettes are made with cracked wheat and pine kernels stuffed with a mixture of minced beef, mutton and exotic spices. It’s heartier than any other meatball we’ve tried. 8 Glenealy, Central, 2147 9191; www.sumac.com.hk. $98.

30. Stuffed baby squid, Olé
These jet-black bites are a specialty of the Basque Country. The intricate dish is made by swelling up tubes of baby squid with a fine mixture of shrimps and almonds. The filled parcels are then drowned in a divine squid ink gravy that’s rich enough to stain your teeth black. 1/F, Shun Ho Tower, 24-30 Ice House St, Central, 2523 8624. $80 for tapas portion.

31. Spinosini pasta, Angelini
This isn’t just any regular egg noodle. Lauded as the king of pastas, spinosini gets its signature golden hue from its egg-heavy formula (ten eggs are used per kilo of semolina flour). The high protein content also gives this pasta its distinct, al dente body, making it the perfect canvas for hearty sauces. Angelini is a fan of these noodles and offers it in several dishes, including spinosini pasta with cod, pine nuts and basil sauce. M/F, Kowloon Shangri-La, 64 Mody Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2733 8750. $180.