Street Eats: Noisy, Greasy, Down-to-Earth Loye Brings You to Hong Kong's Bustling Streets

When the freezing wind blows in from the northwest, we tend to hear a little voice in the back of our head begging for hot pot. This was apparently the case for many people last weekend, as Xiabu Xiabu was crowded as hell with dozens of anxious, hungry, cold people ahead of us. With the steaming and spicy warmth of hot pot more than an hour's wait away, we looked for alternatives, and ended up at this recently opened Hong Kong-style street stall, Loye Braised Food.

Just like every siu mei restaurant in Hong Kong, they hang all the cooked BBQ meat in the window by the door – goose, pork, beef, and duck hang in a line, glazed in honey. Don’t be scared by the crowds when you walk in. Find a seat among the packed restaurant (sharing a table with strangers is inevitable) and grab a menu. With the signature braised goose, there are also various meats with rice, and noodles (RMB 32-58). We opted for the half braised goose and half pig’s feet with rice (RMB 38), starting with a complimentary soup to warm you up (the next best thing to hot pot). The pig’s knuckle was too boney and not tender enough, but flavorful. The braised goose was savory and succulent but chewy, with a layer of fat under the nicely glazed skin. But the sauce on the table helped a lot with the flavors. Too meaty? You could add steamed vegetables (RMB 15), seasoned with soy sauce. Unfortunately, there is no dessert on the menu.

They have all the elements of a small stall in Hong Kong – busy staff, a greasy and slippery floor, a noisy atmosphere, loud music, dazzling Hong Kong-style decoration, and many round tables for four. Even though it is tucked away in the basement of U-Town Shopping Mall, Loye brings you back to the busy streets of Hong Kong. If you haven’t experienced squeezing into small tables and dining with strangers in a bustling restaurant, this is your chance.

Loye Braised Food
Daily 10.30am-10pm. b10b, B1, U-Town Shopping Mall, 2 Sanfeng Beilu, Chaoyang District (8563 9906)
滷爺:朝阳区三丰北里2悠唐购物中心负一层b10b

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Photos: Tracy Wang