I’ll go out on a limb and say that my favorite neighborhood where I discover new restaurants is Sham Shui Po. Every time I go there, I find a new gem. Is it because one of my best friends grew up there, so I have access to great local knowledge? Perhaps. In any case, you should go there. It’s a food experience boiled down to its hot, sticky, bubbling essence.
I stopped for a quick dinner before heading home from visiting the Jockey Club Creative Arts Center (JCCAC), which is a fantastic artist and exhibition space. They are now hosting a great exhibit on the history of Sham Shui Po – highly recommended.
My friend had dinner plans, so I dropped into the restaurant solo and ordered the first item on the menu, which is my custom in places without English menus. I told the server that I wanted dumplings and noodles, as both are well regarded, and she disappeared. About ten minutes later, a steaming bowl of dumplings and noodles showed up.
The dumplings were superb. Pork, ginger, scallions, and other herbs were bursting out of the skin. They tasted fresh with a great texture from the ginger and scallions, and were more than enough to fill me up. The noodles were also good – toothsome indeed – but not quite up to the standard of the dumplings. I heard the noodles are handmade in-house, so perhaps I’ll go back and give them another try.
One bowl of noodles with five stellar dumplings ran HKD 22.
I saw other tables ordering plates of dumplings and other noodle dishes, so I think I’ll head back again soon and explore the menu further. There are photos on the wall, so as long as you can point, you will be able to place your order.
Food: A
Service: C+
Ambiance: B
Value: A
Overall: B
山東餃子館 (Shandong Dumpling Restaurant)
81C Un Chau Street
Sham Shui Po, Kowloon
[map]
Hong Kong à la Mode 