My knowledge of Kam Fung was limited to what I had heard from friends, most of whom are regulars to the small eatery tucked away just off High Holborn. What I had gathered from them was that Kam Fung is popular with those who work or study near Holborn and want to get fast, good food. While it is famous for serving individual portions large enough to comfortably feed two, Kam Fung does have a minimum one dish per person policy. Any leftovers (and there usually are) can be packed up and brought home with no fuss.
Anyway, since I was craving some Chinese food a few days ago, my flatmate decided to introduce me to the joys of Kam Fung as she had gone several times and found the food to be good (at least for London's standards of Chinese food). We arrived at around 8pm. Although it was a weeknight, the place was already quite full.
However, it wasn't long before we were seated and handed the menus. As my flatmate and I are both Asian, we were given both the Chinese and English menus (the table next to us were Caucasian and I noticed they were only given the English version, therefore I recommend those who can read Chinese to request for both as in line with most Chinese restaurants, there are items on the Chinese menu not printed on the English ones).
We ended up ordering Hainanese chicken rice, and lamb ribs with rice to share between the both of us, and bottomless tap water (free of charge). Our drinks and starter of soup of lotus root, peanut and pork bones (also free of charge) came as soon as the waitress who took our order left. I was impressed that the soup was still piping hot and wasn't covered in a layer of oil. It tasted quite subtle, which was another pleasant surprise as I fully expected it to be MSG-ridden.
It wasn't more than 10 minutes later that our main dishes arrived simultaneously. I have to say, the rumours were true: the portions are substantially bigger than what you would find in an average Chinese restaurant around town.
The Hainanese chicken rice was delicious - the rice was fluffy, not too greasy, and had the faint chicken-y taste good chicken rice is supposed to have; the chicken was tender; the accompanying ginger sauce was very well made, not overwhelming the dish but helping to add an extra kick of flavour. The sprinkling of soy sauce mixture on the rice and chicken helped bring together all the contrasting elements of the dish. I wasn't over the moon with the chilli sauce that came in a side saucer as it tasted like something you could get out of a bottle and so I ignored it, but the dish was scrumptious; easily THE best chicken rice I have ever had in London so far.
The lamb ribs with rice was also a wonder on its own. Since my friend had done the ordering, I wasn't sure of what to expect. The ribs had been roasted in a heavily spiced marinade and sat atop a bed of caramelized onions. The rice looked like it had been tossed in the drippings. The lamb tasted absolutely amazing - the top was crispy while the insides were so tender. The taste of lamb was very strong though, which is something I personally enjoy but others might not. The rice again was very well prepared, and the combination of it with the meat and onions was heaven, though in contrast to the Hainanese chicken rice, this dish had an almost Middle Eastern vibe to it, as there seemed to be some elements of cumin and garam masala in it (I may be wrong).
I have to point out that neither dish was on the menu (my friend had asked for a recommendation from the waitress on a previous visit) so it would be a good idea to ask for their specialties. Another tip from my dining mate is that the food here tends to be a hit or miss, so be careful when ordering. Generally, try and stay away from the stereotypical Chinese dishes as they can be a bit dodgy. My friend warned me to stay away from the 'Ma Po Tofu' and sweet and sour pork.
The bill came to £15.25, or under £8 per person, which I think is more than fair for such big helpings and good quality food. There were a few fun size chocolates (specifically Mars, Snickers, Bounty) that came with the change. Usually, Kam Fung boasts free soup and fruits (they used to give whole oranges for takeaways) but I guess business has not been so good lately.
Still, I was very happy with my first visit to Kam Fung. It may have been the growling tummies, or perhaps it was my low expectations, but I stuffed myself silly and managed to empty both dishes. One thing I always do when having Chinese food in London is make a note of how thirsty I get after my meal - a fairly reliable sign of MSG in the food. This time, there was no excessive thirst and so I infer (with no scientific evidence whatsoever) that Kam Fung uses less MSG than your typical Chinese eatery. Hence, go out and give Kam Fung a shot. It's a place that I and would highly recommend to anyone looking for cheap, decent Chinese food, particularly when on a hungry stomach. read more
