15 Manhattan Plaza, 23 Sai Chine St, Yuen Long
Visited 29th June 2010
I’m always keen to check out a new Yuen Long restaurant, especially if they’re serving burgers and fish and chips. Joey and I met up with a couple of mates to check out the Homey Café on what must have been one of their first nights of opening. This small restaurant is located on the corner just near the Immigration building in Manhattan Plaza. Inside 
it’s simply decked out, but well done; there’s a big blackboard, open kitchen and comfortable booth seating.
The food at the Homey Café is really more American diner than European café; it’s all about burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, with a few fried snacks, salads and pasta dishes. We started off sharing a plate of potato skins; topped with bacon, spring onion and sour cream these were pretty standard, but really well done and deliciously fluffy. My friends all went for burgers while I thought I’d give the lamb kebab a shot. The kebab consisted of two skewers of really tender grilled lamb, pita pockets and salad. I wasn’t expecting great things and was surprised how good this was, especially the delicious lamb. Joey’s fish burger was served in a surprisingly good white roll which was jammed with a couple of crisp, crumbed fillets; again all good though the fish was perhaps a little flavourless. My mates enjoyed a steakhouse burger 
and double cheese burger; big juicy pieces of meat that were interestingly served on a wholemeal bun. They hadn’t finalised their liquor license yet so we just grabbed a few beers from a convenience store.
I enjoyed my meal at the Homey Café; the food was fresh, well prepared and tasty. While the Homey Café isn’t somewhere you’d go for a gourmet meal or a date, I'd certainly recommend it as an excellent spot for lunch or a casual dinner. The guy running the show was really friendly and staff generally enthusiastic about doing a good job. At just over $75 each I'm certainly not complaining about the bill. There are no surprises at the Homey Cafe, just simple food, well done.
5 Li King House Hong King Street, Yuen Long
Visited 19th May 2010
I think I got the English translation correct, but if not the Chinese is 嘉麗園潮州粉麵餐廳. In many ways this is a very local style restaurant, but it’s one that is got more front than Myers. Simple metal stools and lino topped tables are packed into a room totally drowned in beef bling. Ox horns, mural covered walls, gold trimming and photos all celebrate the simple joys of beef. Ka Lai Yuen Chiu Chow Restaurant also makes its presence felt across Yuen Long by plastering ads on the sides of mini-buses and taxis. 
This place is basically a celebration of beef; lots and lots of beef, oh and balls. Hong Kongers aren't shy of devouring a whole beast so there's plenty of offal on offer including about a million different types of cow stomach. I ordered a bowl of balls called 'ten treasures'; basically noodles in soup with ten dumplings. The attraction with this dish was the little floating 'treasures'; all different and all hand-made. Most of the balls and dumplings I got were really nice including the beef balls, pork balls and prawn balls and a couple of tofu creations; however the wontons were too soggy and bit disappointing. Set in the middle of these balls was a big clump of hair moss; I'm not a fan of this and have to question either its environmental creditability or authenticity, but perhaps that a personal issue. I also felt a bit let down by the soup; it was light on the beef flavour and needed a bit more oomph. My friends both enjoyed
their serves of beef noodles, reporting that the mix of tendon, tripe and skirt all beautifully cooked.
Ka Lai Yuen Chiu Chow Restaurant certainly scores points for sheer creativity. The people behind the venture should get massive credit for one cool looking joint and for adding a bit of interest to Yuen Long's public transport. A visit to a restaurant however isn't about appearances, but taste and I thought my noodles and booty were OK; good, but nothing special. The guys I was with however were more impressed with their meals; maybe I just don't have the sentimental attachment to this type of old school comfort food that my Hong Kong friends do or maybe I just should have ordered the beef. If you're floating past and in the mood for tripe, Ka Lai Yuen Chiu Chow Restaurant is worth a stop, though I wouldn't go out of my way to visit.
