Hing Kee Restaurant: One of the Popular Claypot Rice Spots in Hong Kong

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, we will earn a small commission when you make a purchase. This commission will help us create more content and maintain this website. Don’t worry because we will only recommend products and services that we believe in.

This article is part of the Hong Kong Food Trip series. Check out the installments in this series: Oi Man Sang (Dai Pai Dong) | Yat Lok (MICHELIN-Starred Roast Meats/Goose)

Locally known as “Bo Zai Fan”, Claypot Rice is one of the beloved Cantonese dishes you can try in Hong Kong. As its name suggests, this dish is composed of rice, proteins, and other ingredients cooked in a claypot. When done correctly, its rice will have a caramelized bottom, giving a nice crackle and smokiness.

One of the popular claypot rice spots in Hong Kong is Hing Kee Restaurant in Yau Ma Tei (Kowloon) area. This restaurant is so popular that it occupies four shops in the same street!

Hing Kee has been visited by many personalities, including the top food vlogger Mark Wiens and Korean chef and host Paik Jong-won. No wonder it has long queues!

Mark Wiens and Paik Jong-Won Have Been Here!

But when we visited (it was on a Thursday night), we were seated right away.

What we love with Hong Kong establishments is the efficiency, and Hing Kee is no exception. After ordering, we got our appetizer in under five minutes. We tried their Deep Fried Oysters Cake, which is fluffy and slightly crisp.

Deep Fried Oysters Cake (Small: HKD80; Large: HKD155)

We think that the oysters aren’t the fresh and plump ones, and we suspect that it’s the canned kind. However, it doesn’t diminish its deliciousness. It’s really good, especially when dipped in the accompanying sweet, spicy, and garlicky sauce.

Intermission: Are you planning a Hong Kong trip soon? Can’t decide what activities to do yet? Then check out the activities in Klook!

After ten minutes, our claypot rice arrived. This is really surprising because in my experience with claypot rice (particularly in Malaysia and Singapore), cooking takes at least half an hour. I learned, through a YouTube feature, that Hing Kee half-cooks the rice.

I got the Spare Ribs & Chinese Sausage. The pork is tasty but it could be more tender, while the sausage is expectedly sweet and chewy.

But the best part is the crisp bottom! It’s paper thin, smoky, and the crispiest kind I’ve ever had. It easily beats the ones I tried in Malaysia and Singapore.

My wife got the Beef Boneless Chuck Short Rib. The beef they use is like the thin beef slices used in Korean barbecue. While the beef is tasty and has potential, it’s overcooked for our standards, unfortunately.

Whenever we had the opportunity, we ordered vegetables because we love how the Hong Kongers do their veggies. It’s crisp and garlicky!

Of course, we had to wash down all the food with Hong Kong-style milk tea!

Claypot rice is one of the food experiences you should try in Hong Kong, and Hing Kee is one of the best spots for it. Sure, the toppings in their claypot rice could certainly improve. But overall, we were happy with our meal (the oyster cake and its dip is deeply embedded in my mind!). I highly recommend it to you!

P.S. Hing Kee Restaurant is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. If they’ve been that long in the business, then they’re definitely doing their thing right. And to celebrate their half a century of existence, one of the owners gave us a commemorative ref magnet resembling a claypot. Cool!

Address: 15 Temple St., Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong | Operating Hours: Daily, 1:30-3:30PM & 5:30PM-12AM | Contact No.: 2384-3647 | Instagram

Don’t forget to book your activities at Klook!