It’s a simple comfort; a nostalgic Hong Kong staple. Satay beef noodles — always a fantastic idea. Here is where to find the best in the city.
Of all the local dishes that make up Hong Kong’s food culture, satay beef noodles has to be high on the list of favourites. It’s a quick, simple dish, made from classic instant noodles and easily slurped up in a single seating. What sets this apart from the quick three-minute boil you whip up at home is the spoonful of rich satay-coated beef that sits delicately over the soup, eventually seeping down the bowl for a richer, tastier, much more enjoyable rendition of the convenient staple.
While the satay beef noodle is prevalent across the city, you’ll typically find watered-down takes with a sad, sloppy dollop of beef. Instead what you should be looking for is the rich and complex balance of sweet and savoury — sometimes spicy — that’s distinctive in a well-made satay sauce, similar to Indonesian satay skewers that originally inspired the creation of the dish during the early ’50s. The beef should be tender, the noodles a perfect al-dente chewiness and the bowl always steaming hot. Guaranteed you’ll find this perfect standard among the list below.
Hong Kong’s best satay beef noodles:
Wing Kee (榮記茶餐室)
Instead of your usual cha chaan teng noodle soup, Wing Kee’s satay beef noodle is a little more luxurious; a little more indulgent. The restaurant has been a clay pot rice expert for the last 25 years, and Wing Kee has put their own twist on the nostalgic HK dish, serving satay beef noodles in a sizzling clay pot. It arrives to the table piping hot with a rich broth brimming with tender slices of fresh beef and satisfyingly al dente instant noodles that cling to every last drop of the sweet, nutty soup.
Wing Kee (榮記茶餐室), Shop A & B, G/F, 12 Yuk Wah Crescent,, Tsz Wan Shan, Kowloon, Hong Kong, +852 2328 9232
Fong Wing Kee (方榮記)
As self-proclaimed satay beef experts — with their own homemade sauce and a 66-year-old recipe to prove it — it’s no surprise that Fong Wing Kee’s noodle dish is ranked among the city’s best. A full-bodied paste blended with the sweet-savouriness of satay and nuttiness of roasted peanuts in perfect equilibrium, it’s delicious as a broth for classic noodles, but even more desirable as a hot pot base, which Fong Wing Kee is famous for. Thickened up over time with the additional dip and swirl of ingredients, the satay hot pot is a delightfully richer take on the original that only intensifies in flavour as it slowly simmers.
Fong Wing Kee (方榮記), G/F, 85-87 Hau Wong Road, Kowloon City, Kowloon, Hong Kong, +852 2382 1788
Shing Kee (誠記)
If you didn’t know, there are some trip-worthy gems tucked away in Hong Kong’s district-wide cooked food markets, one of which is Shing Kee. Located in Kennedy Town’s Smithfield, this is the typical no-fuss, no-frills stall that might appear average at first sight, but offers a consummate menu of Hong Kong teahouse staples, including satay beef noodles. While most restaurants tend to only coat the beef in satay sauce, Shing Kee goes a generous step further and prepares the dish entirely in a rich satay broth. It’s a deeper, more concentrated flavour that will be well-appreciated during a mid-afternoon rut.
Shing Kee (誠記), 2/F, Smithfield Municipal Service Building, Kennedy Town, Western District, Hong Kong, +852 2817 6931
Wing Shun Restaurant (永順食店）
Wing Shun Restaurant is a longtime Yuen Long staple — 35 years long, to be exact — and the satay beef noodles here have been a raved-about favourite all along. Serving a thicker-than-usual satay broth, Wing Shun’s take works a spicier, peanutty flavour that goes swimmingly with whichever noodle you decide to choose. Nissin Demae instant ramen is the standard choice, but seasoned diners will point you towards the “Crab King” noodle, which is said to cling even better onto the rich, sweet-savoury soup.
Wing Shun Restaurant (永順食店), G/F, Koon Wong Mansion, 2 Yuen Long On Ning Road, Yuen Long, New Territories, Hong Kong, +852 2474 7074
Kwong Wing (光榮冰室)
As a traditional bing sutt, it only makes sense that satay beef noodles are a menu staple at Kwong Wing. But what the humble food shop is known for is their claypot-style satay beef noodles, invented out of a happy surprise. During Hong Kong’s cold spell last winter, the restaurant reworked its classic recipe into a bubbling hot serve for an added touch of comfort. The noodles sold out. Within the very familiar bowl features the classic instant noodle that’s first flavoured lightly with satay for a runnier soup base, then topped with a generous dollop of the special-made satay beef that’s teeming with sweet, savoury, peanut flavours.
Kwong Wing (光榮冰室), various location including Shop 6, G/F, 5-6 Hau Fook Street, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, +852 2422 6555
Very Good Luck Fast Food Shop (好好運快餐店)
There’s a story to tell with Very Good Luck Fast Food Shop, which many also abbreviate to “HHW” after its Cantonese pronunciation. Originally set for closure back in February, the nostalgic fast food shop reopened just three months later in May after overwhelming support from the local community. You might also say Very Good Luck does, in fact, have very good luck. Their satay beef noodles — a flavourful mix of sweet and savoury — are often touted as being Hong Kong’s best bowl (vetted by the trusty committee of Facebook’s Satay Beef Noodles Concern Group), with queues that often stretch to over an hour.
Very Good Luck Fast Food Shop (好好運快餐店), Shop 3, G/F, Peninsula Tower, 538 Castle Peak Road, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong, +852 2388 2691
Chan Tung Kee Noodle Restaurant (陳通記)
Cheung Chau may be a little far to travel for a bowl of simple satay beef noodles, but some will make the journey especially for Chan Tung Kee, a nondescript stall settled in the island’s cooked food market. So if ever you find yourself around, don’t skip this little rest stop. They’re loved for their exceptionally rich bowl of satay soup, finished with a sprinkle of crushed peanuts for extra crunch and texture between tender beef and chewy noodles. And to really impress far-travelling diners, Chan Tung Kee serves a varied selection of noodle bases at very affordable prices for your own customisable satisfaction.
Chan Tung Kee Noodle Restaurant (陳通記), Shop 4, Praya Street Market, Cheung Chau, Outlying Islands, Hong Kong, +852 2981 8877
