It was my last night in Hong Kong, the meeting was over and I hurried back to Causeway Bay to sample more of the restaurants I had left untried in that short stretch of Jardines Bazaar and Yee Wo street.
At 8 pm, this well lit eatery had people coming and going who all looked well fed and satisfied.
When in doubt, trust the queue. A place full of diners is practically a guarantee of a good meal.
Since the sign was in Chinese, it was only later on, through research on openrice.com that I discovered that its name was Man Fai, Cuttlefish Balls King. Self proclaimed food royalty! That's more than good enough for me!
The last space was at a table for 4 right by the open door where 3 other solo diners were already halfway through their noodle soups.
The place is quite cramped since tables have taken over ever inch of space. A small kitchen with a glass window that looks out into the street is where the action takes place.
I ordered my new favorite -- fish ball soup this time, with flat white rice noodles instead of the more common yellow egg noodles. The broth was mild and the noodles were very chewy and springy. The fish balls were fresh and had a firm texture.
Before I knew it, the entire bowl just vanished in a flash!
My eyes have always been bigger than my stomach and I had to order some side dishes to go with my noodles. This small saucer of fish dumplings is one of the best I have ever tasted. No fishy taste at all, just firm, flavorful, fresh fish steamed and rolled in tight little bundles of goodness.
The fish dumplings were much better than another side dish, fried vegetable cake which is really a browner and smoother take on the radish cake as we know it. It was a bit too greasy for my taste.
Man Fai was truly packed on this Tuesday evening. Every available seat was taken and people were just waiting to come in. The Cuttlefish Balls King has a new loyal subject -- I shall be back next time I am in Hong Kong!
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