Restaurant review: Hono Tenndon in Mong Kok – tempura rice bowls in the Ladies Market

Known for its bustling Ladies Market, Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok is also lined with restaurants offering inexpensive international dishes ranging from rice noodles to Korean bibimbap to Indian curry.

We opted for the signature seafood tempura rice bowl (HK$78) and the vegetable tempura rice bowl (HK$65), both of which were served with miso soup and a small salad.

The servers were nice enough to tell us the best way to eat the Japanese dish: start with the prawn and cabbage leaf tempura, and then break the egg to mix it with rice and other tempura items.

The prawn tempura was our favourite. It had a thin, crisp batter and a pleasant sweet taste. The squid and lotus root were also enjoyable, with their texture well preserved.

The second part of the meal was not as impressive. We mixed the rice with the tempura egg, soy sauce and furikake [a seasoning mixture including dried ground fish, sesame seeds and chopped seaweed]seasoning. The egg was slightly overcooked so most of the yolk was already solid, while the sauce and furikake lacked flavour. Also, the tempura batter became soggy and tasteless once the sauce was added, so it’s best to eat the deep-fried ingredients quickly.

In addition to the tempura rice bowls, the shop also offers fried chicken rice bowls and a selection of curry rice bowls. You can also order extra tempura to be served on the side.

Hono Tenndon, 23 Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok, tel: 2388 2887. Open: 11.30am-10.30pm

While you’re in the area:

Restaurant review: M&S Café in Mong Kok– cheap and tasty rest stop after a hard day’s shopping

Restaurant review: Oolong BBQ, Mong Kok – DIY indoor barbecue and claypot rice