Quick — what do you think that dish in the photo is? Did you say “fried chicken?” That was what I thought, too. Not that the chicken looked bad — far from it, in fact — but I was hoping for something less run-of-the-mill for my first proper Hong Kong meal.
Well, my dismay was short-lived. The fowl might have appeared more fried than poached, but it had turned out to be a very good version of Hainanese chicken. Smaller and leaner than Tian Tian’s in Singapore (price just about the same, that is, very affordable), Kai Kee’s came with a bowl of their daily soup, which was light and fortifying, probably all-vegetable (it had no meat component that I could discern). The sticky rice was perfectly infused with lemongrass-and-ginger-spiked chicken broth.
We also had Yeung Chow fried rice. I had had better; the dish presented to our table looked nothing like the shrimp-studded picture on the menu. For another, the serving size seemed hardly worth $53. I could have made this at home for a third of the price.
Ingredient-wise, I could have said the same of the fried udon with pork and wild mushrooms, except I have this thing about overloaded noodle dishes, so this was fine with me. However, at $60 a plate, I can’t begrudge anyone who thinks Kai Kee stingy with their sahog. Again, the dissonance between pictorial promise and what actually comes out of the kitchen.
Speaking of dissonance, how about this: Kai Kee also offers fried spaghetti in black pepper sauce, and soupy tomato beef macaroni — not traditional Chinese (or even Asian) fare, that’s for sure. In any case, the ordering was done by my friend, Luchie, who lives in the neighborhood; it’s fair to say she was treating us to her favorites. Overall, a satisfying meal. Service was curt but prompt (the place was full, if not quite packed). We were in a bit of a hurry, raring to do some touristy stuff, so we did not linger. Besides, much as I had wanted to inquire about the treatment they gave the chicken, I did not speak a word of Cantonese, and doubted Luchie knew enough to cover Chinese culinary terms. Add to that Hongkongers’ legendary brusqueness, and I would have had an easier time wangling the secret spice recipe from Colonel Sanders. Oh, wait: he’s dead, isn’t he? Still.
Kai Kee RestaurantG/F 110-112 Belcher St.
Kennedy Town, Hong Kong
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