Kau Kee Restaurant (九記牛腩), Gough Street, Hong Kong

The premium of real estate must have really driven old time stall owners with limited physical business space to resort to a semi regimental seat allocation system where the owners dictate where one seats and if they may be seated if not all of the group has arrived. 

This was kinda what happened down at Kau Kee (21 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong) which was one of the numerous noodle restaurants that dot the neighbourhood I was staying at in Central. One should not expect genteel service and should order quickly and shortly depart the premise after eating to avoid scowls. As I've been educated, Kau Kee is known for their ngau lam mee. The soup wasn't a beef broth as I had expected. Just the same soup base for wonton noodles. It took a helping of their home made shrimp paste chilli sauce to get to the point where it was really drinkable. The accompanying beef briskets were decent. I was expecting exceptional by any me. In the end, it was a passable bowl of piping hot beef noodles which was made enjoyable by the cool weather.

Tsim Chai Kee Noodle (沾仔記), Wellington Street, Hong Kong

I was recommended this noodle shop (98 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong) by a friend who was trying to convince us that their wantons were much larger over here in Hong Kong. It turned out to be a place that sold only noodles with a modest options of toppings. Their king prawn wanton noodle which looked to be sitting on almost everyone else's table had dumplings the size of a plum. This steaming bowl of noodles was satisfyingly impressive. Three of those shrimp filled dumplings with pork in a bowl laden with hearty portion of thin chewy noodles that that was coupled with excellent texture and bite. My type of noodles. So good in the cool evening of winter. The side of vegetables in oyster sauce was commendably tender yet crunchy without being the least fibrous. 

I was so taken in by this place that I headed back out here the following evening for dinner. Which wasn't so remarkable. Had their three topping noodle which included sliced beef (unidentifiable protein mass) and a fishball that was textured like a meatloaf of sorts. Shall stick to the wonton noodles.

First meal in Hong Kong

This was during lunch hour on the day after I had arrived, so literally was the first meal that I have had out. The shop was looked like a really old school char chan teng and was teeming with people that looked like they were residents from nearby. There was also a queue forming for takeaways. It was all good indicators of a very decent spot for local eats. I hadn't any idea what this was called but ordered it by pointing at another table which had order of the same rice dish. Basically it was the sodium, protein, fat and carbohydrates meal formed with two fried eggs, a hot dog and some luncheon meat over rice. Drizzled with dark soy sauce and.....liquid yolks. Wasn't anything new or unusual, but it did an excellent job of filling up. Couldn't argue with all the savouriness with an empty stomach. All to be washed down with some hot milk tea. I like how eggs here are done. So much better than the excuse for fried eggs in most of the economic rice stalls back home.

Sweet potato dumplings from Maxwell Food Centre

I got these from a stall that sells nothing but sweet potato dumplings down at Maxwell Food Centre (Maxwell Road, #01-76 Maxwell Food Centre, tel : +65 9621 4343) and I thought they were pretty good. These dumpings are made, I'm guessing with sweet potato based flour and was both a greasy and chewy snack. It was so greasy that the paper bags that held them were really soaked with all that oil. After trying a couple of variety, I had to pick these ones with pandan coconut fillings as my favourite.

Famous Bedok Kuey Chap, Whampoa Food Centre

This stall (Blk 91, Whampoa Drive, #01-26 Whampoa Food Centre) at the corner of Whampoa Food Centre was not bad. Memorable like the stall which I've had down in AMK 232 for the inclusion of pig stomach - amongst the other commonly available other pig parts. What I found different here was that the tender strips of pork belly that contained a larger meat to fat ratio. The refills for the broth was much more flavourful than the ones that come with the bowls of kuey, so that's something to look out for.

China Street Fritters, Maxwell Food Centre

Being local doesn't mean that one is aware of all the good spots for food. This Chinese stall (Maxwell Road, #01-64 Maxwell Food Centre, tel : +65 9239 6464) that sells fried mixed fritters of Chinese sausage like things wrapped in bean curd skin has been operating for a long time. Can't say that I recall having eaten from their place even though Maxwell Food Centre has been a fairly regular haunt since I was young.

What set this stall apart from the other wu xiang stalls was that the variety of fritters are pretty limited in selection. Not sure exactly how many different ones there are, but I hear that they pride themselves in being good at what they do have, which is something I really can't disagree with.

There's the usual fried bean curd, fish balls, meat rolls (a.k.a. ngoh hiong), liver rolls with scallions and an unhealthily tasty slice of egg and lard fritter - which by the way was really good. Those reddish pork sausage things also tasted different (nicer) from other stalls that I recall having had. Altogether excellent with a plate or two of their stir fried bee hoon.