Mon Kee Cafe: A Distinctive Twist on Authentic Hong Kong Cuisine

By: Jacob Cheng

Food doesn’t have to be expensive to be tasty. Mon Kee Cafe is an example of this rule such. The food there does not step out of bounds to be classified as traditional Hong Kong food. In fact, it is quite a popular place with the locals, and at times there is quite a queue.

However, you don’t need to worry about the rate at which the food is served. Orders are taken while you’re lining up and you are given a ticket. Once you get to sit down, you present your ticket and voila, your food is here,. It’s truly remarkable efficiency

The first I would recommend theis rice with egg and minced beef. The creaminess of the egg compliments the saltiness of the minced beef perfectly. To top it all off, there is a serving of chives, cilantro, and scallion which completes the dish. Once you have all of it together, the harmony of flavors explodes in your mouth and leaves you with a want for more.

Another dish to die for is their macaroni with luncheon meat cubes in freshly made tomato soup. The acidity of the tomato complements the saltiness of the luncheon cubes with class. You would never believe the balance achieved by these two simple ingredients. The best thing about this dish is it allows you to substitute macaroni for a wide variety of noodles/pasta allowing you to taste the dish with several different textures. You can replace macaroni with rice noodles, spaghetti, as well as vermicelli.

One of my personal favorites is the pork chop rice with egg. The egg is available as an add on for 10 HKD. The pork chop is seared till it’s juicy and tender. It is then drenched in soy sauce. The soy sauce is a house blend that carries a slight zest. The egg is creamy and succulent, its yellow stands out against the brown of the pork chop. Creating a beautiful contrast on a plate. The creaminess of the egg, the saltiness of the pork chop and the zest of the sauce create a trio of flavors in your mouth blowing any pork chop rice you’ve had out of the water.

Personally, I like boiled vegetables; however, if you are more of a salad person, you can have it exchanged. Just make sure to tell the staff in advance. 

Overall, I’d say that Mon Kee is a fusion of two cuisines. It creates a bridge between ingredients used in “Hong Kong cuisine” and western flavors. All this comes at a price between $50-100 HKD. Considering that they have branches all over Hong Kong, they have really managed to create something affordablecheap andbut delicious. All the dishes come with a hot drink, so if you think about it, you might as well be stealing from them. 

No restaurant is without its flaws and with Mon Kee Cafe, there are certain things that they could certainly improve on. For example, having an English translation on the menu would really help as the menu is written only in Chinese. So if you are a foreigner looking to try out the place, it would be wise to bring someone who understands the local language. 

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