Yixin Restaurant

The fish intestines! You know the cost of the water that goes into cleaning them would end up more than that of the intestines themselves!

The owner of Yixin Restaurant jested about this traditional Cantonese dish on the radio food show, The Golden Plaque.

A long-time college friend was departing Hong Kong and he chose to have the farewell dinner there at Yixin Restaurant. Out of curiosity, I researched online for it. I have never heard of it, but as I read more, I realized that it is a true gem, and worthy of an entry as a historic dining establishment on this blog.

My friend sat down and said, “my grandfather opened this restaurant.” That was delighful news, for he will tell me interesting things to write about. And indeed, I have known him for all twenty years without knowing this fact.

The Story of Yixin Restaurant

Two original partners, one of Dongguan and the other one of Shanghai, opened the Wen Wah Hotel in 1953. My friend’s grandfather was one of them. The restaurant’s predecessor was the Chinese restaurant of the hotel. In the 1960s, during the initial boom of Hong Kong’s economy, the restaurant moved to Canal Road. The Wen Wah Hotel had to undergo demolishment for redevelopment. It was at the Canal Road location that the restaurant established its name as Yixin.

The restaurant has built a good name with its cuisine for decades. In a somewhat darker time of Hong Kong’s past, powerful people frequented the restaurant. My friend said that when the restaurant made its first move to Causeway Bay, his family received many floral plaques congratulating the business. But many of the donors did not show up to the celebration because they fled Hong Kong, as the then newly-established ICAC was cracking down on corruption. Needless to say, his grandfather had to maintain relationships with many policemen in this kind of business.

Those were the roaring times in Hong Kong. The restaurant’s success enabled a life of glamour for my friend’s grandfather, and surely he did enjoy the limelight. Besides powerful policemen, he also met many famous people in the restaurant. On the walls are still hung photographs of his grandfather with VIPs and beautiful women.

Not without some difficult times that resulted in a temporary closure in 2002, Yixin finally moved to its current location in Wan Chai in 2008 or so. The restaurant began experiencing decline from the 1997 financial crisis. The prospects were grim, and it closed in 2002. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise, for the SARS epidemic of 2003 was an even rougher sea for business. Having reopened at the end of 2003, Yixin has made a comeback since.

The Food of Yixin Restaurant

The restaurant serves traditional Cantonese food. Its lemon chicken is famous, but on this evening we ordered half a salted baked chicken and half a crispy chicken. We also had its yummy half-fatty, half-lean BBQ roast pork (char siu). A fried smooth egg white with seafood, named “better than crab,” was a light flavored dish that balances the meat- and sauce-heavy selection at the table. The food comes in hearty portions and we were very full. We finished off the meal with a baked minced beef rice.

The fish intestine that I mentioned above is but one of the many things that the restaurant is known for. As the owner said in the radio show, the trouble with fish intestines is that thorough cleaning is not so easy. They are actually “commoners’ food,” and therefore the effort in cooking it may not justify the price that the restaurant charges to the customers. Traditionally, the chefs make the dish with beaten eggs, then bake (in and out of the oven a few times) it. The finished dish comes with a somewhat charred crust. Its texture is what moves one’s palate. The fish intestines are naturally chewy, and they match very well with the softness and fluffiness of the eggs. The charred top of the dish adds a touch of crisp and smokiness. This savory experience is typical of Hong Kong’s old-fashioned cuisine—the mixed flavors of unlikely ingredients bringing forth a timeless memory for the commoners. And surely, Yixin has delivered this traditional Cantonese dish with perfection.

Source

Interview with the Yixin Restaurant, The Golden Plaque, Metro Radio available here.