Ho Hung Kee (Hong Kong)

Ho Hung Kee
Hysan Place 12/F
500 Hennessy Road
Hong Kong
Dining date: 3/10/16

While staying in the Causeway Bay neighborhood of Hong Kong, we were looking for casual restaurants to try on our first night in town. My dad stumbled upon this wonton shop just a few blocks from the hotel – a Michelin-starred wonton shop! With so many wonton noodle shops around town it was hard to narrow down options. I’m not exactly sure how Michelin inspectors rate these type of places, but we felt this spot was worth a try.

The price was right – the restaurant’s wonton noodles was USD $7 (for the large size). People like to call Hong Kong’s dim sum spot Tim Ho Wan the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant, but this has to be pretty darn close.

House Specialty Wonton Noodles in Soup

The noodles maintained a little bit of bite in the fragrant, shellfish-accented broth, but the wontons were the highlight. They were a little smaller than I expected, but packed with plump sweet shrimp. One of the dumplings tasted a little off, though.

Noodles in Soup with Chu-Hau Brisket of Beef

The beef brisket noodle soup featured the same noodles and broth, topped with beef stew and its sauce. It resulted in a slightly sweeter soup; the beef was tender and accented by the star anise and its salty, savory marinade.

Our bowls at Ho Hung Kee were very good, though not exactly outstanding. I’m not really sure what separated this place apart for a Michelin star; I had comparably good bowls at other wonton specialists such Mak’s Noodle and Chee Kei.