Located by the Pacific Ocean, it’s no surprise that fishing
was and still is a major industry for the city. With access to fresh seafood,
fish balls are a traditional food item you have to try in Hong Kong. On Lee
Noodle Soup is one restaurant, frequently touted by bloggers and travel sites,
as a go-to location.
Opening at 9am, there was already a line on our Sunday
visit. Don’t worry, they’re a large restaurant with a number of communal seat-yourself
tables holding six, so the queue was easily accommodated. On Lee is a well-oiled
machine, noodles were flying out in less than five minutes, each bowl finished
with a big ladle of soup and generous sprinkling of green onions.
The two items with rice noodles ($40) offered a taste of
different toppings. Their fish balls are particularly delicate compared to the
doughy versions we find in North America. Each bite sized sphere having an airy
consistency with a light springiness to the bite. While the ones in Toronto
often have a strong fish taste, these ones are lightly flavoured, akin to a freshly
steamed fish.
Similarly, the shrimp wontons were also delicately packed,
the smaller shrimp barely cooked through, although somewhat flavourless. Compounded
by a plain soup base, a spoon of chili oil was really required to help add
taste. Luckily, the rice noodles resisted getting soft despite sitting in the
soup for at least 10 minutes (the broth is piping hot so I had to proceed
cautiously). Moreover, despite looking like a small portion, a fair amount of
noodles were packed into the bowl.
On the other hand, their braised brisket ($34) was terrible,
the beef very tough screaming for some marbling, especially the few pieces were
weren’t cut against the grain. Nevertheless, the soup base was much tastier, having
that beefy soy sauce flavour and the thin wonton noodles incorporating a lovely
chewy texture without the alkaline bite.
Shau Kei Wan, the district the restaurant is located in,
lies on the far east side of Hong Kong Island. Although it seems out of the
way, hopping on the inexpensive trams will get you there in less than an hour,
On Lee Noodle Soup a further 10-minute walk from the station. While I wouldn’t
go out of my way to visit the restaurant, if you’re going to take a long tram
ride, you might as well make it a stop in Shau Kei Wan.
How To Find Them
Location: Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong
Address: 22 Shau Kei Wan Main St E
Address: 22 Shau Kei Wan Main St E
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Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
Is That It? I Want More!
Other Gastro World posts similar to this:
- Wong Ming Hee (Hong Kong)
- Wonton Chai Noodle (Toronto)