240 Castle Peak Road, Yuen Long
Visited 1st May 2009
Before a Saturday morning visit to the market and Joey and figure it was time for some sort of food. I’d noticed the Dumpling King but had never tried it, but when we saw the prices we were in there quick smart. The branch we went on Castle Peak Road opposite Yuen Long Plaza is one six outlets scattered between Yuen Long and Tsuen Wan; the other Yuen Long branch is on Fau Tsoi Street near Shaffi’s. Inside the big restaurant is just your typical Chinese dinner; 
clean but basic.
While claiming to be the ‘King’ as far as dumplings go these guys also sell a range of noodles and rice plates as well as plenty of different snacks. We of course went for a serve of their signature pan-fried dumplings, along with a steamed bun and a serve of hollow soup noodles with chicken wings. The dumplings were a slightly strange elongated shape but were really juicy inside with a crisp, but surprisingly not oily bottom. The pork bun was good, with a decent meaty filling. Joey really wanted ‘hollow noodles’, insisting that as you can suck up soup through the middle they have a really intense flavour; I disagreed. Along with bad ‘luncheon meat’ and soggy macaroni these noodles would have to be about the only Cantonese food I really dislike. As I predicted the hollow noodles, which are really just a bad quality copy of spaghetti were soggy, flavourless mess. The rest of the dish was OK though: a nice enough soup base, minced beef, peanuts and some oily, but tasty wings.
While claiming to be the King of Dumplings is perhaps a bit of an overstatement there’s no denying that the Dumpling King offers some tasty snacks. Probably the most startling thing about this place is the how good value it is; $10 for 5 dumplings, $4 for a bun, $23 for the noodles with a plate of wings and only an additional extra $4 and $5 for soy milk and a Coke; cheap as. Apart from the sloppy hollow noodles I enjoyed my feed at the Dumpling King and will certainly be stopping in again.
10 Sai Ching Street, Yuen Long
Visited 31st November 2009
I've heard mixed reviews about this little Yuen Long Japanese restaurant. It's located right next to where we play tennis, but the tennis crew don't rate it, yet on the other hand Joey's boss is a big fan. Inside it's all you imagine of a small, local Japanese joint; crowded, tiny wooden stools and a f
ew flags fluttering lonely away on the walls.
Joey’s boss loves this place because of their miso hotpot, but unfortunately the night we went they were sold out. Instead we decided on a beef hotpot, giant salmon sushi, gyoza and a friend prawn sushi roll. Filled with mushrooms, udon, beef and an egg the hotpot was tasty, especially the flavoursome, slightly sweet soup. Handmade from pork rib the dumplings were really satisfying, though oily. Both sushi dishes were decent; though I preferred the massive sushi roll over the OK the salmon. Stuffed with tuna, a big fired prawn, lettuce and mayo, the sushi roll 
came sprinkled with crunchy crab row and was so large that it was difficult to eat. Big isn’t always better, but this guy was tasty in a somewhat untraditional manner.
I enjoyed my visit to Iroue Japanese Restaurant. The service and environment were nothing special, but that’s not what this kind of place is about; what matters is the value and the quality of the food. Our meal was $146 for the two of us which I thought was fair. The food? Well it was pretty good; I think I’ll come back and try the miso hotpot and maybe bring along that pack of scoundrels I play tennis with. 
G/F, Citi Mall, Yuen Long
Visited 18th October 2009
I think noodles have replaced lasagne as my favourite hang-over food; there's nothing better than a bowl of steaming soup or plate of wok tossed noodles to get you back in fighting condition. Sunday morning (yes let's call it morning) we found ourselves in Shanxi Cut Noodle Restaurant looking for the route to recovery. Shanxi is a province in northern China, the name means 'mountain west' and refers to the regions lofty position west of the Taihang Mountains. The area relies heavily on wheat and thus noodles (along with vinegar) 
dominate their cuisine. This basic little restaurant is located on the side of Yuen Long's Citi Mall and there's another branch on Castle Peak Road.
