The Place
We have never, ever gone to Found 158 looking for Chinese food, but the long, long lines at Hao Jiu Hao Cai Chicken Company could not be ignored. The Chinese name for the restaurant and ‘winner winner chicken dinner’ sign at the entrance reference a popular multiplayer battle royale game, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. When players win a match, they are greeted with the phrase ‘great, can eat chicken (chi ji, 吃鸡) tonight.’
Image by Cristina Ng/That's
Luckily you don’t have to be the last man standing to win this ‘chicken-eating game,’ but you do need some patience. We snuck in at 5.45pm and got seated quickly, but when we finished eating, the restaurant was full.
The Food
Hao Jiu Hao Cai’s signature dish, gai bo (chicken pot) was all the rage about four years ago in Hong Kong. This Cantonese take on a Sichuan number starts as a casserole in a thick and complex caramel brown gravy. Here, the closely guarded secret sauce tastes of doubanjiang (Sichuan spicy soybean paste), mellowed with oyster sauce, soy sauce and chu hou paste. There are visible chunks of ginger and green cardamom pods, an unmistakable Sichuan peppercorn tingle, and fragrant hints of star anise, cinnamon and fennel, suggesting five-spice powder.
Image by Cristina Ng/That's
While the Chicken Casserole (RMB138) isn't cheap, there is enough to satisfy a group of four to six, especially if you add in the plump Abalone (RMB38 each). Follow their official WeChat account (WeChat ID: haojiuhaocaichiji) and the prized shellfish is discounted RMB10 per piece.
Image by Cristina Ng/That's
Next, the server scoops in more secret sauce and pours in chicken broth for part two of the meal, where typical hot pot ingredients such as Beef Balls (RMB68), Frozen Tofu (RMB12), Winter Melon (RMB12) and Lotus Root (RMB16) are poached in the stock. We suggest sticking to mild, absorbent vegetables, because the boiling liquid stands up on its own; no dipping sauce necessary – or available.
Image by Cristina Ng/That's
We also tried their intensely thick chicken soup, yellow as grass-fed butter. If you’ve had Lou Shang’s hot pot broth, you’ll recognize the flavor of the silky fusion of abalone, chicken and fish maw. It’s your grandma’s Chicken Soup (RMB268) amped up beyond belief, but a small pot doesn’t measure up to the price.
Image by Cristina Ng/That's
Next time, we’ll also give their rendition of Bao Zai Fan (Claypot Rice, RMB98), a classic Hong Kong comfort food, a miss. While the sweet meaty aroma of the Chinese sausage and bacon infused the rice nicely, there just wasn’t enough savory soy sauce flavor or crispy bits at the bottom to make it worth the stomach space. Bowls of regular White Rice (RMB5) are all you need.
Food Verdict: 2.5/3
The Vibe
Image by Cristina Ng/That's
While a surprising addition to Found 158’s collection of laowai-friendly restaurants and bars, it’s a welcome one. They don’t take themselves too seriously, with sculptures of maniacal bears as the main design element. And there’s the pleasant hum of renao (or bustling noise) that makes Chinese food so fun. Their two-in-one chicken dinner pot is delicious at any hour, but you can’t beat late-night hot pot after a long night of drinking, and they’re open until 2.30am.
Vibe Verdict: 1.5/2
Total Verdict: 4/5
Price: RMB150-250 per person
Who’s going: young locals chasing viral trends
Good for: boisterous groups, big appetites, soaking up booze
[Cover image by Cristina Ng/That's]
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