Day 3:Tsim Chai Kee（沾仔记）, Lan Fang Yuen（ 蘭芳園）and Tai Cheong Bakery（泰昌餅家）

Day 3 morning and we went in search of the famed wonton noodles shop, Tsim Chai Kee, in Wellington Street.

The shop was almost right at the end of Wellington Street, a long walk from the Central MTR. Whoever said it was a 'short walk' must be some marathon athelete. The search for Tsim Chai Kee apparently agitated my short-tempered sister. She verbalised her puzzlement of my persistence to find the restaurant and why I abandoned the many other restaurants we passed by in a tone that wasn't too pleased.

We finally found it!

The utensils

A worker wrapping the wontons

Beef and wonton noodles - HK22 (S$4)

My ingenius sister opted for this and I thought that's a great option. You get to try both items in a bowl and both are yummy! The beef was tender and chewy while the wontons were huge and fresh.

Beef noodles - HK17 (S$3)

After tasting the 2-in-1 noodles above, the beef noodles tastes kinda boring although the meat was equally tantalising.
The pingpong-sized wontons - HK17 (S$3)

Menu

The acclaims outside the shop

Verdict:

On the portion

I've read online about how small the portion the noodles served in Hong Kong restaurants are and it certainly doesn't stand true for Tsim Chai Kee. One bowl of noodles was sufficient to meet the needs of a hungry individual. For the generous portion, it was cheap too!

On the noodles

I've also read that HK noodles have a 'lye water' taste. Honestly, to date, I still don't understand what that taste is. I've tasted some noodles with 'strong' taste in Singapore, but never experienced the same with Hong Kong throughout our stay. I surveyed my family members with the question,"Do you think there is a 'weird' taste in the noodles?" and none of them thought so.

We agreed that our first experience with HK wonton noodles was great. However, as we tried wonton noodles from other restaurants and shops during our HK stay, I found that the Tsim Chai Kee noodles were not too different from the non-raved ones.

Apparently, the wonton noodles in Hong Kong has only one version: 4 to 5 pingpong ball-sized, prawn-filled wontons with thin, streaky noodles in soup.

After Tsim Chai Kee, we tracked back to Lyndhurst Terrace, which was a street found in the middle of Wellington Street, in a bid to find Tai Cheong Bakery. We went under the Longest Escalator in the World (Central Escalator) and couldn't find our way to the Bakery, but we chanced upon Lan Fong Yuen.

It was a very tiny shop with a narrow, humble doorway. You could easily miss it if not for the big signboard. It is famous for (in order of degree of raveness and thus importance):

1) being recommended by Chua Lam (蔡澜), a HK celebrity food critic

2) pork chop bun

3) milk tea

Taken from where we sat. The stall outside apparently prepares food for the restaurant and takeaway

Bread with toast

The star: Pork chop bun

It's oh-my-goodness greatness! I'd expected something hard and crispy, but no. It was surprisingly tender and juicy! This is a must-try if you're ever in Hong Kong.

Their 丝袜奶茶, literally meaning 'pantyhose milk tea'.

The creation of the milk tea has nothing to do with pantyhose. The 'pantyhose' simply refers to the fabric filter for the tea, which is supposed to make the tea extra smooth. Er ... but we think it normal (read: average), nothing extraordinary. We can also get it anywhere in Singapore. Whoever overrates it by screaming about it's 'creaminess' or 'smoothness' or whatever additional quality has probably never drank milk tea before.

Menus

Their salted lemons

Their many acclaims and adverts, just outside the restaurant

Chua Lam with the owners

Tai Cheong Bakery was just a corner away from Lan Fong Yuen: come out from Lan Fong Yuen. Turn right and walk a few steps till you reach the end of the corner. Turn right again. It's just a few shops down.

Heard so much about their egg tarts (HK5 / S$0.90 per tart) and doughnuts (沙翁), but was sorely disappointed.

The doughnuts were not available yet and the egg tarts were of no difference from the ones in Singapore. Coco was generous with her review though,"Yes, it is different! It's softer, and nicer."

Well!

Getting to Tsim Chai Kee, Lan Fong Yuen and Tai Cheong Bakery:Central MTR Exit D2 and walk there

Tsim Chai Kee 沾仔记
98, Wellington St.
Central, Hong Kong.
Opening hours: 8am to 10pm

Lan Fong Yuen 蘭芳園
No. 2, Gage st (Central)

(right below Central Escalator)
Tel: 2544 3895/ 2854 0731
Operating Hours: Monday to Saturday – 7am to 6pm

Tai Cheong Bakery 泰昌餅家
35 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong

(right below Central Escalator)
Opens daily 730am to 9pm