Hong Kong Cray !!! Oi Man Sang Kitchen 愛文生

The Lowdown
Restaurant Name: Oi Man Sang Kitchen 愛文生
Cuisine: Chinese Food – Dai Pai Dong
Average Price per Person: $60 to $100 HKD or $8 to $13 USD
Location: Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong (please refer to the map below for details)
Recommendations: Pork Knuckle, Stir-fried Beef and Potatoes and Brined Chicken

Ratings (out of 5)
Taste: 4
Creativity/Authenticity: 4.5
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 2
Bang for Buck: 5
Crayscale !!!

Hong Kong is known for its iconic Dai Pai Dong restaurants which are cooked food stalls usually found in wet markets or laid out on the city’s streets. Dai Pai Dongs are quintessentially Hong Kong and where you’ll find some of the city’s sinfully delicious cheapest eats however much like many things Hong Kong, there’s been a lot of talk about their slow demise. These restaurants are typically hectic, noisy and downright grimy so it’s definitely not a scene tolerated by everyone hence why there seems to be a lack of new licenses being issued for them.

I used to be pretty intimidated by Dai Pai Dongs. Cleanliness was always my main concern, but you kinda just have to have an open mind and get over it. Like the loosely translated Chinese proverb “big germ eats little germ.” It’s always good times, good food, and good company at Dai Pai Dongs.

One recent DPD discovery that’s mad legit is an OG place called Oi Man Sang Kitchen 愛文生. This place is old school and has been kicking around for 57 years, since 1956. Oi Man Sang has expanded over the years occupying a few blocks in Sham Shui Po with full out kitchens with gas burners set up in the middle of the street. The menu consists of mostly stir-fried meats and veggies lubed up in oil, a handful of steamed dishes and a few signature items such as the roasted pork knuckle served on a sizzling hot plate. That roasted pork knuckle doe… It’s massive, tender, and succulent and literally falls off the bone. So good, I could probably take one down all on my own.

Brined Chicken (1/2 for $85 HKD or $11 USD). Apparently, Oi Man Sang’s birds are all capons or roosters that have been castrated to remove hormones released which is said to improve the quality of the poultry resulting in a more tender, fatty and flavorful meat than a hen or rooster (if you want to read more into this, click here for the Wikipedia link I found). Honestly, I would have never been able to tell the difference if our auntie hadn’t pointed it out. Regardless, order ball-less chicken, it was delicious, tender and succulent.

Stir Fried Beef Fillet & Potatoes in Black Pepper Sauce or 黑椒牛柳薯仔粒 ($78 HKD or $10 USD).

The beef was well seasoned, juicy and had a nice crispy crunchy texture. The potatoes were pretty bland though.

Black Pepper Pork Hock or Knuckle ($108 HKD or $14 USD).

This pork knuckle was amazing !!! Make sure you order this as soon as you sit down. This item is one of the restaurant’s signature dishes and sells out quick for good reason.

Guilin Style Stir Fried Pig Intestines in Black Bean Chili Sauce ($68 HKD or $9 USD).

Some people might not be down wid it, but it’s actually not too bad. It doesn’t really have a taste, it’s more of a textural thing. It’s chewy, a little crunchy and tastes nice coated with the black bean chili sauce.

Sweet and Sour Pork ($68 HKD or $9USD). This is another one of Oi Man Sang’s signature dishes. It’s delicious and good for Dai Pai Dong beginners since it has no bones!

Stir Fried Morning Glory ($50 HKD or $6.50 USD). Morning glory is one of my favorite veggies! Morning glory has a hollow stem which is awesome for capturing all that saucy deliciousness.

Black Pepper Shrimp. The shrimps were plump, packed with flavor and can be eaten with the shell in-tact. The shrimps are fried under high heat making the shells super crispy and edible. The head is actually the tastiest part, so make sure you eat that too!

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215 Lai Chi Kok Road, Sham Shui Po
p: +852.2393.9315