Cabbie Cuisine
Spike Tang taxis around town and finds out our cabbies post-shift faves.
Hong Kong has more than 18,000 taxis in its 1,100 square kilometers and the highest per capita restaurant tally in the world. So who else but the savvy cabbie should you trust with finding the city’s best affordable and authentic Chinese restaurants?
Taxi Driver: Cindy Chan Suen-pui
Recommendation: Yuen Kee Seafood Restaurant, 4-5 Woosung St., Jordan, 2384-1686. Open: 11am-2am.
I jumped in the first cab at Central Star Ferry pier and was surprised to find a female taxi driver, a rare creature in Hong Kong. I asked her to take me to her favorite Chinese restaurant. She suggested many restaurants favored by her customers, but I knew this cheerful lady must have her own favorite after spending more than 15 years driving around the city. Finally, she smiled shyly and said, “A dai pai dong in Yau Ma Tei, if you don’t mind the place being a bit dirty.” Let’s roll. On the way, the spirited Chan talked a lot - from her own anecdotes to the local political issues in the territory. “You need to be tough in the taxi force," she said, laughing. "I once shouted at a gangster who threatened me and tried to punch me. If I were not a woman, he would have killed me.” Suddenly, she was opening up. “I always supported the pro-democracy group. I love the freedom of speech that has, unfortunately, diminished since the day we returned to China.” She was apparently not happy with the political situation, but when it came to the food in Woosung Street, she was more than excited, and shouted over the traffic: “You’ve got to try the clams, spiral shells and crabs.” It turned out to be a very traditional Hong Kong dai pai dong, though air-conditioned. Plastic curtains separated the open kitchen from a bright seating area. As Chan recommended, the fried crabs with ginger and spring onion ($85) and fried clams in preserved black bean sauce ($35) were amazing. Beer was a perfect match at only $20 a bottle.
Driver: Tang Tak-chung
Recommended restaurant: Fu Kee Restaurant, G/F, 104 Fa Yuen St., Mongkok, 2385-1230. Open: 7:30am-11:30pm.
Although Tang is a young guy who has been driving taxis for a short time, he knows his Chinese fare. He took me to a place in Mongkok where he usually ends his day, chatting with friends. “They make a great congee and char siu [barbecued pork]. When many of my friends come back from abroad they go straight here. It’s the ultimate Hong Kong cuisine. Everyone loves it," he said. Tang urged me to taste the roasted goose. The restaurant has a 60-year history and has gone through three generations. An apartment entrance separates the two-store restaurant. Although it looks very much like a run-of-the-mill cha chan tang, the congee, roasted goose and pork were outstanding. And talk about dirt-cheap: a bowl of pig-tripe congee is just $18 and congee with fresh chicken goes for $24. Some of the city’s best-known homemade roast goose and pork is $43 a dish. A hundred bucks and you’re stuffed.