Se Wong Yee @ Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

At Se Wong Yee, snake soup is one of the most common variations with the locals, who remain traditional about their food, despite the rapid changes in the city. Hong Kong residents prefer their snake soup, said to increase blood circulation and cure aches, as nourishment during winter. Among the best places to go on Hong Kong Island is Se Wong Yee, nestled in vibrant Causeway Bay. Even Anthony Bourdain will have to stand in line to get in, and probably share a table in this crammed, no-frills establishment dedicated to packing them in and kicking them out. Every social stratum in Hong Kong comes here, from families to old aunties eating together to teenagers ignoring one another while they text. The waiters, in light-brown uniforms, can help you with English-language menus before the food is brought out by men in white shirts and thick rubber boots, which should give an idea of what the kitchen floor is like. The snake soup costs HK$52 , but most order the combo set, HK$78, which comes with rice, vegetables and duck liver sausage.

CONTRIBUTED BY GENGTA TAN

Se Wong Yee  蛇王二

No. 24 Percival Street

Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2831 0163/ +852 2832 2977

 

Famous people drop by here too!

 



Snake Soup

HKG Dollar 30 for small bowl and  HKG Dollar 50 for big bowl. Really Nice to have it. Feeling the immediate effect, my blood criculation getting better and I feel strong too, haha. Refresh after having the soup!

 

The soup tasted sweeter than you might expect, because of the addition of chrysanthemum leaves and spices. The thick broth also has chicken in it, so you might struggle to single out the snake, which has been boiled and has had the bones removed. Feel free to slurp as much as you like; it’s not rude in this kind of restaurant. Enough spoonfuls of the soup and you’ll see why it’s revered. Anyone who can eat the pungent sausage that comes with it, though, deserves Hong Kong citizenship. Fussier eaters won’t feel deprived, as there are plenty of snake-free local staples on the menu, from roast duck to chicken feet in broth. As alluring as it is to turn the tables on a feared reptile, the appeal is the simplicity and tradition of eating honest local food in a dai pai dong, or food stall, in a metropolis that changes by the day.

 

 CONTRIBUTED BY GENGTA TAN