FAT J Char Siu — Restaurant in Hong Kong

You know those days when a craving hits hard? This weekend, mine was all about char siu (Chinese BBQ pork). After spotting ads and hearing friends rave about this tiny, unassuming spot, I knew I had to make the pilgrimage.

The Visit: Arrived at 1:30 PM on a Saturday, expecting the lunch rush to fade—nope. The line snaked out the door, but solo dining has its perks! I scored a seat in under 15 minutes. Heads up: Tables are snug, and you’ll bond with strangers whether you like it or not.

Char Siu & Double Eggs Rice** Let’s talk about the char siu. Thick-cut, caramelized edges glistening with that honey glaze. The meat? Tender, juicy, with just the right ribbon of fat—not a grease bomb. Flavor-wise, it’s a balanced sweet-savory dance, though not quite “transcendent.” But paired with two flawlessly fried eggs? The yolks oozed golden richness over the rice, mingling with a savory-sweet glaze. *.

The rice itself deserves applause—fluffy, not mushy, not crunchy. A canvas for those silky egg yolks and char siu drippings. If no need to wait for long, you can give it a try. It is not like a magic flavor which will brow your mind, but char Siu is tender and soft.

Bonus: The Slow-Cooked Soup The meal comes with a humble sidekick: a steaming bowl of *broth, Light, clean, no MSG or oily sheen—just honest-to-goodness comfort. It’s subtle, not...

Stationed in HK for almost 2 decades, left the country for 10 years+ and nothing has changed in HK particularly with queuing for food. The locals or not are such suckers when they see a crowd of people outside an eatery. And I for one fell for it AGAIN! 🤪

Thought I have an early dinner tonight and upon arrival at 17:15hrs, the eatery was already full house and there were a crowd of people awaiting for their takeaway when they reopened at 1700hrs! The wait was between 15-20 mins which was alright, I suppose. It’s your typical HK eatery where you share a table with strangers. Food was served rather quickly and table was cleared just as fast. The minute there is an empty plate or bowl or your utensils are down, the waiting staffs are incredibly swift in removing it from the table. I was down to one piece of chicken which I’d like to dip it in the sauce but it was taken away from me which annoyed me.

The char siu and maotai soy sauce chicken were alright, although I had way better ones and price point was more reasonable. See my other reviews. Service was curt but efficient. Would I return for more? Perhaps not as I don’t like to be rushed when I am having my meals. I don’t get rushed at Maccas and yet I paid 3x as much here and they rush you in their subtle ways.in a nutshell,...

In order to make the first lunch seating, you likely would need to arrive at 11:30 am. The length of the queue pretty much remained the same throughout. Wait time approx. 40 mins.

1/ Is the char siu world’s best? It is good but there are alternatives. I ordered the normal, not the fatty btw.

2/ Is there any standout? I like the overall package with soup and two eggs. Portion is big (good and bad). Staff was courteous. The lady kept checking whether we need umbrellas (from sunshine) when queuing.

3/ How’s the goose? There are definitely better alternatives. It’s one of the chewiest I ever had. While I appreciate the thought of providing me the experience of eating a whole uncut thigh, the toughness of the meat was practically impossible to be shredded by incisors and canines, without splashing juices at strangers next to me. Chicken looks good though but I didn’t order.

4/ Is it worth the queue? 40 mins IMHO No. Especially in summer.

Other comments: I noticed most cannot finish the whole meal especially ladies. Suggest providing an option to reduce rice by 25/50%. Consider adding shortcut in the ordering app for the most popular choices. Spent too long reading through and selecting...