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Hong Kong's beloved "siu mei" (roast meat) is at the center of a heated online debate after a viral post listed "6 deadly sins" commonly committed by the city's siu mei chefs. The complaints, which accuse chefs of everything from inconsistent quality to saving the best cuts for themselves, have struck a chord with many locals who agree that buying a good portion of roast meat is often just "a game of luck."
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The discussion erupted on the popular online forum LIHKG after a user posted an angry rant detailing the frustrations of dealing with siu mei vendors. The post argued that the quality of the meat is entirely dependent on the chef's attitude that day.
The author described how an order of char siu (barbecued pork) might result in receiving hard, wrinkled pieces, while an order of siu yuk (roast pork) could be nothing but a chunk of fat.
He lamented that roast duck is sometimes served with just a piece of skin and meat as thin as paper.
Similarly, he claimed that soy sauce chicken or white cut chicken is often chopped so haphazardly that it becomes a mess of shattered bones, ruining the texture.
The complaints didn't stop at the meat. The user also noted that even the plain rice, which should be the most straightforward part of the meal, is frequently ruined by being drenched in too much sauce, leaving it wet and mushy.
He added to his list of grievances by recounting how he was refused a side of ginger scallion sauce simply because he hadn't ordered chicken.
The post quickly resonated with other netizens, who flooded the comments section with their own similar experiences.
Many agreed that the quality of siu mei is often subpar and questioned why chefs seem to hoard the best cuts, with one commenter remarking that they "don't even know how to do business."
A recurring theme in the discussion was the belief that chefs treat customers differently based on gender, with many suggesting that women tend to receive better service and higher quality cuts.
One user joked that his wife can get any cut she desires, from the coveted fatty charred ends of char siu to a perfect half-fat, half-lean portion.
Another shared a personal anecdote, saying that when he dines with his wife, she gets a meaty goose leg while he is served a bony back piece with paper-thin meat.
The prevailing sentiment was that getting a good meal is a gamble because the prime cuts are often reserved for more expensive standalone platters or for regular customers.
As one user put it, "The char siu on my rice plate and the char siu on the platter of the person sharing my table were two completely different things."
𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓
