It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the 1980s steakhouse Anna Restaurant stands at the core of Hong Kong’s collective memory. That is, at least, for my generation of Hong Kong people.

In those times, what was considered a proper steak was served on a sizzling hot skillet with thick black pepper sauce. When the waiter pours the sauce over your steak, it gives way to a theatrical genie of smoke and meaty fragrance. The diner would have to block the splash with a napkin. The steak dinner was not just about the steak, it was about the fun of a hot splash hissing as the prelude to the main course.

I went to Anna Restaurant for its hot plate steak dinner, driven by a desire to revisit a nostalgia that is surely to disappear in time. I found myself a “soy sauce western” meal meeting all indications of classic Hong Kong cuisine.

Anna Restaurant

Anna Restaurant was established in 1980, a whopping 46 years ago. It has always held on to its footing in Yuen Long. By now, its local presence is nearly-eternal — known to all native Yuen Long residents. These days, people would come to Anna Restaurant from all over Hong Kong in search of its nostalgic vibes. From the front door to the interior décor, the restaurant teems with the sentiments of the 1980s, frozen in time.

Needless to say, that in almost half a century of its business, the restaurant has had some severe crises to weather. The two pandemics that almost paralyzed the Hong Kong economy, SARS and Covid-19, did stop the clock at this otherwise very popular restaurant. The staff had to take a cut in their pay as the restaurant closed its doors. But it is certainly with the spirit of resilience, for which Hong Kong is known, that Anna Restaurant emerged from these crises. When it reopened, itcontinued to serve customers in the same manner, remaining ever so true to its dedication.

The restaurant is two generations in the running and the second-generation owner will take up the business going forward. Anna Restaurant is an epitome of “soy sauce western,” the earliest understanding of fusion food in Hong Kong. Another decades-long restaurant, the Flying Eagle in Sham Shui Po, is also known for “soy sauce western,” a kind of old-fashioned western food that is no longer so common in Hong Kong.

On this weekday evening, I arrived at Anna Restaurant before 6pm and found quite a few tables already occupied by eager patrons. By the time I left before 7pm, the house was 80% seated. Besides the nostalgia, the restaurant also attracts customers with its reputation of serving generous portions. Perhaps even its business model is frozen in time.

Distinctively 1980s

I arrived at Yan Lok Fong in Yuen Long to find a pleasing sight of the restaurant’s exterior, dressed in a distinctively 1980s décor. In my mind’s eyes I see the original intention of its cute green doors with a faux pediment. Its walls are lined with what appears to be bricks, painted in white, a kind of classic cottage vibe that would have conveyed a sense of easy, western luxury in those golden days of the 1980s.

In the aesthetics of today, perhaps this layout is somewhat contrived. But in a very local community like Yuen Long, this exterior is cute and certainly nostalgic. I would not change a thing at Anna Restaurant.

The staff greeted me warmly. It is a typical feature of the “soy sauce western” restaurants that the staff are older, long serving and loyal. That is part of the reason why they earn the perpetual loyalty of their patrons. I rejoiced in the warm hospitality and atmosphere of Anna Restaurant.

Photo: The interior of Anna Restaurant is every bit nostalgic as the exterior, perhaps even more classic.

A Sizzling Hot Steak

The sirloin steak dinner set costs $137. It comes with buttered toast, soup du jour and a big slab of sirloin cut over hot skillet. The toast and the soup met every expectation of nostalgia—just as I remembered it from my young days.

My sirloin was so big, so thick, that it took up the whole surface area of the skillet. When the waitress poured the thick black pepper sauce onto my steak, the sauce bubbled in the hot plate and caramelized into the crinkle cut fries. As to the taste, it was every way soy sauce western.

Photo: The cow-shaped skillet is also a classic feature of 1980s Hong Kong steakhouses.

In this oldest rendition of fusion food in Hong Kong cuisine, a standard feature is the tenderization of the meat with baking soda. As such, it comes with a smooth tenderness that is somewhat artificial as compared to the aged steaks at fine dining. The steak was nonetheless tasty. No modern gravy compares to the thick, full-bodied black pepper sauce that graces the steak with flavors and zest.

As the hot plate meat entrees are the stars of the show, they are served at anytime the restaurant is open, not just during the dinner section. Besides the steak, the restaurant is also known for its roast spring chicken and German pig trotter.

I finished off the meal with a cuppa milk tea, brewed in the Hong Kong style over their hot stove. I say the milk tea at Anna Restaurant beats any Cha Chaan Teng’s in Hong Kong.