Well, this is it folks – this is probably our last feature on our recent visit to Hong Kong. And maybe we were saving the best for last? Because this final one happens to be one of the most popular makan spots not only for the local Muslim community in Hong Kong (being an Islamic Centre) but also also pretty much any Muslim tourists that visit Hong Kong.
Haven’t y’all heard of the Islamic Centre Canteen? 😀
Located within the Masjid Ammar and Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre in Wan Chai is a place that was recommended pretty much all our readers. After all, the Masjid Ammar and Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre is a must visit and since you’re there, you may as well tuck in to some makan while you’re there right?
The Islamic Centre Canteen is actually famous for its Dim Sum! But we’ll get to that a bit later because… their Dim Sum menu is only available during certain hours of the day and I happened to visit a few times outside of those hours so I makan-ed some of the dishes from their ala carte menu too.
It was cold season when I visited and so when I found out that I had missed the Dim Sum window (on my first visit), I decided to have some soupy noodles! Plus, I technically got some Dim Sum lah thanks to the Wantons LOL
To be honest, I didn’t quite enjoy this one. Mainly because it was actually pretty bland. I know that HK noodle dishes can be pretty bland (normally the soupy ones) so I guess I can’t complain much. Tried adding some cut chillies with each bite but I guess it was still quite underwhelming. The Wantons were not bad though. In the end, I still finished it all because 1) I was dam hungry and 2) it was satisfying because it was cold outside 😛
PS this was the ‘Bowl’ aka normal serving. They also have a ‘Big Bowl’ serving if you’re interested.
The story behind this meal (my 3rd visit) is actually quite funny 😛 I had visited the day before and had the rather disappointingly-bland Wanton Noodles right? As I was eating, I saw this guy sitting at the opposite table and he ordered this exact thing.
A serving of Deep Fried Chicken with Sweet & Sour Sauce and one serving of Gai Laan (aka Kai Lan) with Garlic Sauce. Both enjoyed with some piping hot white rice. FUYOH looked so sedap lah as I saw him gobbling it down!
Okay lah the Deep Fried Chicken with Sweet & Sour Sauce was actually quite sedap. The serving is probably enough to share between 2 people by the way. Especially if you’re sharing other dishes too! The Gai Laan with Garlic Sauce was not bad but on hindsight I wish I had ordered something with a bit more sauce.
Still a highly satisfying meal though. I’d like to thank that guy, whoever he was, for inspiring me 😛
And now, the moment we have all been waiting for! I finally got to try some of the famous Dim Sum at the Islamic Centre Canteen on my 2nd visit! I actually went there bright an early at 10am which is when the Dim Sum menu becomes available 😀
They have a HUGE selection to choose from including both steamed and fried Dim Sum. By my count, at least 30 different Dim Sum to choose from on their menu! But the downside of travelling alone is that I could only eat so much LOL so I ordered what I felt were the top picks!
The ONLY fried Dim Sum I ordered was the Deep Fried Shrimp Won Ton – a classic am I right? 😀 This one definitely passes the test! Crunch test was 100% and you really get a nice good crisp on these little bad boys.
But to be honest, I kinda preferred the ones I had at Ma’s Restaurant. Probably because they used actually Wanton Skin there (compared to Filo pastry here) plus this one didn’t come with a chili sauce for dipping. Still worth the order of course!
Other fried Dim Sum choices include Deep Fried Dumplings with Shrimp & Chinese Chives, Beef Samosa, Deep Fried Spring Rolls, Deep Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings with Chicken, Fried Radish Cake, Pan Fried Fish Cakes, Deep Fried Soybean Sheet with Shrimp and Deep Fried Chicken Dumplings.
These are probably 2 of my MUST ORDER dishes when it comes to Dim Sum. In fact, I think that most times, I kinda gauge the whole Dim Sum menu based on these 2 because they are so quintessential and basis that if you can’t these right, then how lah like that right?
The good news is that there were pretty good LOL The Siew Mai was flavourful albeit a bit tough when it came to the bite. The Steamed Chicken Bun was okay but truth be told – I had misread the menu and thought that I was ordering a BBQ Chicken Steamed Bun (the red, sweet filling type). Well, no loss because they only have this version on the menu.
WHO’S A FAN OF CHICKEN FEET!!! ?♀?♂
I think that Chicken Feet has been gaining popularity in recent times. Whether you’re having the braised variety with some noodles or the Dim Sum version, it’s quite safe to say that Chicken Feet are the in-thing now lah LOL
The version at the Islamic Centre Canteen was super sedap! A little bit of sweetness and a little bit of spiciness (thanks to some chili oil in there) makes this a gooey and delicious mess. Highly recommended for fans of Chicken Feet and if you’ve never had it before, this is one of the best times to try it!
Here’s one that I was actually trying for the first time but is actually quite a specialty when it comes to Dim Sum – the Steamed Rice Rolls are actually Chee Cheong Fun but with different fillings in between their thinly-layered sheets. I’ve seen a few fantastic ones elsewhere but they only had Steamed Chicken Rice Rolls here.
Well, the best way I can describe this is – sticky yet slippery 😛 The majority of the flavour comes from the soy sauce (which they pour over the rolls via a kettle btw) and as you can see from the photo above, the actually chicken is a very thin layer so you’re filling up more on the rice rolls. And please don’t underestimate – these are actually quite filling!
Other Dim Sum which I didn’t get to try (either because unavailable or too full) include Soup Dumplings, Steamed Beef Balls, Steamed Chicken with Black Fungus and the Steamed Soybean Sheet with Chicken & Vegetable.
And just for the record – I gave HK Milk Tea another try (after the one i had at Ma’s Restaurant).
It’s confirmed plus chop that HK Milk Tea / Coffee is really not my thing LOL
In a way, I think the Islamic Centre Canteen does live up to its reputation. It’s got a pretty extensive menu that features more than a few tasty dishes. Plus, the Masjid Ammar and Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre is probably going to be on your list of places to visit in Hong Kong so why not just makan there right? After all, it’s in Wan Chai where you’ll find the most Halal makan places in Hong Kong.
I guess it’s important to keep in mind that this is what the name implies – a canteen. Yes, you will see tourists and even big groups dining there sometimes. But most of the time, you’ll see locals and expats stopping there for lunch or dinner often after prayers.
As always, we have the full menu so drop us a message or email if you want it okay! 😀
ISLAMIC CENTRE CANTEEN
5/F, Masjid Ammar And Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre
40 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2834 8211
Facebook: CLICK HERE!
Operating Hours: 10.00am til 9.00pm DAILY
(Dim Sum only from 10.00am til 3.00pm)
This meal we visit ourselves (like macam anonymous ah) and pay own money one.
All information (including prices, availability of item on menu and Halal status of establishment) are accurate at the time of posting. All photos used in this site are property of The Halal Food Blog unless stated otherwise.
