Old Town Hong Kong Cuisine, Chinatown

Just when Dixon st couldn’t get any better it graces us with a delicious Hong Kong style eatery serving up Cantonese food in a casual ‘dai pai dong‘ setting. It’s hard not get too excited while you wait outside with the pork bun enshrined capsules, glistening BBQ ducks and live seafood tanks looking sweetly at you.

Old Town Hong Kong Cuisine has a great mix of value and deliciousness. Atmosphere is buzzy, service incredibly warm and friendly. I’m just so used to it hard and fast, so I’m a little dumbfounded at how pleasant it all is.

What’s hot on everyone’s lips? The baos of course. With their variety of char siu ($7 for two), pork (siu yuk – $8) or Peking duck ($8). In fact, Old Hong Kong Town appears to be one of the better places serving up value for money Peking duck – half duck ($35) or whole duck ($65) with a second course of san choi bao.

The pig’s trotter ($5.5) dares the brave to conquer and the scared to scamper.   The texture is like chicken feet – gelatinous and slippery. With the meat flavoured sweetly with honey and contrasted with the sharpness of black vinegar.

Mud crab congee (16.8) goes down well  and every last drop is not lost. It has a delicious and subtle flavour that is wonderfully comforting.
The salt and pepper squid (16.8) was slightly chewy and missed the crunch factor that usually comes with it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t one of the better dishes of the day.

The xiao long bao ($6.80 for 6) hits the spot with its trademark pork and soup filling. I notice that the skin is slightly thicker and chewier than Din Tai Fung. Our moment of truth arrives when we tuck into our pork buns ($12 for 2) and whole Peking duck ($65 – 2 courses). The baos made with siu yuk, is deliciously sweet and savoury with a crunch of crackling. The Peking duck is fanned with fleshy duck meat with the crispy skin taking hold as the centrepiece. Each mouthful is glorious and full of meat, with the crispy skin shattering in symphony against my teeth.