Behind The Bib: Tak Kee in Hong Kong

"Going from strength to strength after three decades in Kennedy Town, this traditional Teochew stalwart packs out weeknights and now wears a Bib Gourmand for great food at reasonable prices. Daa laang–style specialties—chilled fish, chilled crab, stewed goose, and deep-fried Osbeck’s grenadier anchovy—are all about exceptional ingredients: seafood is sourced daily, and even the red bigeye is handpicked for flat-tailed females with smoother flesh. Everyday Teochew cooking is the sweet spot, with a standout whitebait fish fritter that’s dry and egg-fragrant, made by par-boiling two- to three-inch whitebait, drawing off excess moisture, then pan-frying with egg. The kitchen also blends traditions, from a boiled (not double-boiled) pig stomach and white pepper soup—balanced by a mix of frozen and fresh stomach and finished with salted mustard greens for a just-right pepper note—to baked flathead mullet in plum sauce tweaked with Thai cues: herbs stuffed inside, sauce poured on, then wrapped in foil and baked for a more intense yet recognizably Teochew flavor. To drink, Hong Kong-style 7-Up with preserved lemon is a signature; the house lemons are sold in cans because customers take them home. Beyond the food, a thoughtful, modern touch shows in the computerised order system and a day-off policy introduced by Lai, while long-tenured staff (many here 10–20 years) and company trips keep the human warmth that anchors its success; Wong shops the markets each morning, keeps adapting old recipes, and says the Bib brings pressure to do even better." - Michelin Guide Digital-Hong Kong Macau