Today we were back at my favourite Hong Kong style cafe for brunch. There has never been anything to come out of their kitchen that I didn’t like, and today was same for their newest menu items.
We would work our way through them all from new drinks, bottled sauces, and in-house made buns. Starting with this new slushy red bean drink, ideal for the warmer weather ahead.
I love their take on Siu Mai, they are like the kind I get frozen at the grocery store, but made fresh. I loved the smaller bites and how chewy each one was, instead of being a hunk of meaty pork. This was served with their own home made soy sauce for dip.
Their Curry Fishballs have their very own curry sauce that they make just for it. The owner declares that this is just like how they make it in Hong Kong, with bouncy balls and all. The curry’s flavour was concentrated and really did well to coat each fish ball to its core, with plenty of sauce to scoop a spoonful of, so should you desire.
In comparison, their Curry Chicken Wing Noodles comes with a completely different curry over instant noodles. Savoury and spicy, it warms and completely flavours. This is a sauce so popular that they bottle and sell it, for those who want a quick cooking solution at home.
Unique to this dish is how they chop their chicken wings in half, so 3 pieces becomes 6, where each half is breaded and fried for a more crispy coating, that is easier to eat as a result. As tasty as the curry sauce was, I found it needed a bite of chicken with each pull of noodle, for textural interest. This is a great dish to help warm you inside and out, as a defence against the colder weather.
The Pork Chop Bun was their take on a burger, made with their own house made bread sandwiching a crispy and juicy pork cutlet, topped with a creamy mayo, lettuce, and tomato. This was such an easy burger to eat, every bite soft and tender with enough flavour that you didn’t need a dip or any sides for breaks.
Their pineapple buns are already popular, so it is great to learn that they have now expanded their Chinese cocktail bun offering to include both meat and coconut buns.
The Char Siu Bao was a sweet glazed bun with plenty of meaty filling. The meat isn’t sweet, but a more savoury stewed pork. I liked the fatty bits and how it was buffered by the fluffy bread.
Between the two, the Coconut Bun was my favourite. Shaped and baked like a cinnamon bun swirl. I was impressed by how much shredded coconut and spread there was. A 1:1 ratio with all the bread, I was never left with a bland bite.
In short, another delicious meal from Ho Yuen now with more new dishes to consider. As always their food is not hard to love, and not hard to eat.
Ho Yuen Cafe
#113 – 1750 W 75th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6P 6G2
(226) 368-3891
hoyuencafe.ca
