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Charmaine Mok

In recent weeks I have spent a lot of time waiting for food. I am talking about literal hours, and the strangest thing was, I did not mind.
This is coming from someone who once ranted about the tyranny of the tasting menu and the fury of being kept hostage as course after course continued to arrive with no end in sight.
Context matters, of course. In one instance I was sat in a coffee shop in Furano, Hokkaido, in Japan, run by a silver-haired woman who pottered gently around making pancakes and coffee.
Her cafe was filled with warm winter sunlight and a dining table covered in books, so I was more than happy to while away the afternoon reading while I waited.

Coffee came at the one-hour mark, pancakes came at 90 minutes. She was constantly apologetic to every customer, but no one flew into fits of rage, and I got through two-thirds of the novel I started when I sat down.
In the second case, I was sitting outside in Hong Kong on a morning where the sun was shining and the humidity low. I had staked out a table with two friends at Yue Hing, a dai pai dong – an open-air stall – on Stanley Street in Central, and was waiting for a relatively simple breakfast sandwich.
We placed our orders at around 9.30am. In a place like the Australia Dairy Company in Kowloon’s Jordan, known for its brutal efficiency, we would have received our breakfast set within 90 seconds.
Here, it was a full hour before we could happily tuck into our corned beef, cabbage and peanut butter toasted sandwiches – an esoteric combination, but do not knock it until you have tried it.
The thing is, Yue Hing has always been known for its – to put it delicately – languorous approach.

A 2018 review on review aggregate site TripAdvisor – which notably granted Yue Hing 5/5 stars – mentioned that “the food was a 45-minute wait, as each order is made by a husband-and-wife duo”, but that “when the food came, I was very appreciative”. It added: “In a city that prizes speed and efficiency, the existence of such a place where each order is taken care of individually is precious.”
I used to joke with a friend that the meticulous manner in which Yue Hing’s late owner, Dan – known to regulars as Fu Gor, or brother Fu – crafted his sandwiches would be fitting for an episode of Chef’s Table on Netflix, a show known to spotlight the hyperfocus and attention to detail that top chefs around the world demonstrate, whether they work in fine-dining restaurants or at street food stalls.
Sadly, Dan died in September 2021 after a long battle with cancer and, no thanks to the pandemic raging at the time, the stall was quietly packed away with no certain reopening date on the horizon.
The one glimmer of hope fans held on to was that although the stall never opened, it was never taken over by another business either.
Then, in January of this year, a post popped up on Yue Hing’s Facebook page announcing that they would be trialling a reopening ahead of the Lunar New Year period. Dan’s widow, Elaine, supported by family, was easing back into the business.

“Friends, it’s been so long since we last met in Central,” read the post. “If you can make it, come by for a sandwich, a bowl of noodles, enjoy a cup of milk tea, and catch up with us. Even if you can’t stay for a leisurely meal, feel free to drop by and say hello!”
It also noted that they are “short-staffed” and “quite rusty”, and thanked fans for their patience.
And so there we were that January morning, perched on plastic stools under an increasingly hot sun, but not minding each minute that ticked by.
It had been many years since the Yue Hing family were in the saddle and every diner who was there seemed to take the wait in their stride, voicing their support as Elaine zipped back and forth between tables and the stove out back.
With the closure of so many culinary gems in Hong Kong, there is nothing quite like a comeback story to tug at your heartstrings.
Yue Hing’s return is testament to the power of human connection and empathy, as well as the role that even the most humble of eating places can play in our lives. It has certainly been worth waiting for.


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Yue Hing’s signature corned beef, cabbage and peanut butter sandwich. Photo: Charmaine Mok

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At Neko to Kotori Tei cafe in Furano, Hokkaido, customers can select from a number of books available on the main dining table. Photo: Charmaine Mok 

Yue Hing dai pai dong on Stanley Street in Central is known for its excellent breakfasts and patient customers. Photo: Charmaine Mok

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Teppanyaki abalone with Hatcho miso sauce. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

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Lifestyle

Food & Drink

Waiting for food can be a joy when it is made with love, as it is at Yue Hing in Hong Kong, where patience is rewarded with a humble meal


Waiting for food can be a joy when it is made with love, as it is at Yue Hing in Hong Kong, where patience is rewarded with a humble meal.


Hong Kong culture

Hong Kong street food

Hong Kong chefs

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Column

On the Menu

On the Menu | Why waiting ages for food to arrive is worth it when it is made with love and care

Waiting for food can be a joy when it is made with love, as it is at Yue Hing in Hong Kong, where patience is rewarded with a humble meal