Tiny Urban Kitchen

Exploring Food from Boston to Hong Kong and Beyond

  • About
    • About Me
    • Tiny Urban Kitchen’s Favorite Equipment
    • Press
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Asian
      • Chinese
      • Taiwanese
      • Thai
      • Malaysian
      • Japanese
      • Korean
    • Appetizers
    • Soups
    • Salad
    • Pasta
    • Noodles
    • Rice
    • Vegetarian
    • Meat
    • Sweets
      • Baking
      • Ice cream
      • Cookies
    • Misc
    • Kawaii (Cute)
  • Travel / Restaurants
    • United States
      • Boston
        • Jen’s Picks
        • Boston
          • Allston
          • Back Bay
          • Brighton
          • North End
          • South End
        • Cambridge
          • Kendall Square
          • Inman Square
          • Central Square
          • Harvard Square
          • Porter Square
          • North Cambridge
        • Somerville
          • Davis Square
          • Union Square
        • Greater Boston
          • Brookline
          • Arlington
          • Belmont
          • Watertown
          • Newton
          • Lexington
          • Concord
          • Burlington
          • Natick
        • Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Berkshires
      • Vermont
      • Maine
      • New York
      • Washington DC
      • Philadelphia
      • Orlando
      • Chicago
      • Las Vegas
      • California
        • Los Angeles
        • San Francisco
        • Napa
        • Sonoma
      • Seattle
      • Hawaii
    • Canada
      • Montreal
      • Canadian Rockies
      • Toronto
    • Argentina
    • Europe
      • United Kingdom
        • London
        • Oxford
      • Italy
        • Rome
        • Piedmont
      • France
        • Paris
        • Bordeaux
      • Spain
        • Madrid
        • Barcelona
        • Catalonia / San Sebastian / Girona
      • Germany
      • Belgium
        • Brussels
      • Switzerland
      • Greece
      • Finland
      • Norway
      • Denmark
    • Japan
      • Japan Guide
      • Tokyo
      • Osaka
      • Kyoto
    • China (Mainland)
      • Beijing
      • Chengdu
      • Shanghai
      • Shaanxi
      • Shenzhen
      • Xiamen
      • Yunnan
    • Singapore
    • Hong Kong
    • Malaysia
    • Taiwan
    • Thailand
    • Australia/New Zealand
  • Michelin
    • Formerly had a star
    • Michelin Recommended
    • 1 Star
    • 2 Stars
    • 3 Stars
  • Jen’s Eating Guides!
    • Boston Restaurants
    • Boston Dishes
    • Tokyo
    • Hong Kong
    • Las Vegas
    • Napa / Sonoma
    • Taiwan (night markets)
    • Taiwanese (casual eats)
    • Street Foods of Bangkok (Part I)
    • Street Foods of Bangkok (Part II)
    • Kitchen Equipment
  • Trip Reports
    • All trip reports
    • Around the World Trip Report
    • New England
    • New York
    • Washington DC
    • Las Vegas
    • California
    • Canada
    • Europe
    • Florida
    • Japan
    • China

Kin’s Kitchen Wan Chai – 留家廚房

October 23, 2018 by Jennifer Che 2 Comments

Kin's Kitchen Wan Chai
This is the second post in the updated #50Postsin50Days – Take 2 Challenge. Other posts in this series will be added to the bottom of the original post.

Lau Kin-wai and his son Chef Lau Chun (both food writers) wanted to revive some traditional dishes as well as inject some modern creativity into traditional Cantonese cuisine. They opened Kin’s Kitchen in 2004 to create a “home away from home” where they could use their vast food knowledge and apply it. They’ve unearthed ancient Guangdong recipes and re-interpreted them using a modern lens. They also stay true to other traditional recipes and create them using time-honored methods.

The restaurant has been going strong since its opening and even (briefly) earning a Michelin Star in 2011. The restaurant is still recommended by the guide, though it no longer holds a star.

It is one of my favorite places to bring out of town friends and guests. Not only is it walking distance from our home the ambiance is comfortable and relaxed and most importantly, the food never disappoints.

