Ho Lee Fook — Restaurant in Hong Kong Island

Before I even stepped through the door, Ho Lee Fook was already playing with expectations. At the meat-chopping station, framed perfectly for onlookers, two blonde women wield cleavers with the confidence of a Bruce Lee training montage. If this were a restaurant in New York, I’d call it performative. Here in Hong Kong? It reads like a deliberate flex. A visual cue for tourists that, yes, this is a Cantonese restaurant, but don’t worry—we speak your language.

Inside, the theme continues. The host, a strikingly dapper man exuding Dev Patel in a Netflix drama energy, greets us with a polished ease that immediately suggests he’s fielded every variation of “Is this authentic?” at least five times today. The floor staff is a mix of Euro-chic and local fluency: one server, tall and angular, could pass for Timothée Chalamet’s distant cousin; another, Cantonese and effortlessly charismatic, responds to Cantonese inquiries in English—because professionalism, or perhaps because it’s just that kind of place.

Visually, Ho Lee Fook makes the most of its subterranean space. Mirrors stretch the room beyond its physical boundaries, and the glow of hanging lanterns gives it the warmth of a Wong Kar-wai set, minus the cigarette smoke. It’s a thoughtful design choice—one that, unlike some of the menu’s choices, feels intentional rather than trendy.

Now, the food. The wok hay is present, alive, and kicking. A solid sign that the kitchen knows how to stir-fry with conviction. The fried rice surprises with zucchini, an ingredient that works double duty—soaking up oil while dialing back the richness. It’s an interesting tweak, one that I don’t hate, but also one that makes me wonder: why fix what isn’t broken? The beef chow fun skips the traditional velveting process, relying instead on wagyu’s natural marbling. Admirable in theory, but in execution, the beef takes on an oddly springy texture, somewhere between fish cake and the beef balls you’d find in a Hong Kong noodle shop.

The roast pork arrives, and it’s here that the menu’s creative liberties start to feel less like reinterpretations and more like missed memos. Instead of the customary thin, delicate slices—a nod to the leanness of the cut—Ho Lee Fook presents it in thick, steak-like slabs. Maybe they’re going for bold, primal, Flintstone energy? Maybe it’s a diversity hire oversight? Either way, the result is less about honoring tradition and more about reshaping it to fit a different palate.

To be clear, nothing about Ho Lee Fook is bad. The flavors are there, the execution is competent, and the space hums with an energy that makes for a good night out. But if you grew up with Cantonese food—if you know, in your bones, how each dish is supposed to taste, feel, and land—something here feels… off. Not offensive. Just tailored for an audience that isn’t necessarily you.

For the expat, the global diner, the curious traveler, Ho Lee Fook is an excellent gateway drug to Cantonese cuisine. For the rest of us? It’s a remix of a song we already know by heart—polished, engaging, but not quite...

To photographers, food bloggers and foodies - this is not a place where you want to professionally snap food photos. For context, each of the tables in my zone had a bright overhead lamp which shines onto the middle of the table, and the restaurant (not fine dining by any means) was generally very well-lit all round. At the start of the meal, I used an external LED light (not flash - it’s just a light source) directly below the overhead lamp to take better photos of my Chongqing Chicken Wings. My external LED light had light diffuser flaps such that the light source was very focused on one spot as opposed to scattering everywhere. This photo process took all of 3 seconds, and I was seated at a corner table. The table directly next to us was an acquaintance, and they had zero issues. However, I was abruptly told off and prevented from using my non-flash external LED light any further. The staff member insisted I was using "flash" and it was disruptive to other guests despite me reasoning that the space and my table was very, very bright and that there was no flash element or likely discernible disturbance to any guests. (To my knowledge, he did not base his actions on any actual customer complaint.)

I would gladly understand a restaurant with dim lighting, a fine-dining space or a generally more refined and austere food setting may have concerns with additional light sources like mine, but I simply did not understand the rationale behind why he (or this specific restaurant which had bright lights, loud music and lively buzz, on Christmas Eve no less) would have a problem with my actions. Even if there was a customer complaint, he should have spoken to me and tried to understand what I was doing (i.e. ascertain whether it was flash photography) and perhaps try to resolve the issue amicably that left me in a better place (e.g. lower the light intensity, sit in a manner that blocks the light from being seen, be quick with the shots etc). Regrettably, it was a hard line policy being applied in a no-nonsense manner, and try as I might, the night was absolutely ruined.

In terms of the food, the Kurobuta Pork Char Siu was a tragically dry, tough and joyless affair, despite the meat platter being the most expensive dish of the night. However, it was paired on the same platter with a lovely Roast Goose that I have no fault with. The Chongqing Chicken Wings which started the drama was daringly numbing and well-seasoned, and I would also recommend the Steamed Clams with Chinese Egg Custard. The food is generally decent - just don’t do food photography there beyond discreet mobile...

HO LEE FOOK is a Devine food experience. Hands down the best restaurant I have ever been too. This voids out all the other restaurant reviews that I have written. Since yelp (I show my food credibility via yelp.. elite yelper) is predominantly a North American platform I am going to use all other platforms to write about this amazing, mind blowing food experience. My husband and I are spending the send half of our honeymoon in Hong Kong. It’s my first time and his third time and definitely it out last time. We are from Los Angeles where there is so very many nice and unique restaurants but nothing as tasty as this experience. We ordered the cauliflower starter ( cauliflowers being the only thing I dislike in food, and I literally fell in love)I’ve given cauliflower dishes many opportunities to wow me but nothing has convinced me that I enjoy cauliflower as much as this. Next we had the dan dan noodles which were absolutely to die for. I have nothing else to add about this dish other then an absolute MUST TRY!!!!!!!!! Finally we had the wagyu short rib which was mouth watering and delicious. I’m most as obsessed with short rib as my husband is but this has convinced me otherwise. I loved it so much we vowed to come back before we left. ...... and we did !!!! Our last dinner in HK was again at HO LEE FOOK. We ordered the same pretty much but added the dumplings and replaced the cauliflower with the show peas and broccoli which was also incredible. We are beyond baffled by the incredible composition of flavors the chef so carefully composes. Also because we were on our honeymoon our amazing server SI gave us three complementary desserts and after all that food we still devoured those desserts because they were to die for!!!!! The French toast, the banana crisp bowl and the breakfast bowl!!!!!! FRIGGIN AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! IF YOU ONLY EAT OUT ONCE IN HONG KONG THIE IS THE PLACRE TO GO!!!!!! The service is insanely perfect, I’ve never had such incredible customer service experience in my whole life and YES we eat out a lot!!!!!!!! I can’t even hype this place up enough because it’s sooo much more then anyone can expect!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU SI AND SIWA FOR MAKING MY HONEYMOON!!! These guys definitely deserve a raise and recognition for the excellent service and...