Wah Yuen 華苑 @ TST

I cannot say I have tried everything – I still discover hidden super eats in one of the busiest corner of Tsim Sha Tsui.

Located at one of the busiest junctions in TST, Wah Yuen Chiu Chow Cuisine is one of the stewards of the Teochew cuisine, and frequented by Mr Chua Lam (1941-2025), film producer, gastronomer and food writer, a fellow Teochew and Singaporean.

There are so many items on the menu, we didn’t know where to start and what to choose. So we picked some favourites and then some classics Teochew dishes.

Chiu Chow Raw Clams 生腌獅蚶

What we called cockles has three different names depending on where you order them – 血蚶 (xuěhān)、螄蚶 (shīhān)、泥蚶 (níhān). From young, I heard my mom called it shīhān, I always thought that character was the word for faeces 屎, which has the same pronunciation, because the bivalves live in mud and survive through filtering nutrients. Hence the cockles have been notorious for causing massive food poisoning.

And Teochews have a special way of eating them – by marinating them raw in dark soy sauce, garlic, chilli, parsley, celery, vinegar and sugar. The older generation believes this will “kill” the germs and bacteria. Eating them is like Russian roulette. But I still order them whenever I see them on the menu. And they were delicious.

Marinated Goose Meat, Goose Intestines and Freshly Marinated Goose Liver in Chiu Chow Style 正宗滷水鵝片、鵝腸、潮州新鮮滷水鵝肝

First-class Teochew-style braised goose platter 滷水拼盤 that consisted of goose intestines 鵝腸, goose liver 鵝肝 and sliced goose meat 鵝片. The goose liver was creamy and smooth with no funky smell of internal organs. The sliced goose meat was delicious and the braising time was controlled to perfection, resulting in meat that was spot-on in doneness. The goose intestines were crispy and full of flavours of the braising liquid. There were some braised tofu on the bottom of the plate that was equally outstanding. One of the best braised goose in Hong Kong so far.

Omelette with Luffa 水瓜烙

Omelette with Luffa 水瓜烙 is something I have never seen in Teochew restaurant any where. It tasted like Korean scallion pancakes but with the spring onions replaced with luffa. It is a simple yet technically difficult dish, as luffa releases a lot of liquid when cooked and this will affect the crispiness of the omelette, which has been mixed with a little swig of tapioca flour slurry.

Marinated Raw Crab 生醃膏蟹

Like the raw cockles, marinated raw crab 生醃膏蟹 is another Teochew “poison” that we cannot resist. And like the cockles, the crab used is mud crab and lives in muddy swamps, foraging its food among the decaying carcasses. Another mass food poisoning in the preparation, but when prepped correctly, this is a very delicious eat.

Chiu Chow Daa Laang Cold Fish 速食馬友

This was the last Chiu Chow Daa Laang cold fish available that evening. Forefinger threadfin 馬友魚 (aka 午魚) is often made into salted fish in Hong Kong and Macao, and it is sold usually in the salted form in Macao. But it can also be made into Chiu Chow Daa Laang cold fish 魚飯. The flesh is fatty and full of flavours.

Here’s a very information document about Teochew cold fish 潮州魚飯; it is almost extinct in Singapore, so go and try it in Hong Kong when you have the chance.

Double-boiled Whelk and Green Olives Soup 青欖螺頭湯

Double-boiled whelk and green olives soup 青欖螺頭湯 is a classic Teochew soup that is readily available in the hometown, but almost not found in Singapore because of the lack of the key ingredient – fresh green olive. The soup had the refreshing taste of olives, as if the soup was cooked using extra virgin olive oil. The sea whelk provided all the umami, while the chicken feet and pork ribs gave the base sweetness of the soup.

Pan Fried Sweet Dumplings 煎鼠殼粿

Black cudweed kueh 鼠壳粿 is a traditional Teochew pastry often eaten as a snack or dessert. The cudweed 鼠壳草 added a delightful fragrant aftertaste to the sweetness of the kueh, which was filled with sweet tau suah 豆沙 (green bean paste). Traditionally, this dessert is only eaten during the Lunar New Year celebrations and is used to clear the digestive system of the oil from rich food.

Sweet Taro with Ginkgo 褔果甜芋泥

Sweet taro mash with ginkgo 褔果甜芋泥 is another classic Teochew dessert which I would not miss it for the world. It is made with taro (yam) that has been steamed with a lot of sugar and then mashed with clarified lard. And if they do it right, the fragrance of the pork lard would intermingle with the fragrance of the taro. Boiled ginkgo nuts are added for good measure.

I would have kept this place a secret if not for fact that Hong Kong F&B has been badly hit by the economy and more consumers going into Shenzhen for cheaper and high quality eateries. Hopefully with more people rediscovering all these gems in Hong Kong, they will stay back and spend their money with these tried and tested restaurants.

Wah Yuen Chiu Chow Cuisine 華苑潮州閣
九龍尖沙咀北京道57號國都大廈2樓
2/F., 57 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Tel : +852 2114 0889 / 2311 3733 / 2311 9868

Visited Apr 2025