Though there's no English menu, but there are plenty of pictures so pointing is ordering. We went with pan-fried la mian with chicken, dao xiao mian in soup with braised beef and a helping of pan-fried dumplings. Li main means 'pulled noodles' and here the chef makes each individual serve to order. He deftly pulled and folded to transfer a ball of elastic dough into giant slithering noodles; watching him was an impressive sight, he's a craftsman. When cooked the monstrous plate of these perfectly cooked al dente noodles came with slithers of fresh cucumber, carrot and deliciously moist shredded chicken. For the soup noodles we went with the signature 'knife cut noodles' and these tasty guys came served in a rich broth and topped with tender stewed
beef. With the big serves we really didn't need the handmade dumplings, but these were also a winner. Presented crisp and sizzling hot, stuffed with chives and pork, they were a delicious treat.
Maybe I'm just starting to better appreciate the subtleties of China's regional cuisine, but Shanxi Cut Noodle Restaurant got me excited. Sure it's a basic setup, but the quality of the handmade food is obvious. Seeing the chef prepare noodles to order is fantastic and everything we ate was obviously freshly cooked as well as just plain delicious. Our bill for a filling lunch for two came to a very reasonable $112. If you're walking the streets of Yuen Long feeling a little under the weather then Shanxi Cut Noodle Restaurant is the place. 
100 Kin Yip St, Yuen Long
Visited 17th September 2009
This tiny Vietnamese joint has become a bit of a favourite for a meal after Thursday night tennis. Yuen Long has a fair selection of Japanese, Indian and Thai joints, but Vietnamese restaurants are harder to find; does anyone know of another in Yuen Long? Hanoi Vietnamese Restaurant is situated opposite Bill Kee Noodles on Kin Yip St. It's small and basic, with only seven or eight tables and walls adorned with faded prints of Hanoi's tourist sites.
A readable menu goes a long way and I'm happy to report that that at Hanoi Vietnamese Restaurant there's well translated English sitting proudly 
alongside the Chinese. Our group ordered a feast that included fresh rice paper rolls stuffed with prawn and chicken, cold vermicelli noodles with lemon grass pork, a beef brisket curry and two serves of the house 'special' pho. The homemade rice paper rolls were packed with fresh flavours and came with lovely homemade fish sauce. Laced with shredded carrot, lettuce, cucumber and coriander the tasty vermicelli noodles were again all about freshness. Served bubbling and sizzling from the oven, the curry was laden with tender beer and plenty of tendon that gave it a thick, fatty richness. It came with a stack of garlic bread. The serves of pho were massive and packed with different cuts of beef including fillet, tendon, tripe and beef balls, that came floating in a good beef based soup.
Though we ordered way too much I was really impressed with the food at Hanoi Vietnamese Restaurant. The quality was good and the obvious freshness of the dishes a noticeable contrast to typical Cantonese cuisine. Our bill was a reasonable $90 a head, but with big bowls of pho for only $48 you could get away with paying less. The friendly bloke running the show was welcoming and more than happy to make recommendations. They're not licensed to sell alcohol but let us BYO. Offering authentic Vietnamese food at good prices, Hanoi Vietnamese Restaurant is a great option for something different in Yuen Long.
148 Kam Sheung Rd, Kam Tin, Yuen Long
Visited 3rd September 2009
Hand up who's been to Kam Tin? Well Red Penny Thai isn't in Kam Tin, but kind of way out the back of Kam Tin somewhere and if you're riding your bike it feels like the middle of nowhere. Yet on entering this big, outside restaurant it’s a surprisingly classy setup. Lots of white, Thai style statues and big water feature give place more than a hint of being in Thailand rather than the back blocks of the New Territories. The location suggests that it’s probably a restaurant that’s more aimed at those thyat drive rather than rely on public transport or pedal power.
The menu has all the usual Thai favourites as well as a few Vietnamese dishes. We were with a big group, but strangely everyone ordered their own dishes and I ended up sharing with a friend. We ordered Chang Mai style ox-tail, water spinach with belacan, rice and garlic bread. I thought the ox-tail was pretty good - the meat was tender, though the sweetish sauce was perhaps a little too runny. The big serve of water spinach was disappointing; it was over-powered by the fishy shrimp paste and was way too salty. Oh yeah the 
garlic bread; what is it with garlic bread and Thai restaurants in Hong Kong? It's not a traditional Thai dish, yet seems to be the most popular dish on every Thai menu. Anyway are garlic bread was OK, though not quite crisp enough for my tastes. To drink it was a couple of bottles of Singha; served in a beautifully chilled glass.
