Joy Hing Roasted Meat再興燒臘飯店, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Joy Hing is your typical Siu Mei, Cantonese Deli Restaurant located in Wan Chai. This is your greasy grimy hole-in-the-wall restaurant that everyone loves, but hates to admit. You sit on short round stool sharing tables with often 5 or 6 strangers, elbow to elbow. I think I’ve been to Joy Hing at least 10 times. This is one of my required visits whenever I visit Hong Kong.

Joy Hing is special place smack dab in the middle of Wan Chai, on the island of Hong Kong. You can’t miss it, with the lines of people waiting for a table or for take out. Amazingly the restaurant is full almost all the time, even between lunch and dinner on weekdays.

This is the place for Char Siu!

Mr. J and I waited patiently for our seats as our mouths were watering for our 2nd lunch of the day. Yes, I know – our 2nd lunch. Time was short for us, so we had to maximize our dining opportunities. Finally we got our seats, facing . . . the wall. But we weren’t complaining. Sometimes with these dirty little places, part of the allure is the Spartan conveniences.

The staff took our order – a plate of bbq pork on rice (Char Siu Fan) and roast pork on rice (Siu Yok Fan). After hollering our order, our plates arrived less than a minute later – perhaps 30 seconds or so. I think Joy Hing has the highest table turnover of any restaurant I’ve been to.

As we both started in our plates of meat and rice, like compulsory synchronized swimming duos, chopstick to meat, meat to mouth, repeat. . . we knew we were finally in Hong Kong. I let Mr. J have the BBQ pork, my personal favorite, while I had the roast pork. The BBQ pork, which could have been a bit more fattier, was still quite good. The meat was tender as can be and has good moistness with the sweetness and little fat. The burnt edges were a good contrast with the slight chewy hardness. The roast pork was not bad, but not that good. The skin was a little more chewy than usual and the meat was more salty that I would have liked – and I partial to saltiness than most people.

I know I would return to Joy Hing regardless of the roast pork this time. But I do plan to ask for a more fattier version of the BBQ pork, next time.