Kau Kee Restaurant

nothin special, tried the regular, maybe will try the curry one next time.

This place is next to my office and there’s always a long line. I tried it a few times, and everytime I’m disappointed. The staff is extremely rude (I’m from Hong Kong and I am used to rude restaurant staff). The beef brisket is mediocre and bland. And small for the price. I usually advise my tourist friends against going there. Cos it’s mostly a tourist trap.

Ever since it became a tourist destination, the price has increased in proportion to the number of tourists in the queue. The portion remains the same and customer service is still virtually non-​existent. Despite all the unfortunate commercial side of things, this place is still an institution for beef brisket in Hong Kong. If you can, try take away to jump the queue.

Absolutely disappointing experience, the restaurant is overwhelmingly spoiled by visitors’ curiosity. Long queue and celebrities photos did created fake fame however the flavor of its signature food ‘beef stew’ is no better food in its kind. ‘Could be worst’ I should say, and it is purely to tick the box for your HK experience. Not recommended to go, just don’t worth it.

4.5 is my rating.
Best beef brisket noodles ever! The one on the bottom left is the basic beef brisket noodles, which was my favorite. The beef brisket meat was so tender it almost melts on your mouth. The curry beef noodles was good too, but the meat was a little tougher and not as tender. The soup noodles was a lot more flavorful because of the curry. Generally slightly more expensive for a bowl of noodles compared to other HK cafes, but they do their beef noodles right!
Try to go during off hours because it’s busy and you have to line up.

This place is solid. The bowls are a bit on the smaller size (Asian size) but it’s perfect. They specialize in beef brisket with different types of noodles.
One thing that I noticed that a lot of locals do is they stick their thumb in your bowl touching your food. Kinda sick but it seems to be a local thing. The food is really tasty though and for 43hkd a bowl, you can’t go wrong.

The line moves pretty fast.
We tried one order of the original beef brisket with flat noodles and an order of the curry tendon and a different brisket with e-​fu noodles.
Both were so good!!!
The service might be abrupt but this isn’t fine dining. Nor are you paying fine dining prices.
I would totally give this place five stars if the meat was consistently tender but a few pieces were just okay while others were excellent. Also, the side of vegetables isn’t very interesting as they’re just blanched, but soggy, lettuce. That was too much at 22HKD. I would much prefer blanched gai lan which is the standard in most wonton noodle joints.
Overall, I’d still recommend this place and I would go back for sure. Just ask for what kind of veg they have first.

Absolutely derricious beef brisket noodles both in the house broth and doused in curry. The brisket was easily the best I’ve had for this style of preparation and the prices were a steal for the quality.
Do note that the place is also absolutely no frills with small tables often shared with other parties and very cramped quarters. And if you want napkins of any kind, be sure to bring those yourself as many establishments in HK provide none given the history of SARS outbreaks in the past.

A must stop every time I’m in town along with yat lok crispy goose.
The line is sometimes unbearable, but in my opinion for stewed fatty brisket this is still the best in town.
No English, but I believe they have pictures on the menu now, plus you can only order one thing the beef noodles, with or without soup Ho fun, mee noodles, or curry broth. The curry broth is worth a try but not something I crave for. Also the chili sauce on the table is super mild so You can paint the town red with it. Choy sum is sometimes hit or miss either too cooked or not enough but whatever gets you those daily does of vegetables.
Drinks are minimum as this is a quick in and out type of spot. Try once in your in Hong Kong, it’s not such a far walk from sheung wan station.

Hier gehen die Einheimischen essen — von eben solchen wurde mir Kau Kee auch empfohlen. Es ist normal, dass man vor dem Laden erst einmal anstehen muss, um einen Platz zu ergattern — je nach Tageszeit geht das aber recht schnell — ich war nach der Mittagszeit da und musste keine 5 Minuten warten.
Man sitzt im Kau Kee sehr einfach an Plastiktischen, kommt man alleine, so wird man zusammen mit anderen Gästen an einen Tisch gesetzt. Es ähnelt insgesamt mehr einem Imbiss als einem Restaurant, aber so ist es eben typisch für die Gegend.
Das Essen kommt sehr schnell und es ist absolut köstlich! Der «signature dish» im Kau Kee ist beef tendon curry — saftig und butterzartes geschmortes Rind mit Nudeln und Currysuppe, etwas scharf, aber richtig lecker und voller Geschmack.

You cannot miss this spot. The line is out the door. Always.
But there’s a reason for that. Because the beef brisket noodles are some of the best I had on my trip. They come out hot (so hot) and delicious and filled with flavour. I didn’t get the curry version but I hear it’s excellent too.
As I was told, if you ask for an English menu, they will have one for you if you need it. But you really don’t. Wait in queue, order the beef brisket noodles, be happy. Done and done.

I’ve been wanting to try Kau Kee for a while, but it’s usually too hot to wait outside in the line. Finally, bit the bullet and went since it was a bit later after the lunch crowd. There was still a small queue (about 8 – 10 people ahead of us) but it moved in about 10minutes.
Started with the standard beef brisket and flat noodles, and it did not disappoint. I burnt my tongue bc I couldn’t wait for it to cool off. Simply put, the bowl of tender brisket and soft/​chewy noodles was perfect.
Next up, the curry version. It was a new level of self control to not order both in one sitting; although, it was close after the seemingly small bowl first arrived.

It’s no secret that I’m a little obsessed with curry. This place has some great, affordable, local noodles with beef tendon that are worthy of the hype! Definitely an authentic, hole-​in-​the-​wall Hong Kong restaurant.
Although the ambiance is not impressive, you can’t really expect too much out of a local restaurant that sells affordable noodles when it’s located in a prime lunch spot in the packed city of Hong Kong in the Sheung Wan area.
The most popular beef tendon curry with noodles is roughly HKD $ 43. They never seem to have vermicelli noodles for some reason as both times I’ve gone, I had to get the flat noodles. If you’re not a fan of curry, they also have non-​curry flavors for a more simple taste that resemble phở with the beef brisket.
Either way, Kau Kee is a pretty good bang for your buck if you’re not trying to have a super comfortable dining experience. Great spot for a fast, cheap, tasty lunch! And especially good if you love noodles and curry!

Big thank you to Nicole C. and Nik T.‘s reviews for propelling my tired little feet over to Kau Kee to stand in the rain for these outstanding beef noodles!
The line was thankfully abbreviated by the soggy weather and we were whisked in a mere 15 minutes after arrival around 8pm on Saturday night. The wait was cheerful as we happily plotted our orders.
We quickly scooted over to two empty stools at a table and gratefully received the English menus. Forewarned by the previous reviews, we skipped all dithering and immediately ordered in mandarin at breakneck speed. Approximately 90 seconds later, two steaming bowls of beef brisket and e noodles in broth, one bowl of curry soup, a glass of hot almond cream and a can of beer materialized in front of us!
The broth was fantastic, full of rich beefy flavor and the brisket was fall apart tender. The curry broth was unapologetically hot with over the top flavor complexity and as our noses started to run, we wished we had picked up the living in Asia habit of carrying tissue packs. Despite the heat, we continued to happily dip our beef and noodles in the curry, alternating between the winsome flavors.
Total damage HKD ~135, not even $ 20 USD! What a deal!
PARTING THOUGHT: we’re definitely coming back!

After reading numerous reviews about this place and having to make up my own mind whether it was a tourist spot or local gem — I was determined to try this on my latest sojourn to HK. The first day I went it was closed as I didn’t realise they closed on public holidays and then the day they reopened, the queue scared me away during the lunch rush. So on my last day in HK, I decided to pop in mid afternoon and as I approached I saw that it was indeed open and that there was only 6 people in the queue — YAY!
After being quickly seated and managing to order without much difficulty in English, I eagerly awaited by first bowl of Kau Kee brisket noodles with E-​fu noodles. There is a special under each segment that costs about 5 times the normal price for a bowl, the server tried to explain to me in haphazard English that this was the ‘special’ cut of meat that was only available later on in the day? If this is true, can someone clarify for me?
Anyway back to my bowl of brisket and noodles … and what a bowl of soup noodles it was indeed! The clear browl was clean and fresh but very tasty and there was definitely no need to add any condiments and the springy e-​fu noodles worked a treat. The brisket was tender and cooked well, but for me, the highlight for me was defintely the broth!
I would rate this place 5 stars if the notorious queues weren’t so long and it is definitely a local gem given the clientèle dining the day I went. There were only a few tourist (myself included) and the rest were locals enjoying a hearty bowl of noodles.

I was steered here by Nicole C.‘s review (
) and don’t have much to add to it but this:
1) You have a noodle option. We tried the rice noodle and the e-​fu, and and I strongly preferred the latter. This is subjective, but those coming in without preexisting noodle knowledge or bias should know that the rice noodle is soft and slippery and bland, while the e-​fu (an egg noodle) has terrific chew and color and flavor.
2) They serve brisket in plain broth, or tendon in curry, but not brisket in curry. If you want curry but not tendon, you can get the curry on the side. The brisket over e-​fu noodles, with the curry on the side, was a heavenly thing. HEAVENLY, I tell you! Unless you are an intense vegan, in which case it would have perhaps been very hellish indeed.
3) They are closed on Sundays and public holidays.
4) I came on a Monday around 9pm, and the space was near full, but we were sat immediately. There was no line outside, though I’d seen one passing by on a different day, and a small one did gather while we ate. Folks around us were incredibly varied, from pretty people dressed up for a night at a club, to people looking like they’d come from a late day at the office, to plain old locals, to tourists in hiking pants noting details for Unilocal reviews. We weren’t rushed at all while there, and the service was friendly in a brusque, no-​nonsense sort of way.

Thank god I didnt come by myself! There’s no English menu but only Chinese. This place is a real hole in the wall spot. When I mean hole… I mean small cramped dining spot also.
There seems to be always a queue and we only waited for 10 minutes. Every seat gets filled. So be prepared to be rubbing elbows with a stranger!
My grandma order me the normal beef noodle with the egg noodle. It was AMAZING! The beef was so tender and juicy. The noodles semi flat and the broth tasted so good that I choked on the soup because I ate so fast!
I tried the curry beef noodle soup and that was pretty good as well. Probably order that next time!