Res Penny Thai has a lot going for it, especially the outdoor dinning area. I was generally impressed with the service; they managed to correctly deliver six different orders and the correct bills to the same table. My only complaint was that it was a little difficult to get a new beer. The food wasn’t overly cheap, but was fair value at $264 for the two of us; the oxtail was $98, the water spinach $58 and the beers $28 a pop. But to be honest I’m not the biggest fan of Red Penny Thai. The food is OK, but rather unexciting and I feel there are plenty of better Thai places around.
2 On Ning Rd, Yuen Long
Visited 11th June 2009
Why haven't I written up Tai Wing Wah before? As a good Yuen Long boy I should have at least acknowledged the existence of a restaurant that many see as the as the pinnacle of dinning in my fair town. Tai Wing Wah is the domain of Leung Man To otherwise known as the massive TV chef Toto. For the restaurant of a celebrity chef it really does look like your average, slightly worn, Canto joint; I like to think they're just staying true to their roots. 
Tai Wing Wah doesn't just serve Cantonese food or even Hong Kong food, but specialises in 'walled village cuisine'; a form of local fare that takes it roots in the original farming villages of the New Territories. There's always a range of house specialities on offer, but the rest of the large menu changes according to the season and the availability of local produce. The four of us ordered a feast including roast duck, squid with water spinach, barbecue pork, tofu with bok choy and crab
noodles. The fat and juicy roast duck was a highlight, as was the tender squid and thin noodles delicately laced with delicious crab. To accompany all this we had the speciality 'clay pot rice'; this rustic dish is the equivalent of English bread n dripping with soy and freshly rendered pig fat poured over baked rice. Your average New Territories Cantonese place serves pretty average wine, and while the selection at Tai Wing Wah isn't massive it's based on quality wines rather than the usual unrecognisable cheap Bordeaux and Aussie critter labels. We got stuck into Faustino VII Rioja that went beautifully with the roast duck and was a steal at $110.
It's probably apparent by now that I'm a fan of Tai Wing Wah. Fresh ingredients are used to create delicious dishes that are rich in flavour and texture, while pouring pig fat over rice makes it obvious that you're experiencing a unique style of cuisine. So how much do you expect to pay for all this? Well at Tai Wing Wah it's pretty simple; everything is priced at a lowly $52. The wine is even more keenly priced and dinner for four of us, including two bottles of wine, came to a bargain $560. The staff are pretty on the ball though not much English is spoken. The constantly changing menu is in Cantonese only, but they do have a booklet with their signature dishes in English. Tai Wing Wah is simply fantastic.
'A Little Bit Country'
South China Morning Post, 4th December 2008, p.C7
I love it when Yuen Long gets a bit of press and today's article in the South China Morning Post by Prudence Lui and Anneliese O'Young titled 'A Little Bit Country' offered Yuen Long a little bit of love. The article pays tribute to Yuen Long's unique culinary traditions, traditions that have emerged as a result of its heritage as a farming community and market town. While Yuen Long may have developed into a modern population centre, many of its 600 plus restaurants still reflect culinary links to its rural past. 
The article mentions the renowned Tai Wing Wai restaurant, Hang Heung Cake Shop, Ho To Tai Noodle Shop and strangely Pizzeria Giovanni. Tai Wing Wai which is famous for its awesome value 'walled village' cuisine and massive celebrity owner Toto and the Hang Heung Cake Shop, renowned for its wife cakes, are both worthy of mention. I am however confused how Pizzeria Giovanni fits in as 'traditional' Yuen Long cuisine; in all honesty I really don't like this place and the only reason it hasn't got a terrible review here is that I can't face going there to eat it's lousy, third rate attempt at Italian cooking. I'm also disappointed that no Nepalese, Indian or Pakistani restaurants get a mention as these cuisines are an integral part of dinning in Yuen Long. However the map accompanying the article did mentioned a few more of Yuen Long's finest including the New York Cafe, Shaffi's Indian and Kei Kee Dessert. Let's not be too critical; the article talked up Yuen Long, I love Yuen Long and that's that. Yuen Long may be a little bit country, but it's also an outstanding place to dine.
51 Kin Yip St, Yuen Long
Visited 3rd July 2008
The end of the school year approaches. The hectic marking of exams (the counter productive foundation of Hong Kong education) is at least balanced by the chance for lunch with colleagues. On this occasion I asked a friend to take me somewhere I hadn't been in Yuen Long before. We ended up at Bill Kee Noodles; a place apparently renowned for its beef brisket noodles. So renowned in fact that there's always a line out front and they don't have to worry about opening in the evenings. It's very much a 'local' style Chinese restaurant with shared communal tables, little plastic stools and scribbled bills slapped down onto tea stained surfaces.
There's no English menu at Bill Kee, but that's not a huge problem as there's only a couple of options. A bowl of 'fei lam mai' or beef brisket noodle soup was ordered for each of us along with a shared plate of vegetables. With my first bite I knew why people get excited about this place; the hunks of fatty beef were truly mouth wateringly tender. The soup itself was rather plain, though when enhanced by a touch of chilli oil it went well with the simple noodles. We accompanied our meal with a glass of iced lemon tea and a second plate of that tasty, tasty beef.
If you're in Yuen Long and want a change from the New York Cafe or Indian my suggestion is to seek this little local restaurant out for a truly delicious lunch. My mate wouldn't let me touch the bill, but it certainly wasn't expensive; delicious, authentic and cheap, what more can I say.
Shop 24, G/F, Yuen Long West Rail Station
Visited 14th June
Tuesday night: rugby training, a 'few beers', last train home and as I stagger down the steps of the Yuen Long KCR Station suddenly life becomes all about the smell of fried chicken. I don't eat that much 'fast food' but there's a time and a place and if I'm in the mood I normally stop at Big, Big Chick. It's a small shop located near the bus terminus under Yuen Long West Rail Station; afternoons look for the hordes of pushy school kids; other times follow the delicious aroma to the glowing yellow lights. Big, Big Chick - or Big Chicken Big if you're translating literally from Cantonese - is officially open from 8am to 11pm, but they normally keep the vats bubbling away until just after the last train. For those on the wrong side of Castle Peak Rd there's another branch on Tat Fai Path, next to the Yuen Long gutter.
Big, Big Chick is inspired by those huge Taiwanese fried chicken breasts and the menu includes chicken fillets, chicken chunks, chicken wings, chicken drumettes, c
hips and some strange fried sausages. On my most recent visit I went with a chicken breast and a small serve of fries. The chicken breast - which was flattened, battered, crumbed, fried, seasoned and cut into bite size chunks - was extremely tasty and would have been equally good in a chicken sandwich or straight from the bag as I had it. The meat was relatively tender with a crisp outer and it was deliciously seasoned with salt, chilli and a touch of cinnamon. Big, Big Chick cooks to order so my accompanying bag of crinkle cut fries were hot and fresh. The chicken was $16 and the chips $9 so no complaints about the price.
Touting itself as selling "Super Fried Chicken" Big, Big Chick is really just a hole in the wall dispensing bags of grease, but if that's what you're in the mood for Big, Big Chick is the place. 
35 Tai Cheung St, Yuen Long
Visited 21st May 2008
Yuen Long and nearby Kam Tin have a large Nepalese population and as a result we get treated to some pretty fine food. Sun-Shangri-La is the new kid on the block and has only recently having started dishing up curries to the masses. For a restaurant it's in a relatively isolated spot; tu
cked away at the top of Tai Chung St, just around the corner from On Lok Rd. It's a small place with basic decor and only eight or ten tables; the four of us seemed to half fill it.
As custom requires we started with vegetarian samosas; these tasty little parcels were crisp, a touch spicy and came with a decent mint chutney. The menu's stacked with Indian favourites and we went for murg mutter, channa masalat, jeera aloo, a prawn biryani and a couple of serves of nan. I was impressed with the tender, spiced jeera aloo potatoes, while the rich sauces smothering the chickpeas and chicken were fantastic. The prawn biryani was a delicious combination of spiced rice, prawns and fresh 
salad and the huge slabs of chewy nan bread were certainly up to scratch. To drink I got stuck into a couple of bottles of Chang beer, which at two for $20 was a steal. Perhaps it's just the wishes Carlsberg Inc but I was intrigued by the cans of 'Special Brew' piled in the fridge.
