With a name like Café Le Majestik you may be picturing a dining room of grandeur that sparkles with magical touches. Heck, you may even expect a French touch. In reality, you’ll find a HK café with décor that may elicit memories for those growing up in Hong Kong before the turn of the century.  These establishments were created to offer British inspired dishes tweaked for a Chinese palette and at a price point the masses could enjoy. As they grew in popularity, so did their menus.

HK cafés are known for their baked dishes; hence I had to try a classic baked pork chop in tomato sauce with fried rice ($13.99). It’s a bargain arriving with a bowl of overly tangy tomato borscht (adorned with vegetables and no beef) and a hot drink of choice. The mixed tea and coffee drink was properly strong but did take a while to arrive given the solo person making drinks was overrun with orders.

The actual baked rice dish was lacking. While I enjoyed the thick tomato sauce and cheese, the pork chop was lukewarm indicating they likely pre-fried them and assembled dishes to order by placing the meat, sauce, and cheese under the broiler and sliding it onto rice. I like my baked dishes sizzling hot where everything goes into the oven and no one would dare touch the dish as it’s presented. At Majestik, touch away. 

Things improved with the wonton noodles, which did remind me of bowls I had in Hong Kong. The noodles are thin and springy with a lovely chewiness that’s different from those found in supermarkets. Their four-item noodle soup ($13.99) is ideal for trying a bit of everything with two pieces of fish ball, cuttlefish ball, fried fish cake, and meat/fish dumplings. While Majestik’s noodles were amazing, the accompaniments were passable and too soft for my taste. Of the four, the fried fish cake had the most promise.

Despite having so many broths in our meal already, I had to try their imitation shark fin soup ($5.99) and this was the most impressive. Large enough to share amongst two or three people, it’s thick and flavourful with a strong kick of sesame oil for an aromatic essence. With a fair amount of bean curd thread (the “shark fin”) and slivers of black fungus, pork, and bamboo shoots it was hearty and hot. In a pinch, order the imitation soup with another snack item and you’ll have a satisfying lunch.

Located by the Pacific Ocean, it’s no surprise that fishing was and still is a major industry for the city. With access to fresh seafood, fish balls are a traditional food item you have to try in Hong Kong. On Lee Noodle Soup is one restaurant, frequently touted by bloggers and travel sites, as a go-to location.

Opening at 9am, there was already a line on our Sunday visit. Don’t worry, they’re a large restaurant with a number of communal seat-yourself tables holding six, so the queue was easily accommodated. On Lee is a well-oiled machine, noodles were flying out in less than five minutes, each bowl finished with a big ladle of soup and generous sprinkling of green onions.

The two items with rice noodles ($40) offered a taste of different toppings. Their fish balls are particularly delicate compared to the doughy versions we find in North America. Each bite sized sphere having an airy consistency with a light springiness to the bite. While the ones in Toronto often have a strong fish taste, these ones are lightly flavoured, akin to a freshly steamed fish.

Similarly, the shrimp wontons were also delicately packed, the smaller shrimp barely cooked through, although somewhat flavourless. Compounded by a plain soup base, a spoon of chili oil was really required to help add taste. Luckily, the rice noodles resisted getting soft despite sitting in the soup for at least 10 minutes (the broth is piping hot so I had to proceed cautiously). Moreover, despite looking like a small portion, a fair amount of noodles were packed into the bowl.

On the other hand, their braised brisket ($34) was terrible, the beef very tough screaming for some marbling, especially the few pieces were weren’t cut against the grain. Nevertheless, the soup base was much tastier, having that beefy soy sauce flavour and the thin wonton noodles incorporating a lovely chewy texture without the alkaline bite.

Shau Kei Wan, the district the restaurant is located in, lies on the far east side of Hong Kong Island. Although it seems out of the way, hopping on the inexpensive trams will get you there in less than an hour, On Lee Noodle Soup a further 10-minute walk from the station. While I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit the restaurant, if you’re going to take a long tram ride, you might as well make it a stop in Shau Kei Wan.

• Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
• 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
• 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
• 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
• 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
• 10 - absolute perfection!

• Wong Ming Hee (Hong Kong)
• Wonton Chai Noodle (Toronto)

• Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
• 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
• 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
• 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
• 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
• 10 - absolute perfection!