Ali Baba Kashmir Curry House
A charming dive serving crazy-hot Halal curries with naan that’s heated in a microwave. Order the potato paratha, find a park bench, and savour the best-tasting This halal house serves crazy-hot curries with naan bread, most usually heated in a microwave oven. Order yourself some Potato paratha, find a park bench and have the best tasting Kashmir feed $15 can buy. 14D, Yan On Bldg, 1 Kwong Wah St, Mong Kok, 2388 6671.

Fuk Kee Congee
Though congee is in their name, most come for the beef ho fun. Another favourite is the lean char sui over rice or rice noodles. And it’s super cheap! $22 will sort you out a decent meal. 104-106 Fa Yuen St, Mong Kok, 2385 1230.

Glutinous Dumpling King
Desserts should be the fourth required meal of the day, and this place is a fair candidate to fill that need. Whether it’s mango in sago milk, or almond cream, or papaya sweet soup, the GDK provides the perfect ending to the day. The black sesame dumplings in ginger soup are prize-worthy. Desserts are $7 and up. G/F, 45 Pikem St, Jordan, 2736 3692.

Japan Boat
Whenever we’re in Mong Kok, we always make a pit stop to this stall, which serves hot-off-the-greasy-pan takoyaki (fried or baked octopus). What you get is not a big ball of dough dotted with a chopped octopus tentacle, but lots of seafood bits and cabbage held together with an oozy dough. Shop A, G/F, 45 Dundas St, Mong Kok, 6205 2129.

Kubrick
By far one of our favourite cafés. Attached to the Kubrick film library, you can spend an afternoon eating, perusing books, getting caffeinated and catching a flick all in the one spot. Great swelling cups of frothy lattes are served next to cheese-laden open sandwiches, such as the weird and wonderful pineapple toastie topped with melted cheese. Meal for one: around $45. H2 Chun Fat Garden, Yau Ma Tei, 2384 8929.

Manakamana Nepali Restaurant
A cheap-as-chips diner serving Nepalnese and Indian cuisine in divey digs. Go for the bowls of bright-coloured curries, thick naan bread, plump stuffed samosas, sweet mango lassis, and gorgeous momos. Cash only. Meal for one: around $40. 165 Temple St, Jordan, no phone.

Life Café
Marinated chicken wings, big bowls of pasta, and cheese cakes dominate the food menu, while fresh coffees with swirly patterns wrought in the foam pull in the thirsty crowds. It has a lovely reading room interior where one can sit all day and daydream. Meal for one: around $70. G/F, 104 Portland St, Yau Ma Tei, 2384 5310.

Ma's Restaurant
Watch out, sheep – this Muslim restaurant is coming for you. Lamb dan dan mein, lamb dumplings, and lamb pancakes – wooly beasts have suffer the consequences of the Muslim aversion to pork and make up the ram’s share of the menu at Ma’s. The meaty pancakes are top-notch, but it’s the curries here that turn people into followers. Meal for one: around $40. Shop 8, G/F, 197-199 Tong Mi Rd, Prince Edward, 2398 8019.

Pho Saigon
The vegetable-stuffed chicken wings are deep fried to crispy perfection at this cheapie Vietnamese spot, and the roll-it-yourself rice sheets served with mystery meat and lettuce compete with always-reliable raw beef noodle soup and steamy curries for the diner’s attention. Meal for one: around $45.G/F, 224A, Garden St, Mong Kok, 2142 7011.

Popcorn Monster
If you’ve ever wondered how many different ways you can eat popcorn, here’s your chance to find out. Salt and vinegar, Cajun, creamy dill, sour cream and chives, BBQ, bacon and cheese – all these poppy wonders are available for $22 a bag. Shop3, 41-43 Dundas St, Mong Kok, no phone.

TC2 cafe workshop
An adorable tea and cake house with a red interior that gives a warm and cosy feeling. Grab a book from the piles left around for lunchtime reading, and then feast on one of the soups, salads, pastas or gingerbread cookies bedecked in mini bikinis. Stay away at dinner time, though – prices triple in the evening hours even though the menu is similar. Lunch for one: around $50. G/F, 106 Portland St, Mong Kok, 2388 9772.

Tong Kee
The Chinese doughnuts here are deep fried twice and therefore super crispy and super popular – by afternoon, they’re invariably out of stock. But don’t worry – even if you’re late, the char sui cheung (BBQ pork crepe) is enough to keep you happy, and the succulent BBQ duck provides a fine way to preface it all. Meal for one: around $40. Ferry St, 26 Man Wui St, Jordan, no phone.

Cheap Eats by Neighbourhood:
Mong Kok and Jordan
Wan Chai and Causeway Bay
Kowloon East and Hung Hom
Hong Kong Island East
Tsim Sha Tsui
Central and Western