Kin's Kitchen Wan Chai
Chinese Broccoli with Crab, Tofu, and Shrimp Sauce

The restaurant has a huge menu full of Cantonese classics and creative renditions of other Chinese dishes. They even offer four different types of rice (from different regions!). I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve had there. Some of my personal favorites and must-orders include their signature Smoked Chicken, Handmade Egg Noodles with scallion oil and soy sauce (made using a traditional bamboo method), and Steamed Garoupa with Ginger and Scallions.

If you want to try an assortment of dishes, you can try the Kin’s Kitchen Executive Special – Tasting Menu, which provides a sampling of some of their signature dishes. It costs HKD 1980 ($253 USD) for four people or HKD 2380 ($304 USD) for six people. We enjoyed the one for four people with some guests and everyone absolutely loved it. We even brought our own wine and paid a reasonable corkage fee. I’ve described the tasting in detail below.

Kin’s Kitchen Executive Special – Tasting Menu

Kin's Kitchen Wan Chai
We started with a cold appetizer, Drunken Abalone, a twist on a the typical Cantonese abalone which is braised in a brown (like oyster) sauce.
Kin's Kitchen Wan Chai
Deep Fried Custard of Chicken Broth was excellent, like a delicately fried cube of really soft tofu having a ton of chicken essence. I’ve only had this at Seventh Son, where it was very good as well.
Kin's Kitchen Wan Chai
Sauteed Prawn and Scallops with Gamba Mushroom Paste was executed perfectly. Loved how the fresh shrimp “popped” when I bit into them.
Kin's Kitchen Wan Chai
Though the Steamed Ocean Garoupa looks simple, it was actually one of the best versions of steamed Cantonese fish (with ginger and scallions) that I’ve ever had in my life. I think it comes down to the quality of the seafood they procured as well as the expert execution. It was simple, classic, yet phenomenal at the same time.
Kin's Kitchen Wan Chai
It’s hard to adequately describe the combination of flavors in this signature dish, the Smoked Chicken. It’s smoky, savory, a touch of sweetness, and also dark caramel notes from a mixture of soy sauce and other flavors. In short, it’s utterly fantastic. Just order it. It’s one of my favorite dishes on the menu.
Kin's Kitchen Wan Chai
Braised Pork Belly with Sarcodon Mushroom reminded me of the classic Hakka dish that’s made with mustard greens instead. This version was excellent with extremely dark and intense flavors.
Kin's Kitchen Wan Chai
Another one of my favorite signature dishes is the Handmade Egg Noodle with scallion oil and soy sauce. In Chinese, these are described as 竹昇麵 or jook-sing noodles. The words translate to bamboo noodles because it refers to a very, very traditional way of making noodles using bamboo pole. Sadly, the method is so time and labor consuming, it is quickly becoming a dying art. There are very few places left in Hong Kong that still make noodles this way.

Thankfully, you can try them here at Kin’s Kitchen, and they are fantastic! The texture is super al dente. We love eating it just to enjoy the texture. Of course, the flavors are good too.
Kin's Kitchen Wan Chai
Steamed Mustard Greens with Preserved Vegetable were solid, though didn’t catch our attention quite the same way as many of the other dishes.
Kin's Kitchen Wan Chai
Almond cookie and “film roll” dessert

A la Carte Dishes

The restaurant has an extensive a la carte menu and I have barely scratched the surface. There is even a section of special dishes that you can pre-order. Additionally, they will sometimes do seasonal specials, such as a recent Taste of Yunnan province, we were would have loved to try.
Kin's Kitchen Wan Chai
Fresh and Dried Squid stir fried with celery was interesting in the mixture of textures and flavors from fresh squid (soft, bouncy, juicy) and dried squid (chewier, more umami).
Kin's Kitchen Wan Chai
Sweet and Sour Pork
Kin's Kitchen Wan Chai
Eggplant with Shrimp

General Information – Kin’s Kitchen Wan Chai

Kin’s Kitchen is located between Causeway Bay and Wan Chai, about a 10 minute walk from the MTR on the 5th floor of the W Square building (you’ll have to go inside and take the elevator). It’s open for lunch and dinner every day of the week (12PM – 3PM and then 6PM -11PM) and accepts credit card. I would advise making a reservation if you have a large group, though I’ve noticed that the place is seldom completely packed.

