Earlier this year, I took a solo trip to Hong Kong (as many of you probably know) and although I did not get as much done as I’d planned (due to bad weather etc), I did get to visit a few places that were recommended by you – our readers 😀 And this is one of those places!
Ma’s Restaurant was a name that came up many many times when we asked for recommendations on our “MUST HAVE” list while in Hong Kong. And y’all definitely know what you were talking about!
This was one of the first meals I enjoyed while I was there and I can see why it’s so popular. When I visited (during lunch time btw) I saw many fellow Muslim travellers and even some locals enjoying a meal there at Ma’s Restaurant. So if you’re on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong, you most definitely need to make a stop there.
The menu at Ma’s Restaurant was SO extensive that I actually had to visit TWICE 😛 And even then, I was pretty limited since I was alone (one of the major downers when doing solo travel if you ask me) But at least I was able to try dishes that were pretty different.
They specialize in Xinjiang cuisine. Xinjiang is a region in China where there’s a very considerable Muslim population hence the influence on the food too. This means lots of meat, spices and few surprises here and there.
Anyways, don’t worry – I’m still going to break it down for you 😀
First of all, I would like to advise you to really take your time to go through the menu (which was 19 pages long when I visited by the way). There are plenty of dishes to choose from including a few Set Meals (ranging from 2-10 pax) which would be a great idea if you’re dining in a group.
Once you’ve made your choice(s), be sure to go through it carefully with the staff taking your order. They speak a bit of English (emphasis on the A BIT) but I found out, when I got my order, that you really have to make sure they got your order 100% accurate.
What I actually wanted to order was 1) Braised Beef Brisket Noodles and then add on 2) Cold Dish Set which would have consisted of Spiced Beef Shank and Spiced Beef Tendon. But instead, what I appear to have ordered is the Mixed Soup Noodles LOL
Well, I missed out on the Beef Brisket but at least I still got the other stuff I guess!
The Beef Noodles were GOOD! The cold weather probably had a lot to do with my reaction to be honest LOL 😛 The noodles were springy and had a good bite (some might think it’s on the firm side0 but the real winner was the hearty beef broth that the noodles are swimming in.
Best enjoyed while piping hot and be sure to slurp down that delicious soup!
When you order the Mixed Noodles Soup, you get to choose 2 side dishes (from a selection of 4 choices) to accompany your noodles. But here’s the catch – the side dishes are Cold Dishes. But don’t worry lah it’s not that bad.
So I chose the Spiced Beef Shank (the sliced beef in the pic) and the Spiced Beef Tendon (which is the jelly-like thing there). The other choices were the Spiced Beef Tripe and the Spiced Beef Ox Tongue.
More beefy goodness to be enjoyed so all you beef lovers are gonna enjoy this. The Spiced Beef Shank was really tender and while I enjoyed it in its cold form, I did end up putting the beef into my noodles in a vain attempt to simulate my original order (in my mind) of Beef noodles LOL
I do quite enjoy Beef Tendon but this was the first time I was enjoying it like this. The Beefy Aspic has a good flavour of spices and herbs and some tendon in between. If you’re not used to it, the jelly-like texture may put you off at first but you’ll get used to it. But my advice – DON’T put it into your soup because once it warms up, that jelly pretty much dissolves into mush.
I also tried the Shanghai Style Fried Thick Noodles Beef mainly because I saw someone else eating and the sight of the guy just slurping up these piping hot fried noodles REALLY made me wanna try this 😛
The noodles were, as the name implies, thick LOL okay lah a bit thicker than the noodles I encountered with the Beef Noodles Soup and definitely a bit more firm thanks to getting the fry treatment. There are some strips of beef and veggies stir-fried in there too and it’s mainly a soy sauce flavour you can expect.
I was quite worried when I saw the serving size but I did manage to finish everything plus a few extras on the side too. I guess the cold weather gave me an appetite! And speaking of sides…
They have quite the Dim Sum list at Ma’s Restaurant actually although some of the selection may not be exactly what you’d be used to. But the one thing you apparently MUST TRY at Ma’s Restaurant is the Goulash. Now, I know Goulash as a stew (as in like Hungarian Goulash) but apparently in Hong Kong, Goulash are these pancake thingies with meaty fillings!
They have Lamb Goulash but I decided on the Veal Goulash. But I read the menu more carefully after I ordered and it turns out that the ‘Veal’ is actually Beef 
But anyways no matter because it was still really tasty! Best enjoyed while hot and be careful of the soupy filling!
I could not resist but try something we’d consider of the quintessential Dim Sum dishes to enjoy – Wonton! They have the soup version too but I went with the Fried version mainly to see how it compared with the ones I had enjoyed at the Islamic Centre Canteen (which you will read about another time hehehe)
The Fried Wontons were really crispy thanks to the thick Wonton skin but I do wish there’d be more filling though. But let me put it this way – I tried Fried Wontons at 2 different places in Hong Kong and I much preferred this one. Be sure to dip into the chili sauce that comes with 😀
There are about 23 different Dim Sum selections on the menu at Ma’s Restaurant. Mostly dumplings and rolls but definitely no shortage of choices.
I even managed to sneak in a little dessert. The Tang Yuan, Coconut Pudding and Black Sesame Sweet Soup were tempting but I decided on the Red Bean Pancake in the end. Nice and crisp on the outside and definitely generous with the sticky and sweet Red Bean filling.
So far, pretty much all the dishes I ordered at Ma’s Restaurant were really good. Unfortunately, my drink orders were not exactly as I expected LOL
I don’t know why lah but the HK Style Milk Tea and Milk Coffee were not really my thing ah LOL Like macam.. I don’t know how to describe but honestly, I did not enjoy them at all. Thank goodness for the FOC Chinese Tea 😛
BUT I really regret not trying something I saw on the menu – HOT Coke with Lemon & Ginger! If anyone tries, please let me know what it’s like okay!
In the end, I’d agree with all of you – Ma’s Restaurant is definitely a place you need to visit. Although the prices may be a bit on the high side if you ask me personally – still a must visit. Good luck to you if you can resist coming back more than once to try more of the tempting food on the menu. If you want a full list of the 23-page menu, drop us a message and I’ll be happy to forward you snaps that I took 🙂
PS please note that while there are alcoholic beverages on the menu at Ma’s Restaurant, the food is Halal. Think of it as macam similar situation at some eateries in Malaysia like that.
In the meantime, look out for more of our The Halal Food Blog X Hong Kong series including more posts on the makan and also our vlogs coming soon! Exclusive to our YouTube channel so be sure to subscribe so you won’t miss a thing okay!
MA’S RESTAURANT
21號 Cheung Sha Wan Rd
Sham Sui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2787 6108
Facebook: CLICK HERE!
Operating Hours:
11.30am til 11.00pm Daily
(Last order 10.30pm)
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.