I really liked Sun-Shangri-La. The food was top notch, authentic and full of flavour. Though shy, the lady serving was polite, attentive and informative. Our bill came to just over $55 each, an absolute bargain especially considering how full we all were. Sun-Shangri-La has joined the ranks of Shaffi's and Shangri-La and entered the Yuen Long curry race. I wish them all the best; they've got the potential to do good things.
3 Tat Fai Path, Yuen Long
Visited 14th May
Tucked away on the 'promenade' next to Yuen Long's fragrant storm-water drain is Savour Cafe. It's a small restaurant that tries to bring a bit of extra class to the fringes of Hong Kong's greatest and already extremely classy town. The restaurant isn't huge and probably only has about twelve tables, there's a bar against the back wall, low lighting and a nice, but pointless selection of empty wine bottles.
While we thumbed through the Italian themed menu we were treated to a good looking bread basket with rolls, slices of garlic bread and bread sticks. The selection on offer was classic Italian - salads, pasta, risotto and pizzas - but there was also a hint of wank fac
tor with blobs of foie gras, truffle and prawns scattered in some strange places. I chose a baked fillet of cod topped with olive and Parmesan. The serve wasn't huge, but the tender fish was well cooked and served with tasty ratatouille and oven roasted tomatoes. Naomi's chunky fillet of pork was pretty nice though the sauce was a bit of a non-event, especially as it lacked any hint of the promised figs. Our companions enjoyed their smoked salmon fettuccine and orange roughy. I finished with a good coffee and Naomi had a huge rap for the 'authentic' tasting cheese cake. We both started with a bottle of Dutch cider, though perhaps a little sweet, the pear based drink was delicious. The small winelist wasn't cheap, but had some interesting options; unfortunately I didn't get to try any as I was stuck with a bunch of miserabl
e non-drinkers. I ended up with a glass of house white; an OK, but oaky Chilean Chardonnay.
Savour Cafe has a lot to live up as it seems to thrive in its own hype. While I found the food good it was nothing spectacular and the serves weren't huge. It definitely gets points for a pleasant atmosphere and a touch of style; the coffee cups were very cool and Naomi's cheesecake was beautifully presented. The service was super friendly though a touch erratic oscillating between in your face and absent. All up a pretty good rap, but I just find it difficult to pay the prices being asked; why would I pay $140 for a bowl of pasta I can get at Olivia for $58 or $220 for a fish fillet when one just is good is available from the New York Cafe for $95? Savour Cafe is a good option if your boss is paying or it might be worth checking out their more reasonably priced afternoon tea sets.
Shop 7, 14 Fau Tsoi St, Yuen Long
Visited 16th April 2008
Originally a chef in the British army, Shaffi use to spend his time dishing up vindaloos and chips to her majesty's finest. When they packed up and left, Shaffi packed up and headed to the culinary hotspot of Yuen Long to open his own restaurant. Situated on a busy little corner of Fau Tsoi St, Shaffi's is skinny restaurant, with basic decor and noisy vibe; the Wednesday 
night we went it was packed to bursting. For those who unfortunately live far from the fine dinning of Yuen Long, there's also a Wan Chai branch.
There was a big group and we ordered an assortment of dishes: chicken pakora and vegetarian samosas to start, chicken tikka, sag paneer, chicken do-pyaza, mutton jhalfrezi and chicken korma accompanied by garlic naan and saffron rice. All up it was a pretty good feed. The pakora we had for an entree were superb; the tender chicken was fresh and crisp (they were almost good enough to rival the delights of the Pakora Bar, Woodlands Rd, Glasgow). Our assorted mains were all flavoursome, though a couple were a little too oily for my taste, especially the sag paneer that was topped with a thick oil slick. The accompanying garlicky naan was tasty and enjoyably chewy. To drink we drained the fridge of Chang beers and then moved onto Heinekens and a bottle of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. Naomi sensibly went for a non alcoholic option and highly rated her mango lassi.
Shaffi's was a fun night out and the busy atmosphere was perfect for our big group. The service was fine and Shaffi, the man, is a friendly and personable bloke. The bill worked out at $160 a head which is a bargain when you consider we couldn't get through all the food and had mountains of beer - $12 a bottle makes life so much more affordable in the New Territories. The food was decent and reminded my English mate of how authentic Indian tastes back home in Portsmouth. Locals say there are two types of people in Yuen Long; Shaffi's people and Shangri-La people and while I enjoyed my night out at Shaffi's I'm still a Shangri-La man through and through.
Ground Floor, Sun Yuen Long Centre, Yuen Long
Visited 6th April 2008 
It's somewhat strange that I haven't written up the Royal Plaza Court Seafood before as it's a place we regularly visit. Maybe I'm hesitant because of the bloody long name, maybe because the cleansing tea, nourishing buns and blotting fried treats of yum cha have a tendency to accompany a cloudy head or maybe I've just still got a thing about tying to evaluate Chinese food. Anyway the restaurant, known as King Fook to locals, is located in the shopping centre aside the Yuen Long West Rail Station. It's a huge place with all the charm you'd expect of a Ch
inese restaurant of this size; floral chair covers, hanging balls of fake roses, phoenix and dragon statues with real glowing eyes, tanks of flapping grouper and a yelling crowd, flapping more than the grouper.
Yum cha served on trolleys is pretty rare this far from the decadence of central and at Royal Plaza Court Seafood it's a simple matter of tick the box on the photocopied menu; simple of course if you read Cantonese. Luckily with the help of local colleagues I've been able to hack together translations on a battered, outdated old menu. We were with overseas visitors so enough of the classics were ordered to fill the six of us. Pork and custard steamed buns, rice paper rolls, prawn dumplings, beef balls, sui mei, turnip cakes, spring rolls, wontons, glutinous rice puffs, fried rice noodles, roast pork belly and a dumpling soup. Along side the mandatory tea, 
the boys got stuck into the bargain of the century; three Heineken beers for $18. Sometimes you drink beer at 11am simply because it's dirt cheap. The food was pretty good; the ingredients seemed of decent quality, it was served fresh and it wasn't too oily. Naomi's favourite are the BBQ pork rice paper rolls, I can't resist roast pork belly and the visitors were fans of the Char Siu Bao or steamed pork buns.
Royal Plaza Court Seafood isn't a bad place for yum cha. The prices are reasonable (always under $100 per person), the food is generally good and the vibrant atmosphere is reminiscent of something resembling a circus in Hello Kitty Land. Service is OK and simply waving something in the air, whether it's menu, bill or pork bun, usually gets good results. The lack of English can be a problem, though if the staff can't help there's usually a helpful punter nearby who can. Royal Plaza Court Seafood; big restaurant, big name and worth a look if you're in Yuen Long and hungering for adventure and yum cha.
63-69 Kau Yuk Rd, Yuen Long
Visited 24th October
Oliva is a new Italian restaurant, recently opened in Yuen Long. We went for dinner Wednesday night and had to do some fast talking to get a table amongst the curious throng. It's a large, spacious place; the walls are chocked full of old black and white film photos in an effort to give it a bit of an Italian pizzeria feel.
Oliva has a very impressive looking bar, but - in what is beginning to seem typical of new restaurants in Yuen Long - they haven't got their liqueur license yet. We made a quick trip across to 7/11 and stocked up on beers and even braved a bottle of wine. The complementary focaccia bread and balsamic was a refreshing and welcome start to the meal. For an entree I tucked into a Cesar Salad which, though nice enough, was pretty basic and uninspiring. My main was a surprisingly good fettuccine with pan-fried salmon and a pesto based sauce. The pasta was well cooked, the flaky salmon chunks were moist and tender and the sauce was creamy, but 
well-balanced. In contrast Naomi's rather average lasagne was filled with bread crumbs rather than meat and covered in an overly sweet tomato sauce. Oliva's menu really shines when it comes time to find room for something sweet from their classic selection of desserts. Naomi enjoyed her apple crumble with ice-cream, while the remaining four of us shared a 'chocolate puff tower'; a huge pile of profiteroles that, though tasty, was too big for us to finish.
