Restaurant review: Samsen in Wan Chai – well worth the wait
Small space selling Thai street food may not accept bookings, but with fast service, great flavours and textures and delicious desserts to devour, we don’t mind queuing for dinner
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 15 December, 2016, 7:18am
UPDATED : Thursday, 15 December, 2016, 5:31pm
Related topics
“This had better be worth it,” I thought as I joined the short queue that had started to form in front of Samsen shortly after 6pm. The restaurant doesn’t take bookings, and my friends and I wanted to be in the first intake of diners when they opened the doors at 6.30pm.
Samsen has been receiving a lot of hype for its Thai street food by ex-Chachawan chef, Adam Cliff, in low-key surroundings. There’s an open kitchen, the walls are concrete, tables are small and the low stools are hard and backless, which doesn’t encourage lingering over the meal.
Food comes quickly, so if you’re trying a lot (as we did – eight dishes plus two desserts for three of us), order in batches, or all the food will come at once.
Wan Chai newcomer Samsen – Thai noodles from former Chachawan chef
We hadn’t planned on ordering the green mango salad with tiger prawns and crispy shallots (HK$108) but saw it being served to a nearby table. It was fantastic, with sweet fresh prawns, crunchy, tangy shredded mango, good-quality dried shrimp, and a great mix of textures and sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavours.
Fried marinated pork collar with tomato and chilli dip (HK$68) was a good dish to go with drinks. The nuggets of pork were moist and crisp and the thick dipping sauce was balanced.
A pair of deep-fried eggs (HK$68) with soft, oozing, bright orange yolks came with a sweet-sour chilli and tamarind jam, and fried shallots and garlic, to provide crunch. Wok-fried Thai watercress (morning glory) with yellow beans, chilli and garlic (HK$58) was a delicious accompaniment to stir-fried wagyu beef with wild ginger, garlic, chilli and red basil (HK$128), which had tender meat and an aromatic, spicy sauce.
A crab omelette (HK$108) was well-seasoned, and had a sufficient amount of crabmeat.
Probably the most talked-about dish at Samsen is the wagyu beef boat noodles (HK$128). While the sliced beef and meatballs were good, that wasn’t my favourite part of the dish; I just loved the thick, rich, deeply flavoured sauce that coated the thin rice noodles.
The only savoury dish we didn’t finish was the chopped duck salad with fresh Thai herbs (HK$98); it was a bit one-dimensional, with too much spice.
Save room for dessert. We tried two. Crunchy tapioca-based “red rubies”, served on shaved coconut ice with young coconut meat and pomegranate seeds (HK$48), was pretty and refreshing, but even better was the pandanus coconut dumplings in warm salted coconut cream (HK$52). The dumplings, served warm, were filled with a delicious mix of palm sugar and shredded coconut.
So, was it worth lining up for and eating far too early? Definitely yes.
Samsen, 68 Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai, tel: 2234 0001. About HK$300 without drinks or the service charge
Recently reviewed in Wan Chai
Restaurant review: Jan Jan Kushikatsu, Wan Chai - fried skewer heaven
Restaurant review: Sake Beya Masu, Wan Chai – generous pours of sake complement delicious fish
Restaurant review: Darcy & Liz, Wan Chai – quaint neighbourhood restaurant
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Samsen
Most Popular
Viewed
- 1
![Do opposites attract in bed? Understanding the ‘yin and yang’ of the bedroom is the key to a long-lasting relationship, writes Luisa Tam]( "Do opposites attract in bed? Understanding the ‘yin and yang’ of the bedroom is the key to a long-lasting relationship, writes Luisa Tam")
- 2
![US universities are scrapping SATs amid cheating scandals and the proliferation of cookie-cutter applications from rote-learning Chinese students]( "US universities are scrapping SATs amid cheating scandals and the proliferation of cookie-cutter applications from rote-learning Chinese students")
- 3
![f you have a muscle pain that is acute, such as a back pain – where the injury is long-term rather than recent – Dr Francis Lam, a specialist in orthopaedics and traumatology at Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Stubbs Road, advises people place a hot pack on the area – but not to use a cold pack – before seeking professional assistance.]( "f you have a muscle pain that is acute, such as a back pain – where the injury is long-term rather than recent – Dr Francis Lam, a specialist in orthopaedics and traumatology at Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Stubbs Road, advises people place a hot pack on the area – but not to use a cold pack – before seeking professional assistance.")
- 4
![South Korean movement ‘Escape Corset’ aims to rid society of ideals of feminine beauty
For the selfie generation the right look can be everything, but why not embrace individuality]( "South Korean movement ‘Escape Corset’ aims to rid society of ideals of feminine beauty
For the selfie generation the right look can be everything, but why not embrace individuality")
- 5
![The piano duo of Jennifer Rüth (left) and Ming, known as the Queenz of Piano, who will perform their dynamic acrobatic musical show, mixing classical, pop and rock music in Hong Kong on November 17.]( "The piano duo of Jennifer Rüth (left) and Ming, known as the Queenz of Piano, who will perform their dynamic acrobatic musical show, mixing classical, pop and rock music in Hong Kong on November 17.")
Shared
- 1
![US universities are scrapping SATs amid cheating scandals and the proliferation of cookie-cutter applications from rote-learning Chinese students]( "US universities are scrapping SATs amid cheating scandals and the proliferation of cookie-cutter applications from rote-learning Chinese students")
- 2
![f you have a muscle pain that is acute, such as a back pain – where the injury is long-term rather than recent – Dr Francis Lam, a specialist in orthopaedics and traumatology at Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Stubbs Road, advises people place a hot pack on the area – but not to use a cold pack – before seeking professional assistance.]( "f you have a muscle pain that is acute, such as a back pain – where the injury is long-term rather than recent – Dr Francis Lam, a specialist in orthopaedics and traumatology at Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Stubbs Road, advises people place a hot pack on the area – but not to use a cold pack – before seeking professional assistance.")
- 3
![Do opposites attract in bed? Understanding the ‘yin and yang’ of the bedroom is the key to a long-lasting relationship, writes Luisa Tam]( "Do opposites attract in bed? Understanding the ‘yin and yang’ of the bedroom is the key to a long-lasting relationship, writes Luisa Tam")
- 4
![The piano duo of Jennifer Rüth (left) and Ming, known as the Queenz of Piano, who will perform their dynamic acrobatic musical show, mixing classical, pop and rock music in Hong Kong on November 17.]( "The piano duo of Jennifer Rüth (left) and Ming, known as the Queenz of Piano, who will perform their dynamic acrobatic musical show, mixing classical, pop and rock music in Hong Kong on November 17.")
- 5
![South Korean movement ‘Escape Corset’ aims to rid society of ideals of feminine beauty
For the selfie generation the right look can be everything, but why not embrace individuality]( "South Korean movement ‘Escape Corset’ aims to rid society of ideals of feminine beauty
For the selfie generation the right look can be everything, but why not embrace individuality")
Commented
- 1
![Ocean Network Canada confirms addition of hi-tech sensors built by Chinese scientists to its marine observatories in Pacific Ocean
US state department has ‘nothing to say’ on matter]( "Ocean Network Canada confirms addition of hi-tech sensors built by Chinese scientists to its marine observatories in Pacific Ocean
US state department has ‘nothing to say’ on matter")
- 2
![The United States’ withdrawal from a nuclear weapons treaty could spark a fresh arms race, experts say. Photo: PLA Daily]( "The United States’ withdrawal from a nuclear weapons treaty could spark a fresh arms race, experts say. Photo: PLA Daily")
- 3
![Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen]( "Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen")
- 4
![Beijing officials have been hamstrung in the trade war by think tanks serving only their backers’ interest. Photo: Shutterstock]( "Beijing officials have been hamstrung in the trade war by think tanks serving only their backers’ interest. Photo: Shutterstock")
- 5
![A Chinese task force has been working flat out to tackle the problems facing the country’s stock market and economy. Photo: AP]( "A Chinese task force has been working flat out to tackle the problems facing the country’s stock market and economy. Photo: AP")
You may also like
What vitamin should you take to help your bones stay healthy?
In partnership with: Hong Kong Adventist Hospital
Comments: