Rhythmic chopping on wooden boards, waiters bellowing numbers, downpour chatter of office-working patrons… Lunch hour in Central is a sped up music video.
The lady led the six of us inside after calling out our number.
No phony smile, no pre-programmed “Foon Ying Gwong Lum”, no BS. She was crisp and brutal; as brutal as the cleaver, as brutal as the industry that steamed unseasoned restaurants like passing clouds, as brutal as the government who almost uprooted Wah Fung three years ago; but yet Wah Fung stood against all odds – for 72 years, over 3 generations – still blazing and butchering in the heart of Hong Kong city.
Once we stepped into the heart of Wah Fung, the interior gave off a very different vibe. The walls were powdered with muted crimson paint, porcelain vases doubling as lights dangled from the ceilings and the floor was adorned with traditional Tong Lau patterns – Wah Fung hid a much delicate and composed femininity beneath her stoic, seasoned outlook.
1. Traditional Chinese Soup of the Day
We started off the meal with Soup of the Day ($21).
A quick fix for a taste of home, best consumed mid-way through a workday. The soup was simmered for hours until all the flavours blend into each other in harmony. It was a perfect starter to warm you up for the upcoming dishes.
2. Chicken with Ginger and Chives
Mom once taught me that the one true test to culinary standard was Chicken with Ginger and Chives ($89). It exposes the pure taste of the chicken with minimal flavourings. This particular one up here was perhaps grilled with Wah Fung’s no-BS character. The meat is succulent and tender, tailed with a lingering waft in your mouth. If you only have room for one dish, I would totally recommend this.
3. Sweet and Sour Pork
If Sweet and Sour Pork ($89) were a person, he must be that popular kid who invited everyone for parties, order rounds of shots for everyone and managed to out-win everyone on beer pong. I quitted eating pork for a while but judging from the incredible speed that my friends finished it, it must tasted as good as it looked.
4. Roasted Baby Pigeon
Roasted Baby Pigeon($38) for our expat fellow from France. He said it was like chicken but more tender and roasted in flavour. He liked it! If you’re new to Hong Kong and are down for something more exotic, baby pigeon is probably your starter pack.
Wah Fung (華豐燒臘專家)
112-114 Wellington Street, Central
Open (Mon – Sun) – 07:00 – 22:00
Order online via foodpanda