Cheung Hing Kee Shanghai Pan-Fried Buns — Restaurant in Hong Kong Island

Cheung Hing Kee Shanghai Pan-fried Buns is a small eatery that started in TST and has now spread around to several small eateries around Hong Kong after they were recognised by the folks at Michelin as being a recommended place to try for cheap eats back in 2016.

This particular branch is on Thompson Road, just outside the Wan Chai MTR Station. Here you can try the very good (pork, pork with black-truffle or prawn) pan fried buns, which are deliciously filled with soup.

Take a minute to study the order menu. It is in English and Cantonese. Basically, all you do is chose your set size. Main order is 4 buns of the same dumpling type. Alternatively, you can mix the choice to try more than one type. During our recent visit we opted for the split (two pork an two pork with black truffle), finding both to be very, very tasty and great value for money.

How to eat: There are signs inside that describe how to eat the dumplings. In short, the soup inside the dumplings is very hot. If you try to take an immediate large bite, you will probably scald the roof of your mouth. Best to poke a small hole in the top of the dumpling with a chopstick, then use a small spoon to lift up the dumpling and suck out some of the soup. Then take small bites out of the dumplings and remember suck while biting so the soup goes inside your mouth and not all over your hands or serving plate. Then just enjoy! The taste of the dumplings is excellent.

During our visit a few weeks ago, we also had a bowl of pork & veg wonton that was also very good. There is vinegar and chilli sauce on the wall side bars so you can add more flavour if wanted.

Note: Another fun thing about this place is that you can also watch them preparing the dumplings in the open food station inside the eatery. This is worth doing for a couple minutes if you want to know how the dumplings are constructed before being pan-fried, which can also be seen at the front of the eatery.

In the end, Cheung Hing Kee Shanghai Pan-fried Buns is a cheap and fun place to try for very good dumplings and good wonton soup. It is a neat little stop for foodies looking for something different and delicious during visits...

With three locations in Hong Kong, the original at Tsim Sha Tsui Mansion earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand rating carried on to the others, Cheung Hing Kee Shanghai Pan Fried Buns has mastered the art of Sheng Jian in a no-frills environment popular for fair prices and quick service.

Visited around 19h00 in Wan Chai, a few locals occupying seats along the small counter, Cheung Hing Kee offers a concise menu prone to items being out of stock though the signature “Buns” are always available in their traditional form of imbued with Truffles.

Also offering Noodles, thin with Scallion Oil or Glass-style soaking in Hot & Sour Soup, look to the “Bean Casserole Pancake” for something different as two crispy layers come sandwiching...

Wonderful Shanghai fried Bao place. Counter seating or standing or take out only. Quick in and out. The baos have an incredible amount of soup filling so that if you are not careful and just bite down, it will explode and splatter all over your pants and onto the floor! ( happened to me. …). There’s actually warning signs posted. No worries as it happens often to first timers. The sour and spicy soup is also quite good. I would order it after eating the bao so it doesn’t get cold. There’s other Shanghainese street food that I will...