Mak Hong Kee (HK) Kitchen – New Cantonese Restaurant Along Keong Saik

Keong Saik Road is a well-known enclave for the chicest watering holes and the coolest restaurants. Mak Hong Kee (HK) Kitchen, which opened last December, is the newest addition to this popular food haven. Taking up two shop spaces, the restaurant serves up authentic Cantonese fare, with offerings such as roast duck, pork belly and char siew.

I paid a visit to the restaurant on a Friday night, and was surprised to see that the restaurant wasn’t that packed. Maybe it’s because I arrived past dinner hours, or maybe because the restaurant hasn’t done much marketing — they barely even have a Facebook page!

The staff were quite helpful when we asked for recommendations. They even told me that I ordered a little too much for 2 people, and asked if I wanted to remove a dish or two from my order. Hence, I only tried the Roasted Duck ($12), Signature ‘Char Siew’ Barbeque Pork ($12), and the clay pot Mix Vegetables with Conpoy & Vegetables ($16).

I’ve always preferred the Teochew-style braised duck to the Cantonese roast duck because of one reason, and one reason only — the meat from roast duck is usually tough and dry. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the Roasted Duck ($12) at Mak Hong Kee (HK) Kitchen. The skin wasn’t overly roasted till it becomes dry and papery, and I could still see that luscious layer of fat in between the skin and meat. But the best thing about the roast duck was the juicy and tender meat.

However, the char siew wasn’t my cup of tea. The meat was on the leaner side, and was more savoury than sweet. Also, it didn’t have any sauce to go with, which accentuated its dryness and toughness.

I wasn’t very impressed with the clay pot vegetables as well. Although a mix of dried shrimp and dried scallops was used to flavour the broth, the broth tasted like plain warm water that was soaked with the two dried ingredients. I expected something richer, and thicker, but all I had was a thin, watery soup. However, the vegetables were fresh, and I thought that it had a good mix of different vegetables and mushrooms.

Although two out of the three items that I had at Mak Hong Kee (HK) Kitchen fell short of expectations, I would definitely give the restaurant a second chance. The table next to me had ordered the Signature Roasted Peking Duck ($58), and it sure looked like it had potential. Furthermore, the restaurant is relatively new – they opened only on 18 December last year.  I’m sure that they need sometime to iron out the teething problems.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.