Claypot Rice is a local Hong Kong dish
- Shop 4/1 Magdalene Terrace, Wolli Creek NSW 2205
- (02) 8541 8787
Growing up with my Hong Kong roots, I had the familiarity with Claypot Rice in the same way that an English kid might have with a Sunday Roast. The medley of cured pork belly, Chinese sausage, veggies, rice and soy sauce – all cooked and unveiled in a stone pot – would have us kids running to the table faster than our mother’s call of “dinner’s ready”.
What we call “Bo Zai Faan” (Claypot Rice) in Cantonese is served at Kong Chai Kee, a “Cha Caan Teng” (Hong Kong-style cafe) in Wolli Creek.
A claypot bowl housing Chinese sausage, cured pork belly, and rice that’s crispy at the bottom.
Beef fillets served on a sizzling hot plate.
Discovery Point is a pleasant community next to Wolli Creek train station, filled with an Orange supermarket, bubble tea shop, Asian restaurants and residential buildings. The grassy Village Square is where local residents hang out and on one side you’ll find restaurants like Maysa Thai Restaurant and Ryoma Japanese Barbecue. For a down-to-earth, casual meal I visited Kong Chai Kee right on the corner of the Village Square.
Kong Chai Kee has a no-fuss, brightly lit interior.
Prawns fried with egg yolk. These are delightfully savoury and a little creamy!
Hong Kong-style cafe in Wolli Creek
During my primary school years I would visit these types of restaurants, where service is pragmatic and the food always tasty. They were where I inhaled lunches in between tutoring classes and revised last-minute homework assignments. For dinner, I would gladly launch myself into whatever my mum ordered, be it a Baked Pork Chop Tomato Rice, a Stir-fried Singapore Noodle, or Fish Ball Noodle Soup.
Kong Chai Kee, with its vivid depictions of Hong Kong’s streets and background Cantonese pop music, brings classic Cha Caan Teng (cafe-style) dining to Wolli Creek. What would a Hong Kong local order for afternoon tea? Try a honey-drizzled, thick French Toast, a steaming cup of milk tea, and a hearty bowl of Beef Brisket Noodle Soup. I recommend egg noodles.
Afternoon tea is a popular meal here, the restaurant is 3-minutes from Wolli Creek train station.
Been to the bustling district of Mong Kok in Hong Kong’s Kowloon Island? You’ll recognise this scene.
If Discovery Point is where Wolli Creek’s community is discovered then Kong Chai Kee is where a busy day can ease into a relaxed meal at a price point that doesn’t break the budget. In saying this, who else reckons dining out has become more expensive in general? Hopefully inflation loses some steam next year …
Click here for Google Map’s directions to Kong Chai Kee. Want to learn more about my experience? Message me on Instagram here.
Order a Hong Kong style milk tea and chat away an afternoon.
Pork belly served in a steaming hot pot.
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Garry Ho
- January 9, 2024
- 2:33 am
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