Cafe Kowloon

Pleasantly surprised. I didn’t have too many expectations going into this, as someone who is of Hong Kong ethnicity and knows the cuisine very well. But Cafe Kowloon brings nostalgia, authenticity and modern day together seamlessly. Each dish was reminiscent of the original from the first bite with an added contemporary twist. Often times contemporary Cantonese is doused with soy sauce and covered with hoisin, but not here. The curry fish ball was a clear winner, very nostalgic to Hong Kong, with a bouncy toothsome bite that even the HK aunties and uncles would approve of. Char siu was excellent - tasted like the familiar char siu flavours except made with the most tender pieces of pork. The prawn toast was very generous with ample amount of prawn taste and a very crispy cracker-like, toast base. Definitely the best I’ve ever had. Choy sum was clean, thankfully to cut the rich dishes as often times the vegetable sides are covered with too much sauce. Value is excellent, cocktail, several starters mains and desserts shared among 3 came to ~£40 Design of the space is also very well thought out, from the outside sign that glows Cafe Kowloon at night and hides during the day to disguise as Wonton Charlie’s is a nice touch. I appreciated the familiar chopsticks, the small bowls and of course the neon glowing sign. Congrats on the opening! I will be back.

Heard a lot about it so we visited, for reference, I’m from hk. Walked in and most diners were uk locals. Ordered Cheung fun, tofu, char siu, siu yuk, turnip cake, french toast. It was just alright? Cheung fun was great, turnip cake was decent, french toast was the standout, nice and crispy. The char siu was a huge disappointment, £26 for relatively tough pork and weird winey flavour. I was expecting something more creative with the roasted meats but it was just a plate of meat. Everything had small portions for its price. Wouldn’t say it’s fusion bc they serve normal cantonese dishes. Service was great and atmosphere nice but there’s better Cantonese restaurants. Sad to say I just expected more.

Second visit and it was as good as the first, definitely coming back for a third! Everything was delicious and the service was great. Standouts; prawn toast, oysters and the wontons. Lovely vinho verde for £40 a bottle too.

I’d seen a lot of hype about this restaurant on social media and, as someone from Hong Kong, I was initially a little skeptical. However, it really exceeded my expectations. The restaurant had a lovely ambience, the staff were friendly and attentive, and the food was delicious, taking traditional Cantonese dishes and giving them a creative twist.