What should we know about Hong Kong Wonton?
The latest string in the bow of Eva Pau, Asia Market’s second-generation owner, Hong Kong Wonton opened last month in the Fade Street spot previously occupied by Duck, before they shuttered following a damaging FSAI report. The menu here is Hong Kong classics, with a bustling kitchen to the rear shipping out dishes to the fifteen-seat space at lightning speed.
What should we have?
We started with spring rolls, crisp parcels of satisfying satay chicken elevated by the fresh crunch of beansprouts. The dipping sauce on the side has the character of a smoked ketchup – we were into it, but found it slightly overshot some of the spring rolls’ subtlety.
Congee is where things kick up a gear. The rice porridge, a popular breakfast dish across east Asia with a history of wartime rationing, might be tempting to skip – don't. HKW brew theirs with a rich chicken stock, breaking the rice down to a soothing softness, stirred through with shredded chicken, fresh ginger and a fried dough stick on the side. No wonder it’s often prescribed for the sick - this comfort bowl is the perfect thing to kick a cold.
Given the name and literal ton of wontons the place claims to have gone through in perfecting their recipe, there’s no shortage of pressure on the in-house dumplings to deliver. Through a very full mouth we can confirm that they do - the thin but strong wrappers yield to reveal a bulging feast of prawn and pork, in a sea of steaming soup.
We reckon HKW’s website’s copywriter must have been paid by the adjective – the understated broth can’t live up to the breathless narrative of ten-hour dehydration and savoury complexity we were promised, but as a vehicle for top-notch wontons it does the trick. The egg noodles’ back story is just as loaded, only to be undone by the reveal that they’re not homemade. Save the faff and go for a plate of wontons in chilli sauce, all the better to let these standouts sing.
Ever the canny operator, Pau has called out TikTok trends as a must-follow for anyone in the food biz, and the Hong Kong French toast here is tailor-made for socials – not a table dared skip it. The artery-clogging club sandwich is spread with peanut butter and smothered in golden syrup, loose threads of crisped egg batter overspilling its edges - much like your gut might soon overhang your belt. If you’ve got a sweet tooth and a death wish, this is for you.
What about drinks?
The flagship Hong Kong milk tea had too much concentrated tannin taste for our poor Irish palates, only slightly offset by the stirred-through evaporated milk. Coconut red bean was an experience of its own, nutty sweetness shot through with the grainy texture of beans – it’s a different sensation, but plays well off chilli sauce.
Why should I go?
Quality, quick food isn’t always easily available in the heart of the city, and while Hong Kong Wonton’s pitch is simple, it delivers. Some of the menu could use more work, but there’s a lot of invention packed into this petite place.
Hong Kong Wonton
15 Fade Street, Dublin 2
