Ka Lai Yuen Chiu Chow Noodles (REOPENED AFTER A DISGRACEFUL CLOSURE)
Update as of February 2024
I have recently passed by the former site of Ka Lai Yuen and with some complicated feelings discovered that the restaurant has now reopened its doors since its disgraceful and abrupt closure in April 2023. I have not had a chance to ask about any potential change of ownership, but it is likely that I will have a bowl there to find out what is really happening. Chances are, however, that the staff there will be tight-lipped about ownership issues.
The ownership issue is important for responsible diners I think, because if the owner remains a murder suspect I would not spend money to support such a business. Please come back later and see if I manage to uncover some news in this respect.
Suffice to say, that the restaurant has retained its name and the operation seems in line with its established practices. The storefront has been simplified, and I also noticed that the distinct beefy flavor that used to pervade the restaurant’s surroundings was no longer so strong.
A Disgraceful Closure
It is with sadness that I report an unhappy news. Ka Lai Yuen, with a history of 47 years of operation, has closed as of 30th April, 2023. And the reason for its closure is disgraceful as well. Its owner Mr. Hui was arrested for suspected conspiracy to murder and murder. Because the investigations are ongoing, there is only so much that we know now. A man named Chan, who is a member of the home owners’ committee of the building that the restaurant runs its business, made complaints about the hygiene and noise issues that the restaurant has caused. Not long after, someone chased him down and knived him to death on the street. Ka Lai Yuen’s owner Mr. Hui was suspected to be behind the murder.
This is shocking news to the whole community in Yuen Long, and really, given this development, it is for the best that the restaurant closes its doors.
Like beef? Then Ka Lai Yuen Chiu Chow Noodles is for you. Located in a central location in Yuen Long Town, this noodle place is known for its unusually wide variety of cattle parts on the menu and a traditional Chiu Chow’s take on them. In my humble opinion, this is the best beef brisket noodle in all of Hong Kong.
The Food at Ka Lai Yuen
Hong King Street lies behind Castle Peak Road, which is the main thoroughfare of Yuen Long. Once you head over to the vicinity, you will not miss Ka Lai Yuen. There are two things about the restaurant that really stand out. First, it has a distinctive appearance. The whole ambience of the restaurant is themed in bright, Lunar-New-Year-red. The restaurant’s name is in gold and a classic Chinese font.
Classic winged fans swirl throughout the day, fanning the mouthwatering flavors of its food.
Secondly, long before you even reach its interior you will smell the beef. It is a very strong, flavorful smell that is perhaps enhanced by the herbs they use in their food, especially the black pepper. Even before entering the restaurant, I salivate in anticipation.
In terms of its menu, this “variety of cattle parts” that I mention above is a very unusual and serious affair at Ka Lai Yuen. In Hong Kong, most beef brisket noodle restaurants will offer beef briskets, tendons, stomach, tongue, heart, lungs, intestines and other standard organs. Here at Ka Lai Yuen, however, there is a special provision of both the male and female cows’ reproductive organs.
The Cantonese have a saying of “eating the part to nourish that part of you.” If you have issues with your tendon, then the way to go is to eat more beef tendons. So this is how that special menu of reproductive organs appeal to the diner. According to the videos on show at the restaurant, however, the special market for these reproductive parts are the Chinese tourists, and mainly those from Guangdong. Culturally speaking, the practice of eating reproductive organs is less prevalent in Hong Kong now, especially with the younger generation. Needless to say, however, these special items are not common and therefore it does take some luck to be able to try them even at Ka Lai Yuen.
For me, however, I do not eat organs, so I am always happy with just a beef brisket noodle there. A bowl of regular beef brisket noodles is about $46 now. You may also up the choice to premium parts and fresh beef, those would be in the range of $60 to $70 a bowl. Even the regular bowl comes in a generous portion.
The soup base of the beef brisket noodles is full of complex flavors. It is certainly thicker, with a much fuller body, than the clear soup in other brisket noodle restaurants. The richness is a result of many kinds of Chinese herbs, perhaps with a heavy emphasis on black pepper as well. What is special about this beef soup base is that the flavors are well-blended, and therefore you do not get the sense that it comes from an herbal base. Instead, it gives the impression of a Chinese style satay. When I eat beef noodles at Ka Lai Yuen, I always eat the soup as well. Surely, its flavor comes from natural ingredients (herbs aside, the cattle bones as well). Therefore, there is no concern of added MSG, as I never feel thirsty after a meal there.
Another special item is the beef meatball. The beef is hand-beaten repeatedly to a consistency of creaminess. This ensures that the texture is chewy with the natural flavors fully blended. I like the beef meatballs at Ka Lai Yuen, but they are perhaps not as exceptional as the beef soup base and the beef brisket.
Finally, the homemade chili oil is another must-do at Ka Lai Yuen. It is very spicy but the spiciness blends well with the crunchy bits and the abundance of red oil. Along with the satay flavor of the beef brisket, it adds a perfect kick to the noodles. The whole experience is heavenly. And yes, I eat the soup with the chili oil in it. A jar of this chili oil costs around $75 now. Pack it home!
The Story of Ka Lai Yuen
Mr. Hui is the second owner of Ka Lai Yuen. Coming from Chiu Chow’s culinary tradition, Mr. Hui does hold on to some old-fashioned methods in his approach to food. Take the meatballs as an example. Mr. Hui starts blending the meat at midnight and the beating process will go on until 9 in the morning. In fact, the work was so strenuous that he has broken his fingers before. Besides beef meatballs, the restaurant also offers hand-beaten pork meatballs and cuttlefish meatballs.
The first owner of Ka Lai Yuen opened its first chapter in Yuen Long in 1976. This restaurant has since been 46 years in business. The restaurant moved to the current address in the 1990s. Mr. Hui was an illegal immigrant that made his way to Hong Kong in the earlier days. He learned from the last owner how to make Chiu Chow noodles. With a $40,000 payment, he took over this restaurant and remains actively involved with its operation today.
A Fun Initiative with the Bowl Noodles
Back in the older days, and way before the Covid pandemic hit, Ka Lai Yuen was also known for its noodle slurping competition. The rules were simple. The contestant can choose any flavor of beef noodles and he or she will be served 10 bowls on the table. He or she must finish eating all ten bowls in one hour and the prize would be $3,000. If someone is able to finish 30 bowls, the prize would be $50,000!
Now, if the contestant is not able to finish all 10 bowls, however, he or she would have to pay the price for all ten bowls served. There is no specific rule about the soup, but Mr. Hui said that, by the time you eat the third of fourth bowl, the noodles would have soaked up all the soup anyway.
This was a fun initiative, and Mr. Hui got the idea from his Chiu Chao staff, who could gobble up ten bowls of rice easily. He also kept a running balance that was dedicated to the prize money of this initiative.
Mr. Hui said that he himself has tried eating so much noodles, and he could do eight or nine of them in one go.
How to Get There
The address of Ka Lai Yuen is No. 5, Li King House, Hong King Street, Yuen Long. There are many buses that stop on Castle Peak Road, and the light rail stop to get off at is Hong Lok Road. The closest landmark would be the HSBC on Castle Peak Road.
Sources
Promotional videos on-site at Ka Lai Yuen.
Ka Lai Yuen Chiu Chow Noodles: A Chiu Chao Man’s Perseverance, etnet.com.
The Noodle Master Meets Big-Appetite Contestants, On.CC.