Sichuan hotpot chain Tang Huo Kung Fu hits Hong Kong with delicious soup noodles
Tang Huo Kung Fu has more than 2,600 shops around Asia, and one of its newest is in Causeway Bay
The Thai tom yum goong soup base is as good as what we’ve tasted in Thailand
Susan Jung
Published: 4:30pm, 1 Oct, 2019


Tomato soup hotpot from Tang Huo Kung Fu in Hong Kong. Photo: Snow Xia

Tang Huo Kung Fu, a decade-old franchise from China with more than 2,600 shops across Asia, has finally landed in Hong Kong. The Sichuan restaurant is best known for its spicy hotpot noodle soups.
When we visited the crowded Causeway Bay venue at lunchtime, we had a short wait to be seated.
The shop offers four hotpot bases: the signature spicy hotpot soup, tomato soup, Thai tom yum goong soup, and classic spicy mix without soup, each costing about HK$42. After you pick the hotpot base and the level of mala (numbing and spicy) that you want, you add different types of vegetables (HK$7 each), proteins (HK$10 each) and noodles (HK$12 each).
They also offer drink combos that range in price from HK$59 to HK$88. You can dress up your order by adding vinegar and spicy and numbing flavours, from a selection of sauces and seasonings on each table.


Tom Yum soup noodles at Tang Huo Kung Fu. Photo: Snow Xia

We tried all four soup bases, and our favourite was the Thai tom yum goong. The broth was as good as what we’ve tasted in Thailand – spicy and sour, with fresh unpeeled shrimp, Sichuan pepper on top, and the fragrance of lemongrass and lime juice. The thin rice noodles absorbed the taste of the broth quite well. Our only complaint was that the portion was quite small.
The classic spicy mix, which is a dry hotpot base, was also worth a try. The noodles are mixed with sesame sauce, peanuts, chilli, and scallions. We picked the thick rice noodles, but they were a little soggy.


Inside at Tang Huo Kung Fu in Causeway Bay. Photo: Snow Xia

The tomato soup was the only one that’s not spicy, and it was watery and bland. It tasted as if the soup base had been made earlier, then the tomatoes added at the last minute, because the flavour of the fruit wasn’t strong. The fish balls didn’t taste fresh.
The signature spicy hotpot soup was okay, but it was nothing special. It was sweet, tasting similar to ordinary Cantonese noodle soups. The vermicelli was well cooked but the chicken covered with brown sauce was a little plain.


Dry hotpot spicy mix at Tang Huo Kung Fu. Photo: Snow Xia

The restaurant also offers a variety of toasts (HK$26): bacon and egg, beef and egg, and ham and egg toast. While the menu shows the toast dishes piled high with two layers of lettuce and meat, the beef and egg toast we were served had only one layer of each. The toast was crisp and buttery and the fried egg was aromatic, but the beef was tasteless.
Tang Huo Kung Fu, Siu On Plaza, 482 Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay, tel: 2148 6788. Open: noon-11pm.
'more than 2,600 shops around Asia'

legit