Kau Kee has the best beef brisket in Hong Kong. It’s a wrap… or do I mean RAP? (teehee)
Long lines around the clock
that means tourists on the block
flock of pictures snapping Nikon and they footsies stuck in Crocs, uh/​
Everybody wants a piece
call that Brisket mah main squeeze
I’ll pay good money for that brisket so long Kau Kee’s on the lease/​
Yeah one mo’ piece
gimme that
so clean, full of grease/​
Half-​fat-​lean, no greens, Hor-​Fun or the E-​mein
order fast, no stutter
cause the waiter be mean
snap at you in the face
like yo high school dean.
And the price, tourist price.
Grand Theft Auto heist/​
2 hunnid bucks 3 bowls 2 drinks
push my budget to the brink and the savings to the sink/​
Poor man’s soup turned rich man’s loop
Kau Kee gots the goods
but won’t see me til I got my Lexus coupe/​
foodkid fAAtcity

I have avoided Kau Kee for the longest time because I always hear from locals that it is not as good as it was as in his grandfather’s days and the line is always long filled with tourists.
After my first bowl, all I was left with was «Wow. This is good.» I can’t help but wonder how much better was it back then — in the grandfather’s days.
The two items I always get is the curry brisket and tendons with «yee mian» (伊麵) and the clear soup brisket with rice noodles (河粉). Usually, I love strong tasting food but I actually love the clear soup brisket more here. It was just really delicious. I wouldn’t even add my favorite hot sauce because it will just destroy the delicate flavor.
People also complain about the service here but from what I witness, the servers here are actually very patient and I think the conflict happened because the tourists didn’t understand the Hong Kong eating culture. (e.g., you are not expected to tally around after you finished your food. There is a minimum charge per person, which is equivalent to a bowl of noodles, or HK$ 45, you are expected to share tables with strangers in a very tight space because this place is just that popular.)
Kau Kee has it good and bad days too but when it is good, it is really good. And I am willing to queue for 20 – 30 minutes (on average) for those really good days,

This should be the gold standard for «gnuw-​lam» (beef brisket).
Kau Kee is a no-​nonsense food establishment. Come, sit, order, eat quickly, and leave. I came by myself on a Friday night around 9pm and was seated right away at a communal table in an otherwise packed restaurant.
My bowl of «gnuw-​lam mein» ($ 48 HKD) came shortly after ordering. The meat was marvelously tender, juicy, and flavorful. The noodles and broth were great as well, and I slurped up my dinner in record time. (Although this is partly because the portion is a bit on the small side; hence the 4 stars.) I seriously considered ordering another bowl…
You can customize your meal by having your beef brisket with different types of noodles, in noodle soup, with curry sauce, etc. They have many options, but they all revolve around the beef brisket… AS IT SHOULD!
At Kau Kee, gnuw-​lam is life. The rest is just details.

If you want the beef brisket you should give this place a try, said my friend who used to live around the area, and since I was on vacation everything is pretty much game, I just didn’t expect the line-​up going about 15 people deep when we arrived around 2:30 PM. One of the true motto’s of any place that is popular in HK is that if there is hype… usually the wait follows when you get there. Amazingly enough we got here after using my horrible GPS and once I saw the lineup the expectations rose. Waiting around I noticed a sign posted at the door saying, «no baby strollers, no luggage»… until you enter, you realize how small and tight the seating situation is.
Any time of day this place has it’s fandom of people, whether visiting or local, wanting their popular hyped beef brisket, it’s in their name in Chinese that this is what they do. A warning to all you non-​beef eaters… this place is really not for you and if you are coming with a friend who doesn’t eat this variation of meat. well just remember, as stated on the menu, there is a minimum $ 40 per head to sit in here. Our orders for the three of us consisted of a curry beef brisket with ho fun, their regular house beef brisket with ho fun, an order of their lo mein beef brisket with wonton mein and a side of greens to balance it out.
This place is no nonsense, once the order gets put in, you are there waiting, not too long, and magically the bowls are appearing right in front of you. This place is not a place you sit around and enjoy, you wolf it down, and you GTFO… before paying for your food right at the exit. We were obviously pretty hungry on this hot day, and when you get in here the a/​c is blowing hard, so best way to warm up is with a nice hot bowl of noodles. The bowls come, and you need to fend for yourself for the spoons and chopsticks and sauce dishes that are in the centre of each table.
How did I find this place, more hype than anything else, I found just eating through this bowl to be a heavy experience on the internal system. Everything in the bowl tasted the same, from going from my own ‘lo mein’ to my friends ‘ho fun’ soup, it was just so beefy in taste that I was thankful there was a dish of greens on the side. The curry dish our other friend ordered was the same, not much in terms of curry flavour, just color. If you’re in for a meaty, beefy, tasting bowl of noodles, by all means… come here, you will not be disappointed one bit. If you are not one who likes cramped spots, waiting in line, over beefy goodness. well walk right past and check out another place, this is one of those fan favorites. either you are a fan or you are not… I’ll let you decide.