Wan Chai's Landale Street is a popular lunchtime destination
Lunchtime queues are testament to the quality of restaurants in an area with no airs and graces, writes Catharine Nicol
Landale Street in Wan Chai doesn't look like a gastronomic hub at first glance. But turn up at lunchtime, and the stretch of unpretentious street-level eateries - some of which have been there for eons - has a loyal following. Watch the pace grow from relaxed to frantic as noon draws near. Crowds converge at several restaurants, blocking the pavements and spilling out onto the tarmac, but business is brisk and you won't have to wait long. If hustle isn't your thing, come back in the evening to dine in relative peace.
THE BUTCHERS CLUB BURGERS
G/F, 2 LANDALE STREET, WAN CHAI, 2528 2083
A refreshingly simple menu lists burgers, duck-fat fries and ice cream floats. Just as you go to order "all of the above", you recall a rumour that there's a secret menu. Its contents won't be revealed here, but it takes only a little sleuthing to discover it for yourself. The place sees queues at lunch and in the evening for the juicy, tasty, dry-aged black angus beef patties under cheddar cheese and Canadian bacon, over tomato and caramelised onion sauce and bookended by a soft, floury Scotch bap. Tuck in the minute it arrives, as otherwise the juices make the bottom bun soggy. The duck-fat fries are to die for - chunky, crispy and addictively flavoursome. And the laid-back, no-reservations atmosphere and street-view seating complement the food. Keep an ear out for their Burger Takeovers, when an invited chef brings in a new recipe. A recent edition featured Gregoire Michaud of Bread Elements, who cooked up Spanish hamburguesa and bacon and caramel profiteroles.
O DELICE
SHOP 9, 2 LANDALE STREET, WAN CHAI, 5988 6040
This casual French cafe draws a queue for its weekly lunch sets. Starting from HK$78, you get a choice of soup, a main of pasta, galette or salad, and a drink. You may have to share a table during lunch, but the comfortable benches make this a great place to hang out during calmer hours. The soup arrives in a teacup and is full of home-made goodness, while the galettes, such as the classic ham, cheese and egg, are made with buckwheat flour. Pastas arrive in generous portions, including a deep bowl with pesto, chicken and feta. There are also sweet crêpes such as salty caramel. There's a great-value afternoon tea set, and in the evenings there are French-style pastas, including beef bourguignon fusilli. Weekend brunches include eggs benedict or an English breakfast galette served with orange juice and a latte, or make it festive with Kir or a glass of cider.
PHO 26
SHOP 3, 2 LANDALE STREET, WAN CHAI, 2628 3939
This popular and affordable Vietnamese chain restaurant is hectic at lunch, but the service remains friendly throughout the rush. In the evening, the pace relaxes. Settle down at a table on the right of the corridor-like restaurant or in a booth on the left. There is an extensive à la carte menu for dinner and a set menu for lunch. The pho is the real deal - the raw beef pho arrives with plenty of aromatic greenery including basil, bean sprouts and onion on top, the slivers of beef are lean, and the broth is deliciously comforting, with layers of hearty flavour that you can adjust with extra lime and chilli. The spring rolls are hot and crunchy, as are the chicken wings, while the paper rolls are succulent and fresh. Finish your meal with a Vietnamese drip coffee, which can double as dessert with sweet milk stirred in.
PRAWN NOODLE SHOP
SHOP 4, 2 LANDALE STREET, WAN CHAI, 2520 0268
There are lunchtime queues for prawn noodle soup, so it's best to plan an early or late visit. While the restaurant's namesake dish draws the crowds, there are plenty of other options, including laksa seafood noodles, a great combination of creamy and spicy flavours. The special of spicy prawn and sliced meat noodle arrives steaming, with small shelled half-prawns floating on top, beef slices, bean sprouts, water spinach and a medium amount of chilli. The broth has a great seafood flavour without descending into fishiness, and the egg noodles - one of three options that also includes rice vermicelli or flat rice noodles - are perfectly cooked. There's no leisurely dining in this purely functional space - once you've scraped the last of the broth from your bowl, it's time to go.
HIKAWA
5 LANDALE STREET, WAN CHAI, 2520 5002
The lunchtime queue outside this robotayaki restaurant is shorter, but that's only because the place can barely seat 20. Peer inside and you'll see a typical Japanese isakaya - it's tiny, charming and chaotic. Order while you're still waiting outside, then once seats are free, your tray of appetisers, pickles, miso and rice will arrive almost immediately while the main dish is being turned on the grill. The mackerel is beautifully cooked to tender with a crunchy, salty skin, while the grilled beef with spring onions comprises a generous portion of thinly sliced meat wrapped around mild veggies. The miso is rich, the pickles create contrast, the tea is pleasantly nutty and a surprise frozen mochi is presented at the finish. The à la carte menu offers a huge choice of skewers, including prawns, pork neck, sweet potato and grilled rice balls. The happy hour deal of HK$68 includes sake or beer and four skewers from 6 to 8pm - a great way to start an evening.
WING SI
SHOP 7, 2 LANDALE STREET, WAN CHAI, 2527 4981
Some of the biggest queues in the area form outside this restaurant. Take a ticket and wait your turn to be seated, perhaps sharing a table with other customers. The classic grilled chicken rice includes two wide strips of flattened chicken with a peppery flavour on the slightly crispy skin. The tender, juicy, boneless wing meat is served on rice with gravy and a small heap of pickled veggies, cabbage and zucchini - a very generous portion for one person. Other plates have combinations of grilled or deep-fried chicken along with pork chops or cheek, chicken wings, meat sauce and sole. Chefs in white wellies and the patient wait staff rush through the narrow central alley between tables and customers. It's fast food but tastes like fine quality fare.
RABBITHOLE COFFEE AND ROASTER
3 LANDALE STREET, WAN CHAI, 2528 0039
With raw and textured wood, iron shelves and stools, the industrial chic décor makes this cafe a fun place to get your caffeine fix. And they really love their coffee here. The brand is known for its barista lessons, special blends and hand-drip, syphon, aeropress and ice-drip coffees. You can understand how serious they are by just glancing through the window at the sophisticated equipment. Order what seems to be a typical iced latte, and you will receive a sexy layered cocktail of house-blend coffee above milk in a glass, cooled down in Japanese cocktail style with a large ice ball. The line of oversized tables allows for a communal experience, which can get a little hectic at lunchtime when simple but tasty main dishes are flying from the tiny open kitchen. But in off-peak hours, it's all about the friendly service, music, efficient Wi-fi and delicious energy boosts in a glass - and it becomes a good time to get superproductive.
