But in the 20 years since Hong Kong moved its airport to Lantau Island, and restrictions were eased on property developments, the neighbourhood’s skyline has been transformed with new, taller buildings.
There are still streets, however, that have barely changed in that time, partly because the area is only accessible by bus or car, but that could change when the Kai Tak MTR station opens in the next few years.
“When I go for a run on the weekends, I come here for breakfast,” says the Asia-Pacific brand and marketing director for the Marriott hotels group, as we head to the third floor of the Kowloon City Municipal Services Building, the cooked food floor of the wet market.
We take a seat at Lok Yuen, his favourite cha chaan teng (cafes serving affordable Hong Kong-style Western food), which is run by the owner’s son and serves the same dishes Leung has enjoyed since he was seven years old. Arrive early enough and you might spot actor Chow Yun-fat or food critic Chua Lam here – as seen in laminated photos on the wall.
It’s just after 10am, and while we are settling in, Leung points out that the owner of the stall next door, has already opened his bottle of VSOP and is casually sipping his cognac.
We, on the other hand, are at Lok Yuen to sample Leung’s favourite breakfast: instant noodles in a satay soup base (HK$29) topped with thin slices of beef that have been marinating in the broth.
“I studied overseas when I was in university, so as soon as I came back to Hong Kong, every time, this was the place I wanted to eat at,” he explains.
Along with the noodles, Leung orders deep-fried pork chops and chicken (HK$25 each). They have a thin, crunchy crust and are not too oily, though the pork is more flavourful than the chicken.
We wash it all down with a glass of Ribena with slices of lemon (HK$21), which is a refreshing drink on a sweltering, humid day.
The next stop on the tour is a Chiu Chow restaurant that has been around since 1954. Kowloon City’s large Chiu Chow population, from southern China’s Guangdong province, settled in the area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bringing with them their traditional cuisine made up of marinated meats and oyster omelettes.
Three of the best places to eat in Hong Kong’s Yuen Long district
When we step inside Lok Hau Fook, it’s like being transported back in time 65 years. There’s a kitsch wall with a giant dragon and phoenix in gold, for wedding parties, two vases of brightly coloured silk flowers, and three ceramic gods, or san sing, on a long wooden table – representing longevity, wealth and status.
Leung’s parents have eaten at this restaurant for decades, and like to celebrate their annual reunion dinner here on Chinese New Year’s Eve, mainly for nostalgic reasons. The retro-looking venue is also popular with film crews, Leung says, and has been used as a location in many films about triads.
Li Chung-man, the elderly owner of Lok Hau Fook, still has a hand in serving dishes and clearing tables. We order some dishes Leung’s family usually eat, including Chiu Chow-style crispy noodles (HK$108) that are seasoned with dark vinegar and sugar for a sweet and sour taste.
Meanwhile the oyster congee (HK$100) is a real treat. Small, plump oysters that are quickly poached add a touch of sweetness to the congee, which is more like rice soup, flavoured with bits of ham and mushrooms.
Our third dish is the deep-fried taro with minced roast duck (HK$88). It takes top-notch culinary skills to pull this off, and here it’s well executed. The batter is deep-fried delicately, which makes it difficult to pick it up with chopsticks without bits of batter falling off. It’s dipped into a thick, sweet sauce, though it’s tasty without it too.
There are many restaurants in the vicinity of Kowloon Walled City Park, a 2.7-hectare oasis named after the chaotic and densely packed settlement that was once as synonymous with the district as the airport.
Also known as the “City of Darkness” in Cantonese, Kowloon Walled City was crammed with residents eking out a living. There were poor families, small-time entrepreneurs, seedy characters such as triad members and drug dealers. It was a place even the police, health inspectors and tax collectors shied away from. By the 1980s, there were some 35,000 people living in the enclave.
But by 1993, the last residents of the Kowloon Walled City had accepted the government’s rehousing and compensation terms, and the monstrosity was demolished by 1994. The following year, the Kowloon Walled City Park was opened on the site.
A few streets down from the park is the area nicknamed “Little Thailand” for its large number of Thai restaurants and shops. The Thai population began to thrive during the 1970s when many Thai women married local men, and Chiu Chow restaurants began being replaced by Thai places.
These days, Kowloon City is not as busy as it was when Kai Tak airport was in operation, but Leung points out some new places that have opened in recent times, including Chaophraya, which serves modern Thai food.
Today, we’re going to Wong Chun Chun, one of the oldest Thai restaurants in the district, having been around for more than 30 years.
It moved to its present location a few years ago, so it looks quite new and spacious – it even has a second floor to deal with the overflow of customers. We arrive just before the lunchtime rush and sit in a corner, where we see a poster advertising a dating website. Is this place a hotspot for romance, we wonder?
We order some Thai staples – stir-fried morning glory with shrimp paste and chilli (HK$96), barbecue pork neck (HK$118) that is very tender, not too oily, and has a slight sweetness thanks to the honey sauce brushed on top.
There is a large selection of curries, the most popular being a crab curry, but with Leung’s seafood allergies, we stick to a green curry with chicken (HK$108). The green curry is meant to be the spiciest of the curries available on the menu, but when it arrives it’s more fragrant than spicy thanks to the Thai basil leaves used, while the creaminess from the coconut milk tames the spiciness. It’s fantastic with Thai eggplant and red chillis.
By now we’re stuffed and don’t even have room for dessert. Leung is happy to have brought yet another person to Kowloon City to try some food here and hopes I’ll come back again soon.
“People hear about Kowloon City, but never come here,” says Leung, who encourages his friends to come and check out the food scene. “I usually tell them to take the MTR to Mong Kok and then take a taxi over. There’s so many places to eat here.”
Lok Yuen
Shop 6, Kowloon City Municipal Services Building, 3/F, Nga Tsin Wai Road, Kowloon City, tel: +852 2382 3367
Lok Hau Fook
1-3 Hau Wong Road, Kowloon City, tel: +852 2382 7408
Wong Chun Chun
23 Tak Ku Ling Road, Kowloon City, tel: +852 2716 6269
Best places to eat in Sham Shui Po
Other places worth checking out: A bakery called Hoover Cake Shop is where you can get Leung’s favourite egg tarts and cocktail buns, even mochi (136 Nga Tsin Wai Road, Kowloon City, tel: +852 2382 0383); Islam Food is a halal Xinjiang restaurant that serves delicious beef pockets (1 Lung Kong Road, Kowloon City, tel: +852 2382 2822); for classic Cantonese desserts like ground black sesame soup, mango sago or sweet tofu, head to Tei Mou Koon Dessert (47 Fuk Lo Tsun Road, Kowloon City, tel: +852 2382 5004).
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tK%2FMqWWcp51kuaqyxKyrsqSVZLOwu8Nmm6uhnqB8or7TopqlnV9ofXKCkHBuaJqVqMFuvMuamp6rXZqutXnHqKWgZZuku6i%2FjKSmsKSfpLtur8itsGacmajBs7XCrWSmnZOYrm7Ax5qg