One of the more known styles of Cantonese cuisine is the Chinese Deli. Half butcher shop and half restaurant, the deli prepares, cooks, and serves popular meat dish of duck, chicken, pork, and sausage. You can’t miss them, with the roast pork and steamed chicken hanging in the windows. When I am in Hong Kong, these little shops/restaurants/hole-in-the-walls are my favorite and secret grubbing holes. I love these simple lunch plates, As Mr. L put it – It’s just meat on rice.
Tai Hing is a restaurant chain that specializes in the deli style. They cleaned up the small dingy and dirty communal tables in favor for bright colors and booth seating. I kinda liked the stand-in-line, then sit-with-strangers, and eat-hunched-down feeling. Tai Hing apparently has McDonaldized the traditional Cantonese Deli. Its great for tourists, families, and I guess a younger generation.
Tai Hing boasts a roast pork that is so good that they gave it 5 stars. As you walk in, you notice the two large pieces of roast pork hanging in the window with its golden brown crusted skin hiding behind the tender white pork meat. I knew, immediately, that i had to order that. Along with the 5-Star Roast Pork, we also added BBQ pork on my rice plate. The 5-Star Roast Pork was anything but 5-Star. The skin was a little more chewy than it had to be. The presentation of the roast pork had little skin. The meat was dry, so thank god we had the hoisin dipping sauce. With the BBQ pork, I must also say I was throughly unimpressed. The BBQ pork lacked the proper fat to meat ratio (which is 1:1), with barely any fat. Perhaps it is the new generation and foreign tourist aversion to fat, which led them to no include it. I know all Hong Kongers should know the requisite fat to meat ratio on BBQ pork.
We also shared a texas toast with butter and peanut butter spread. At least this was more than acceptable. But I doubt, I return to Tai Hing just for the toast. Usually found in Hong Kong cafes, I think Tai Hing is trying to appeal to a younger hip crowd with these sweets. The iced milk tea was also pretty good. I liked how they served it cold with a bowl of ice. I thought that was unique.
As much as I wanted to like Tai Hing, with the 5-Star Roast Pork, I had a let down. I know Miss Y and Mr. P liked the toast.
Check out some pictures I took at http://wp.me/p12aCk-15R
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