Classic Hong Kong restaurants: Nam Kee Spring Roll Noodle, Aberdeen

Joe Ngai and his cousin Cyrus Au are the executive directors of Nam Kee Spring Roll Noodle. However, at just over 30 years old they are younger than the 33-year-old chain of shops. "My cousin and I joined the family business in 2007 because our parents wanted a second generation to take over," says Ngai.

Nam Kee was started by the Ngai siblings in 1980 (Ngai's father and Au's mother among them) as a side business. "They all had other jobs but decided to try starting a business selling [cart] noodles during their time off," says Ngai.

The cart business went well, so they moved into a bricks and mortar shop. "It was so small, once they put the kitchen in, there was hardly any space for customers to sit, so the tables would spill out onto the street," he says. The expansion continued, initially in Aberdeen, where they started, and by 1993 they had opened a shop in Causeway Bay.

While many small, family-owned noodle shops around Hong Kong have closed down, it seems that Nam Kee has gone from strength to strength. "I think one of the differences is that we implemented a quick service, fast-food style early on. It means that we can offer a consistent product for a reasonable price," says Ngai. That said they're not immune to the ills of Hong Kong's restaurant landscape. Since the beef ball scandal earlier this year Ngai says that they've had to be more stringent with their suppliers and are even experimenting with making their own. They have their own food factories in Aberdeen as well as on the mainland, and they already make some of their own products, such as their famous spring rolls. However, as they only own a few of the properties out of their 14 outlets, rent is a problem.

They have refreshed the brand with a mascot called Hong Kong guy and redesigned the shops. "A lot of students eat at Nam Kee because it's inexpensive. We want them to continue to come to us when they grow up, have jobs and can afford more," says Ngai.

Recently they opened Nam Kee H, which has a menu that is focused on healthy eating, with a large number of vegetarian options, and tables fitted with iPads. With a higher-than-average spend in the new shop, Ngai says there's hope for combating inflation.

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Nam Kee Spring Roll Noodle, 8 Wu Nam Street, Aberdeen, tel: 2554 6275. Open: 9.30am-11pm. Other branches throughout Hong Kong