Lo Hey HK Seafood: Nostalgic Hong Kong-style restaurant opens at One Holland Village

Immerse yourself in the world of old-school Hong Kong at Lo Hey HK Seafood, a new restaurant that’s just joined the growing enclave of establishments at One Holland Village. 

Newly launched on November 27, Lo Hey HK Seafood is the latest undertaking of Keith Kang — the owner of famed zi char-style restaurant, Yang Ming Seafood — and restaurateur Reuben Chua, founder of household Chinese chain Yun Nans. 

The pair had previously set up Hey Kee, another retro Hong Kong-style restaurant at Guillemard Road. It was modelled after Hong Kong’s da pai dongs (open-air licensed food stalls) in the 1980s. 

The outfit at Lo Hey HK Seafood, however, is fashioned after the glamorous golden age of Hong Kong cinema between the 1980s and 1990s. Its interior is glitzed up and recreates a movie theatre setting, complete with vibrant neon signs, plush, cherry-red seats and hit movie posters hung on its walls. 

Stepping inside the restaurant feels just like entering a film set. Every nook and cranny at Lo Hey HK Seafood is spruced up to the nines for an immersive dining experience that revives the good ol’ days of Hong Kong cinema at its peak. 

And if you’d prefer to dine in peace and quiet, slightly away from the crowd, Lo Hey HK Seafood also offers private rooms (with a minimum spend of S$600). Well-furnished with rich mahogany and lush, carpeted floors, they exude opulence — just as though you’re dining with royalty.

Like many eateries at One Holland Village, Lo Hey HK Seafood also has an al fresco seating area that’s pet-friendly, so your four-legged friends can join you for the meal.

Must-try seafood dishes on Lo Hey HK Seafood’s menu 

At Lo Hey HK Seafood, you can sink your teeth into authentic Cantonese cuisine and zi char-style staples, such as the succulent “typhoon shelter” style stir-fried crab (from S$9.80 per 100g). 

A traditional Hong Kong delicacy, its name is an ode to its humble origins. Back in the 1960s, Hong Kong fishermen lived on boats, taking refuge in typhoon shelters and fishing for seafood along the harbour — fresh mud crabs being a key staple.

They’d whip up the crabs in garlic and mixed spices, packing the seafood with a ton of aromatic flavour. The “typhoon shelter” style stir-fried crab here follows a similar recipe and is spiced up with scallions, chilli peppers and fermented black beans for extra crunch and fragrance.

The steamed fish with pickled chilli and kiam chye (from S$10 per 100g) is a dish that we’d — hands down — return for again. It meets all the hallmarks of a well-cooked fish: A soft and tender body and fresh, plump meat that flakes off easily from the skin, without being too dry.

Perfumed with pickled chilli and kiam chye, the protein is imbued with hints of spice and a slightly salty tang. It’s then sprinkled with crackling pork on the top, which lends the dish a satisfying, savoury crunchiness.

Prawns are classic seafood dishes to order at any Chinese zi char-style restaurant and it tends to be a hot favourite that everyone at the table gravitates towards. It’s usually wiped clean within minutes. 

We foresee the wok-fried uni mayo prawn balls (S$24.80) being a crowd-pleaser as well, with huge, juicy tiger prawns deep-fried to crispy perfection and drizzled with a creamy, umami-rich sea urchin sauce. 

The prawn balls were uber decadent, with a velvety, sweet-savoury dressing generously coating every morsel. Each bite surprised us with a myriad of textures and flavours, and it had just the right amount of zesty kick to it that balanced out the creaminess of it all.

A savoury meat-cute

The traditional soya sauce duck (S$30 for a half duck, S$58 for a whole is a signature at Lo Hey HK Seafood, with a 100-day-raised, free-range duck being the star of the show. Being a free-range duck, it has a juicer, leaner meat with a robust flavour. 

Lo Hey HK Seafood elevates the protein by cooking it with a traditional Hong Kong-style recipe comprising more than 20 different ingredients — galangal (with faint notes of citrus), dang gui (female ginseng) and soy sauce included.

The Nostalgic braised beef short ribs (S$42.80) is a comforting rendition of the classic beef stew recipe.

Served in a steaming claypot, the highlight is hearty short ribs made from a 200-day, grain-fed Australian black angus beef, which is slightly fattier, sweeter in flavour and much more tender to the bite.  

The short ribs are also slowly braised for two hours in a rich broth of tomatoes and potatoes. The result: Fall-off-the-bone tenderness and a bold, sapid flavour bursting with umami. 

We had a great experience at Lo Hey HK Seafood, and the menu is extensive with a variety of seafood and meat dishes — honestly, need we say more? Plus, if you’re a fan of themed spots or Hong Kong-inspired eateries, then this new restaurant will be up your alley.

This was an invited tasting. 

For the latest eats, read about Hakata Mentai Yamaya Kitchen, a new mentaiko specialist at IMM, or popular Malaysia kopitiam chain Oriental Kopi’s latest opening in Singapore. Alternatively, check out the newest openings in Singapore here. 

Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out.

You can also book a ride to Lo Hey HK Seafood to try its seafood dishes.