There is a particular sound that gives Lau Hing Kee away before you even reach the door: the rhythmic sizzle of dough hitting a hot iron pan, followed by a splash of water and the hiss of steam. It drifts down Tung Choi Street between the phone case stalls and dried goods shops, and if you follow it, you will find a modest shopfront with gold characters on a maroon sign, a queue stretching onto the pavement, and a kitchen turning out what might be the best shengjian bao in Hong Kong. Chow Yun-fat thinks so. He keeps coming back.
From Michelin Kitchen to Street Corner
Lau Hing Kee (劉興記) was founded in early 2024 by Liu An-siu (劉岸秀), a chef who spent years as head chef at a Michelin-recommended restaurant before deciding to do his own thing. His bet was simple and specific: a shop that does shengjian bao (生煎包), Shanghai-style pan-fried buns, and does them properly. No fusion twists. No reinvention. Just a recipe executed with the kind of precision that comes from decades in professional kitchens.
The gamble has paid off spectacularly. In under two years, Lau Hing Kee has expanded from a single Sheung Wan location to six branches across Hong Kong: two in Sheung Wan, plus Mong Kok, Tsuen Wan, Tai Wai, and Yuen Long. Each branch hand-makes its buns daily using fresh local pork, and the queues at every location tell you the formula is working. On RedNote, the restaurant has earned the nickname “排队王” (queue king), and the most popular post about it has racked up over 800 likes. Actor Chow Yun-fat has been spotted eating here on multiple occasions, which, in Hong Kong food circles, is the equivalent of a Michelin star delivered by hand.
The Bun (and the Promise Behind It)
If you have never had shengjian bao, here is what you are walking into: a round, pleated dough bun, pan-fried on a flat iron skillet until the bottom turns crisp and golden, then steamed under a lid so the top stays soft and pillowy. Inside, a pork filling sits in a pool of hot, savoury soup that bursts out the moment you bite through the skin. It is the Shanghai street food equivalent of xiaolongbao, except bigger, crunchier on the bottom, and designed to be eaten with your hands.
Lau Hing Kee’s version is textbook. The skin is thin enough that you can see the juice moving inside when you lift the bun, but sturdy enough that it does not tear. The bottom has a proper golden crust, not burnt, not pale, with a sesame-and-scallion dusting that adds a toasted nuttiness to every bite. The pork filling is seasoned simply: ginger, soy, white pepper, and a touch of sugar to round out the broth. No shortcuts with gelatin. The soup is the real thing, extracted from hours of slow-simmered stock. The restaurant backs this up with a guarantee: if your bun does not burst with juice, they will replace it free.
The signature set (HK$20 for two, HK$30 for four, HK$40 for six) is the starting point. For the splurge, the crab roe shengjian bao (蟹黃生煎包, HK$78 for four) adds a layer of golden, briny crab roe on top that takes the whole thing to another level. It costs more, but the portions are generous and the roe is real, not the artificial paste you sometimes encounter at cheaper shops.
Beyond the Buns: Noodles That Hold Their Own
The shengjian bao gets all the attention, but the noodle menu is where Lau Hing Kee quietly earns its keep as a legitimate Shanghainese kitchen. The crab roe noodles (蟹黃拌麵) come on a blue-and-white porcelain plate piled with springy wheat noodles, topped with a generous mound of crab roe and crab meat. Toss it, and the roe melts into the warm noodles, coating every strand. It is rich, luxurious, and gone faster than you expected.
The sesame peanut cold noodles (麻醬拌麵) are the cooler counterpart. Thick sesame paste, crushed peanuts, and shredded cucumber over chilled noodles. It is a classic Shanghai summer dish, but it works year-round in Hong Kong’s heat. The Shanghai pork chop rice (上海排骨菜飯, HK$30) is the lunch crowd staple: a golden-fried pork cutlet over rice with leafy greens, filling and satisfying without any pretension. For soup lovers, the mini wonton soup (鮮菇湯小雲吞, HK$32 for 12 pieces) is light, clean, and works as a palate cleanser between bites of crispy-bottomed buns.
The combo sets (HK$54 to 59) are the smartest order for a solo visit: pick a noodle or rice dish, add two shengjian bao, and you walk out full for under HK$60. Spend over HK$60 and they throw in complimentary soy milk, which is freshly made and surprisingly good.
The Room, the Queue, the Details
The Mong Kok branch sits at ground level in Wah Fat Building on Tung Choi Street, the same road better known as Ladies’ Market. The interior follows a consistent theme across all six branches: blue-and-white porcelain-patterned tableware, clean white walls, and a no-frills layout designed for volume. Seating is limited, maybe 20 to 25 seats, and turnover is fast. Most people are in and out within 20 minutes. The open kitchen lets you watch the entire shengjian process: the hand-pleating, the pan-frying, the dramatic steam release when the lid comes off. It is half the entertainment.
Queue times vary. Weekday lunches are usually manageable at 10 to 15 minutes. Weekend afternoons can push past 30 minutes, especially after the Chow Yun-fat publicity sent the restaurant viral on social media. The Mong Kok branch opens at noon and runs until 10:30pm, which gives you a wider window than most branches. If you want to skip the crowd entirely, arrive around 2:30pm, the gap between the lunch and dinner rush.
Payment is cash-friendly, and the prices are some of the most reasonable you will find for handmade Shanghai food in Hong Kong. A full meal with buns, noodles, and a drink rarely exceeds HK$80 per person. For context, that is less than a single main course at most Central lunch spots. If you are looking for a cheap, excellent meal in Mong Kok, this is it.
Quick Info
| Restaurant | Lau Hing Kee Shengjian Bao (劉興記生煎包專門店) |
| Address | G/F, Unit D, Wah Fat Building, 1M-1T Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok 旺角通菜街1M-1T號華發大廈地下D號舖 📍 Google Maps |
| Nearest MTR | Mong Kok Station (Exit D3), 3 min walk |
| Hours | 12:00-22:30 daily |
| Price | HK$40-80 per person |
| Must-Order | Signature Shengjian Bao ($20/2pcs, $30/4pcs), Crab Roe Shengjian ($78/4pcs), Crab Roe Noodles, Shanghai Pork Chop Rice ($30) |
| Payment | Cash, Octopus |
| Phone | 2505 7655 |
| Tip | Arrive at 2:30pm to skip the queue. Spend $60+ for complimentary soy milk. 6 branches across HK if this one is packed. |
