Sometimes there’s just no time to stop and chew the cud, that’s why we’ve gone to great lengths to uncover the cheapest of Hong Kong's cheapest eats that were born to be munched on the go.

Shanghai noodles at Home of Cart Noodles
Really, what can $10 buy you these days? At Home of Cart Noodles, it buys you a large bowl of Shanghai, rice or egg noodles, with a rich, rich broth. However if you are really on a budget, you can instead opt for the small $5 version. The topping are $5-$6 extra, and you can choose from a selection of stewed pig’s liver, soy-braised chicken wings, beef balls and more. You mix and match then, if there’s room, nudge your way to a spot on their counter and slurp while standing. Our suggested bowl: large Shanghai noodles with beef brisket, radish and chillies. G/F, 1A Anton Bldg, Anton St, Wan Chai, 2529 6313.

Thai Chicken Noodles at Tim Mei Snack Food Stall
The erratic opening hours of this tiny snack stall make tracking down its amazing Thai Chicken Noodles ($16) even more rewarding. Take up one of the two rickety tables on the Java Road sidewalk and start slurping away at the soup of steaming Thai flavours with semi-fat rice noodles, an assortment of greens and a generous helping of sliced, marinated chicken. Tim Mei Snack Food Stall, G/F, 70B Java Rd, North Point.

Pork Sandwich at Lan Fong Yuen
Eaten on the side of a road, squeezing between food stalls or standing on the sides of a wet market, this delicious, fatty sandwich ($15) is meant to be devoured straight off the grill. Don’t bother with getting a seat inside the dingy restaurant: by the time the sandwich travels from the outdoor kitchen to the table, it’s already too late. 2 Gage St, Central, 2544 3895.

Tuna fish hot potato at Big Potato
Each and every hot potato here is made by its Turkish owner, who spends 14 hours a day in his stall filling potatoes with your favourite toppings. His personal favourite – and ours as well – is the tuna fish potato stuffed with tuna meat and corn and covered in cheese ($26). It might sound like a strange combo to some, but it’s honestly pretty, baking good. 55 Dundas St, Mong Kok, 6028 3969.

Plump oyster with baked rice at Red Ant
There is just something so comforting about this baked rice ($86). It’s full of carbs, it’s creamy, it’s cheesy, and then to top it off, it’s layered with six plump oysters. Could this dish be anymore lush? We think not. G/F, 27 Ashley Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2375 9698.

Chinese pizza at Man Ga Bakery King
What is Chinese pizza you ask? Well, in this version it’s a steamed meat pie served on a rice flour crust with a sprinkling of scallions on top ($10). This takeaway shop always has a long line outside waiting for a fresh batch to come out of the oven, but if pizza’s not your thing, they also have Chinese hamburgers (also $10) – a steamed meat patty baked inside crusty dough, with juices that run like a xiao long bao. 43P-43S Dundas St, Mong Kok, 2332 5833.

CHEAPEST EAT IN HONG KONG: Bagged noodle at Bai Wei Shi Pei
Unless otherwise contested, we believe this to be the cheapest of the cheap eats in Hong Kong. Small bags of cold noodles are mixed with various sauce ranging from hot to sweet ($2.50 each), then add on toppings including shrimp, chilli squid, chicken and hot dogs (an additional $2.50 each). Then you grab two sticks and eat them out of a plastic bag. Shop G10, 1N Sai Yeung Choi St, Mong Kok, no phone.

BBQ skewer sticks at Kushiyaki Session
Decent BBQ skewer sticks (known in Japanese as kushiyaki) are hard to find in this town, so when there’s a whole shop dedicated to them, you know it’s got to be good. The minced chicken with egg yolk sauce ($23) and grilled Japanese bacon ($25) are both superb. Shop 281, 24 East Point Rd, Causeway Bay, 2890 2461.

Fried seaweed and cuttlefish balls at Cuttlefish Cake Eatery
Just recently opened but already making waves in North Point, the fried seaweed and cuttlefish balls ($22 for six) make a great snack anytime of the day. The golden crispy skin gives way to soft fresh cuttlefish mixture inside. 3 Tsat Tsz Mui Rd, North Point, 2811 0788.

Read the features:
Home comforts
It's a date
Café society
Standing room only
Sweet as
The dumpling index
The $100 Cook off