Our first visit to Oliva was encouraging. The food is good, a little stock standard perhaps, but certainly better than many other attempts at 'Italian food' in the New Territories; a decent dessert menu is also a huge bonus. The service at Oliva was surprisingly good, with friendly staff who knew the menu. Another plus is the that some thought has been given to the ambiance; with the old photos, checked table cloths and a prominent bar it felt like I'd been transported back to Lygon Street in Melbourne. Oliva is a welcome addition to Yuen Long's restaurant scene and a good bet if you're in the area and after Italian food.
6/F Yuen Long Landmark, 123 Castle Peak Rd, YL
Visited 13th September
Naomi and I visited the Yuen Long branch of this international chain for dinner Thursday night. Hidden on the 6th floor of a building off Castle Peak Rd Sushi Tei can be a bit difficult t
o find, but is worth the effort. The atmosphere is good, with comfortable, modern decor, a great open kitchen and some interesting views of Castle Peak Rd out the window. The only downsides were unflattering short-skirts worn as uniforms by the waitresses and the unashamedly disgusting belching by the woman on the next table.
We ordered an assortment of dishes: tuna, salmon and rolled pork chop sushi accompanied by a serve of grilled prawn and tofu balls for me, while Naomi chose fried chicken and an omelette stuffed with noodles. I was impressed with the sushi; the fish hunks were thick, fresh and tasty, while the pork chop sushi was rolled with crisp iceberg lettuce
which was a great combination of textures. Naomi was less impressed with her meal. Though hot and crispy the chicken was a little fatty for her liking and I'd agree that the sauce dribbled over the noodle omelette was just plain weird and off putting. Another positive for Sushi Tei is that it seems to be the only Japanese restaurant in the New Territories which sells wine, though I was happy with a cold can of Asahi. Our bill came to $209 which isn't bad value.
Our experience of Sushi Tei was a positive one. The service was fine, the food decent and the atmosphere good (minus the belching woman); if you're looking for a feed of Japanese in Yuen Long Sushi Tei probably isn't a bad option.
Visit restaurant website
3/F, Yuen Long Plaza, 249 Castle Peak Rd, Yuen Long
Visited 6th July
The Japanese chain Genki Sushi is amazingly popular in Hong Kong. Despite the massive queues I've seen in other branches Naomi and I easily managed to get a seat Friday lunchtime. We were tucked away in a corner next to the huge winding conveyor belt that dominates the restaurant.
Normally I tend to order sushi off a menu, but I thought I'd see what chance threw at me and pick as I went along. I ended up with mini-squid and octopus sushi, a fried ebi roll and a rolled sushi stuffed with salmon and cream cheese. Naomi had her favourite little beancurd packages, miso soup and mini profiteroles (yes they were on the conveyor belt!). The food really was pretty average; nothing seemed particularly interesting or fresh. I'm not sure how much I was influenced by sitting next to the kitchen (a word I use lightly) were I watched the rice being prepared by machines and the fish pulled pre-cut from packaging trays. Eating sushi is about enjoying quality fresh ingredients prepared with skill and innovat
ion, something Genki Sushi does not appear to offer. While our meal wasn't overly expensive at just over $100 for the two of us it wasn't particularly good either and there are plenty of other sushi places one can get a feed for a similar amount.
Our visit to Genki Sushi was one big conveyor belt ride; I sat next to a conveyor-belt, I watched my sushi being made by a conveyor belt and I was in a manufactured chain store were the whole experience felt like I was on a conveyor belt. Average service, average food and a plastic fast food atmosphere I can't understand why this chain is so popular - perhaps it's the cute company motif? Sushi in the style of 'Disneyland'; why bother?
it’s simply decked out, but well done; there’s a big blackboard, open kitchen and comfortable booth seating.
and double cheese burger; big juicy pieces of meat that were interestingly served on a wholemeal bun. They hadn’t finalised their liquor license yet so we just grabbed a few beers from a convenience store.
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