Wong Kei

I have been going to Wong Kei's for as long as I can remember, about 20 years and have yet to come across a chinese restaurant that has better food. Not only that but it gives you a real experience of chinese dining! The brash attitude of the staff is what made eating there all the more fun! Sharing tables with other people you dont know can introduce you to many different people and make it that much more enjoyable! And above all else it is the best value for money! It's cheaper (and alot tastier!) than my local chinese take-away in Essex! If you want a fun, cheap meal and aren't worried about being treated like an upper class snob (like so many people in London seem to think is there right!!) then Wong Kei's is the place to go!!
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10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, May 23, 2011

I took a friend here 20 years ago, I did warn her about the service, back then it was ferocious. However, in spite of the warning she still managed to say, 'Don't think much of the service !' She was overheard by one of the waiters who replied, 'Want service, you go to the Ritz.'

I went there yesterday, had the bbq pork noodle soup for lunch. The quality is still good, the service brusque, efficient and not at all aggressive like it used to be. I'll bear shabby customer care to pay pennies for a decent lunch but Wong Kei represents such fantastic value for money that you really can't complain.
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BC
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 10
Monday, May 16, 2011

I was first introduced to Wong Kei's in 2003 and was surprised at how we sat at a table with other strangers. But after looking at the prices on the menu, I completely forgot and was amazed at how quickly the food arrived. I ordered King Prawn with Black Bean Sauce on Boiled Rice which was only a mere £5.90. The dish itself was large and I could not finish it! The waiters were always on their toes, walking back and forth - albeit a bit rude - but when the food is as good as it is, it did not bother me. Since my first visit, I have been dining there regularly and often crave it as I feel this restaurant is one of the best I have ever been to. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants a quick, hot and amazing chinese meal! Wong Kei's (translated to Upstairs/Downstairs) really does live up to its name with the incredible 4 floors of seating available. Can't wait to go again.
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10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, May 05, 2011

I thought I'd check out a few reviews before eating here, and after reading this site ended up approaching Wong Kei with some trepidation, having some difficulty walking past the wonderful-smelling Vietnamese restaurant opposite. However I wasn't disappointed, and wonder whether some of the reviews here border on the xenophobic.

I will grant you, the waiters aren't particularly talkative; my complimentary pot of green tea was delivered without warning and without a shred of the panache and grace I might have expected, but I was left in peace to order my food, which was delivered swiftly.

My hot and sour soup was glutinous and full of delicious shrimps, pork and egg but lacking in heat. However, the table condiments included a fiery chilli sauce which I could have added had I been brave enough - I usually over-do it! This was followed up by some deliciously crispy pork belly and roast duck, served cold (clearly advertised on the menu - I just ordered it out of curiosity) on a bed of hot rice. A drizzle of sweet and fruity barbecue sauce adorned the meat, but a few vegetables wouldn't have gone amiss. Total cost: £6.75 (as of April 2011), which is nothing short of incredible.

Open-minded diners will be fascinated by the extent of the menu, opening the experienced Asian food enthusiast to delights usually denied to unadventurous English customers, such as fried intestine, crispy duck feet, hotpot and something I've never seen on a Chinese menu before - liver, which I'll be trying another time. A range of Congee dishes are available.

Wong Kei has opened up a new world to me. The staff didn't strike me as overly rude so much as quietly efficient. I will look forward to sampling the hundreds of dishes on the menu over the coming years, but more importantly will be keen to see any evidence of the alleged rudeness that other reviewers claim to have experienced. Foreign cultures and traditions should be viewed with open ears, eyes and mind, which is something I think a few reviewers would to well to take notice of.
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Lynd
9 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Haven't been for 20 years till this Saturday. Was first taken in 1988, I was told it's one of the places in London you have to go to. We used to sit upstairs, usually on tables with strangers but when you're on a budget and the food is good that shouldn't matter and when so many Chinese people are eating there - it's a good indication the food is good. Loved it then but warn people before you go in - it's basic, like a caff and busy, busy, busy. Took someone once who didn't 'get it' so was a bit of a shock for him when the waiter walked off mid-order because really he was asking too many questions and wasn't ready to order!

Was not disappointed on Saturday, took a friend who loved the food and (was delicious and not at all greasy) and the amount we got for £13.50 was pretty amazing.

Keep doing what you're doing Wong Kei - I'm bringing my kids and more friends in April!
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Helen from Herts
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 9
Monday, February 28, 2011

After looking at every menu at each restaurant in ChinaTown in the rain late last night, instead of going to the one that closes at 4am, for some reason we went to Wong Kei cos I think we were enticed by the No service charge and no charge for chinese tea lol I know restaurants in Chinatown arent known for the service and value for money but my gawd the service I recieved in here was the second worse Ive ever had!! (The first was in a chinese cafe in Toronto but thats another story!)

The waiter didnt write down the order, came back to check, repeated the order back to him, later came the dishes except for one, told him but not only did he give me mouth, we never even recieve the dish we ordered!! We didnt say anything after only because we didnt want to spend any more money in there. The teapot came with a streak of chilli oil on the lid, the portions werent big, food was greasy, the place was just dirty with food all over the floor. We didnt even dare to go to the toilet!

When the bill came, the dish we ordered which we never got wasnt written down either...so clearly he wasnt listening and didnt care and gave me mouth about it! Needless to say, we did not give a tip, never going back even if it was cheaper than other places, the food was greasy I may as well had a kebab probably would have been cheaper and tastier! Next time we will find a chinese restaurant outside of chinatown.
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1 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 2
Tuesday, February 15, 2011

I'd just like to begin by saying how surprised I was when reading the previous reviews. Not only did I find the food rather mediocre, all the other elements which feature in a pleasant dining experience were non-existent! In fact, I regard this piece not as a review, but more an obituary... for those of you unlucky enough to enter, my sympathies.

Service was abhorrent. I don't expect my chopsticks to be slid to me across the table, nor do I expect to my food to be placed so aggressively in front of me. It almost seemed to me that the staff took great pride in delivering such a cold, unpleasant service.

As for aesthetics, was any effort made into decorating the restaurant? Coming from Hong Kong, growing up eating in local restaurants, I never expected to see such shoddy decorum, let alone in a restaurant in Chinatown! I mean, isn't this restaurant supposed to be competing with the other restaurants? If so, I can't imagine that it's putting much of a fight, and I suspect that, if the management doesn't act soon, you could see a new restaurant replacing it.

In any case, I shan't rant any further about the service or the aesthetics, after all, the food is heart of any dining experience. As such, having experienced the food at Wong Kei, I regretted immediately that I didn't eat something beforehand. The food was rubbish! I went in there expecting to relive the culinary experiences of Hong Kong, only to find myself wanting some KFC afterwards! In a climate of ongoing legal disputes about competition and hygiene, surely a restaurant, in one of the busiest food districts in London, would have stepped up its game. A bit of elbow grease (not literally) and effort into the preparation would do wonders, as I'm sure the chefs here are certainly talented.

But for the time being, the future is bleak on the West Side of Chinatown, with the sun soon setting on the grim, discourteous institution that is Wong Kei. If your a diner who prides themselves on value for money, I'm sorry to tell you that you've come to the wrong place. Who would put a price on this?! I'd rather go hungry for a night than come back here.
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Tony
1 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Everytime I go to London the name Wong Kei always appear on my to do list. With a plethora of choices in the surrounding areas and myself no longer being a student on a budget, why do I go back there? You won't find the best Chinese food in London here, the decor isn't particularly appealing and the service won't win any awards, but try as I might, I cannot resist popping in for a comforting meal. Is it nostalgia, the big portions or the unique tasting soup base for the noodle soups? Maybe the simple answer is that Wong Kei is, well, Wong Kei. It is unique itself and doesn't aspire to be anything else, and with the staff now wearing the infamous "upstairs/downstairs" t-shirts instead of white shirts, maybe they know that is the true secret of the success of Wong Kei too.
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Johnny Wan
8 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Wong Kei is an amazing restuarant that I enjoyed thoroughly and hope to return there shortly
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shawn
7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, November 24, 2010

We were almost disappointed not to find the legendary rude waiters - everyone was more than charming and the food excellent and copious. Not the place for a romantic meal, but a serious eating house that all of us would go back to.
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Christine Davis
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 10
Sunday, November 14, 2010