Samsen Finally Opens Restaurant in HK’s Central Business District: Review

(Bloomberg) -- This review was originally published as part of the Hong Kong Edition newsletter on Nov. 14.

You can finally now add Samsen, the popular Thai street-food chain, to your list of regular lunch spots.

That’s because it opened a restaurant in Central late last month on On Lan Street, just above Marks & Spencer. For many working in the financial district, the other two Michelin Bib Gourmand branches — in Wan Chai and Sheung Wan — have always kind of been far for lunch, especially if you’re short of time.

Samsen was founded by chef Adam Cliff and his partner Bella Kong in 2016, and it’s named after an area in Bangkok where many Chinese traded with Thais. All of the chain’s restaurants have a slightly different menu and the Central one is no exception, with this one serving the classic crispy omelet with baby oysters and spring onions. This one has the popular boat noodles with wagyu beef, like the one in Wan Chai.

I went to Samsen’s Central shop for lunch on a Tuesday. There was a small queue just before 12 p.m. Luckily we got in within five minutes. The tables turned fast and people kept coming in, but we didn't see the type of scary queues you’d see in the other two branches.

We ordered two main dishes, a side salad, and drinks. The bill came to HK$631 ($81) for two. That's certainly on the pricey end by street-food standards.

The vibe: The restaurant has a semi-open dining hall facing the street. The rustic interior featuring wood furniture and bare, unpainted walls in the classic Thai vintage fashion follows Samsen's other locations. No dress code here as it was an easygoing and buzzing atmosphere all around. Food was served in street-food-style metal and porcelain plates.

Who’s next to you: We were seated in the bar area facing the open kitchen, where the staff were boiling boat-noodle soup and making chili sauce in a stone mortar. Behind us, parties of four were sitting on round tables. Larger groups sat on tables closer to the entrance.

Can you conduct a meeting there? Yes, but mostly for casual and spontaneous meetups. This isn’t an ideal location for serious business discussions. It can get a little loud with the restaurant being almost always full.

What we’d order again: We really enjoyed the stir fried chicken and flat noodles (HK$148), which is served with sweet oyster sauce, baby corn, and egg. It’s got bold flavors that went well with the crispy greens. Though there's a splash of spice in the noodles already, feel free to add another layer of Sriracha on top and eat it with jalapenos on the side to give it an extra kick.

For starters, my contact and I recommend the pomelo-and-tiger-prawn salad (HK$138), featuring cashews, coconut and tamarind dressing. The fried garlic scattered on top gives life to the entire dish. And don’t forget to order the Thai milk tea (HK$28 as an add-on during lunchtime) that's a signature pairing to any spicy, strong-flavored food.

But for famous dishes like the crab, squid and prawns (HK$258) and the crispy omelet (HK$188) you have to come for dinner, when there’s a more elaborate menu of larger and sharing plates. Make sure to also try the stir fried live flower clams with chili jam (HK$288).

Pro tip: Samsen Central has a special drinks menu that offers a variety of cocktail options, including a salted coconut-and-espresso martini (HK$108). There's also a selection of fresh fruit slushies, as well as wine and beer. I'll be coming back again for a quick post-work drink another time. —Lorretta Chen

Need to know: Samsen Central is located on the ground floor of 18 On Lan Street. It’s closed on Mondays. Otherwise, lunch is from noon to 3 p.m. Dinner starts at 6 p.m. and goes on until 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., depending on the day of the week. The restaurant accepts pickups for online orders.

Other past reviews: Ando | Citrino | La Terrace by Louise | Magistracy