All in all, I highly recommend this place, especially for big groups!

Kin’s Kitchen Wan Chai 留家廚房
5/F, W Square
314-324 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai
Hong Kong

Filed Under: Asian, Chinese, Hong Kong, Michelin, Michelin Recommended, Michelin0, Restaurant, Review, World Travel

« Cheung Chau Island – Day Trip in Hong Kong
Mercedes Me Champagne Brunch Hong Kong »

Recent Posts

  • Arbor Hong Kong May 25, 2022
  • Mono Hong Kong May 23, 2022
  • Summer Palace Iconic Wine Lunch – Hong Kong April 29, 2022
  • Lucciola – Italian food at The Hari Hotel in Wan Chai March 22, 2022
  • Studio City by Cali-Mex Causeway Bay Hong Kong March 17, 2022
  • Petrus Hong Kong March 8, 2022
  • Ichiran Tonkotsu Ramen Hong Kong March 6, 2022
  • James Suckling Wine Central – Hong Kong March 2, 2022

Latest Chinese recipes!

Trackbacks

  1. 50 Posts in 50 Days - Take 2! Exploring Hong Kong in 2018 - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
    October 31, 2018 at 12:44 pm

    […] POSTS Cheung Chau Island (Hong Kong day trip) Kin’s Kitchen (Hong Kong) Mercedes Me Brunch (European) Kwan Kee Bamboo Noodle (Hong Kong) Old […]

    Log in to Reply
  2. Finished! 50 Posts in 50 Days - Take 2 Challenge - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
    December 19, 2018 at 11:44 am

    […] Chau Island (Hong Kong day trip) Kin’s Kitchen (Cantonese) Mercedes Me Brunch (European) Kwan Kee Bamboo Noodle (Cantonese) Old […]

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Welcome to Tiny Urban Kitchen!

JenChe

Hi, my name's Jen and welcome to my cooking, eating, and travel site! I am a Boston to Hong Kong transplant, born and raised in Ohio with parents from Taiwan. Feel free to head on over to the About page if you want to learn more about me, or just explore away, maybe starting with the Recipe Index or one of the travel pages! I hope you enjoy this site!
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Archives

Categories

Awards

Saveur
PFB

BostonGlobe

Most Recent Posts

Arbor Hong Kong

Arbor Hong Kong

Mono HK

Mono Hong Kong

Summer Palace Hong Kong Iconic Wine Lunch

Summer Palace Iconic Wine Lunch – Hong Kong

Lucciola The Hari Wan Chai

Lucciola – Italian food at The Hari Hotel in Wan Chai

beef quesadilla

Studio City by Cali-Mex Causeway Bay Hong Kong

Petrus Hong Kong

Petrus Hong Kong

Ichiran Hong Kong Ramen

Ichiran Tonkotsu Ramen Hong Kong

James Suckling Wine Central Hong Kong

James Suckling Wine Central – Hong Kong

Roganic Hong Kong

Birthday at Roganic Hong Kong

Caprice Hong Kong

Caprice Hong Kong – Four Seasons

France!

Restaurant Le George Paris
Yam'Tcha Paris
David Toutain Paris
Divellec Paris
Breizh Cafe Paris

Kawaii! (Cute)

Norway!

logo
Food Advertisements by

Chinese Recipes

Okra with Chicken
logo
Food Advertisements by

Shop & Support us!

Spain!

Girona Spain
Amelia San Sebastian

Japan!

Bulgari Il Ristorante Luca Fantin
Sukiyaki Imafuku Tokyo
Sushi Ishimaya Tokyo
Disney Sea Tokyo
Tempura Fukamachi Tokyo
Shinjuku Gyoen

Cambridge restaurants

logo
Food Advertisements by
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress