CHUEN Cheung Kui restaurant has been in Hong Kong since 1950, serving great Hakka food at low prices to hungry hordes.
Its bright entrance in Causeway Bay, to where it moved in 1986 from its original location in Shamshuipo, is not at all inviting. One of my guests said it reminded her of a government clinic.
Reservations are not accepted, so potential diners must push their way through the waiting crowd to inform the host of their presence. When a table is available, the host announces over a microphone, in deep sonorous tones (like the voice of God in The Ten Commandments), which party is allowed to ascend the stairs into the first and second floor dining rooms.
Hakka food does not seem to be as popular in Hong Kong as many other Chinese cuisines. It is simple, earthy and plebeian, with rich, strong flavours, and Chuen Cheung Kui makes it extremely well.
Prices here are low and portions large. There is an a la carte menu and another which lists more than 50 dishes. From the latter menu a party of four can select three dishes plus soup for $228. Eight diners can choose five dishes plus soup for $408.
Because there were five in our group, we decided to have the $228 dinner, supplemented with two dishes from the a la carte menu.