Summer in Hong Kong really is ridiculous. If its not raining, its blazing hot and this day was no different. It had been raining during the day, so at night there was a period of clear air and skies. During this period, we visited the older Kwan Kee at Wo Yick Mansion near Centre St to find a mini queue, and without thinking twice we trekked over to Kwan Kee on Des Voeux Road to find ourselves being seated at their last available table.
The second branch is noticeably larger with better air-conditioning - much more suited for a summer day!
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| tureen of tofu and fish soup with mushrooms and baby bok choy ($45) The stock was great - mildly sweet from the fish and very homey, comforting. Soups like this take hours to make and so I really love ordering Chinese soups when I know theres a good one. We had bowls after bowls of this whilst we awaited our claypot rices and this was only possible because of its lack strong seasoning (read: MSG) and salt. My only issue was that the vegetables and mushrooms were far too crunchy - undercooked as my guess is they're only added to the soup after each order. |
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| white eel on claypot rice ($55) Clear favourite of the night - this white eel had little bones and the sauce on the eel was so delicious we were raving about this one. The hint of chilli, the black beans, the chopped spring onions worked together very well in this beauty of a dish. Not to be forgotten was the rice. It was hard to pick whether the rice or the eel was the star, but I'd go for the former for sure. The grains had been cooked with less water in them so they had a bite and the crust at the bottom was only lightly golden but still very crunchy/crisp with a slight chew. The rice had been flavoured by the eel and sauce on top (of course, you need to mix it a little), and was great without the addition of soy sauce. Definitely a must-try! |
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| chinese mushrooms and chicken on claypot rice ($55) As we sampled this after the white eel one, this fell short in comparison. Have some water / liquid between and you will taste the really fresh chicken with a hint of ginger. The sweet soy accompanying the dish added a sweet-salty flavour to the otherwise barely seasoned toppings. The rice and bottom crust was just as good as the eel claypot - that's quality control for you. |
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| spinach in their homemade milky white fish stock, fried garlic ($40) To round off our meal some very fresh spinach in their addictive milky-white broth. So good that a man on the table nearby asked for a full bowl of it to drink on its own. So there - for me, this restaurant is one of the best i've sampled in the Western District. The long menu makes your every visit different, never boring, and only repetitive if you want it to be. I eyed the stir-fried prawns on the table next to us and made a mental note to try that next time! |
Service: ♥♥♥
Price: $$
Kwan Kee Claypot Rice
243-245 Des Voeux Road,
Western District, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2803 0215 (I know this branch is bookable, so if you plan to visit on a weekend, do book!)
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