HK Dai Pai Dong's Corned Beef-Peanut Butter Sarnies So Hot, Hawker Turns Diners Away

The stall is only open from Mondays to Wednesdays, 8am to 12pm or till sold out. No reservations, takeaways or single orders are allowed (you have to order at least two items on the menu). The sarnies are so in-demand, customers queue up before the stall opens to secure their loot. It is at least 30 minutes’ wait, and you might not get a sarnie even if you’re in the queue; the stall closes once its sandwiches are sold out for the day. A sign there explains that the stall is a one man show, and the sandwiches are made upon order (hence the wait).

Yue Hing is famous for its corned beef sandwich (HK$35, or S$6.20, with a hot drink), which comes with (oddly enough) runny peanut butter sauce, lettuce and cheese. Variations with five spice pork, tuna and fried eggs are also available.

Hong Kong TV station TVB recently did a segment on Yue Hing and its colourful, grouchy owner, known as Fook-gor. He runs the dai pai dong with his wife, Elaine, who serves their customers while he whips up orders. Where the stall was open five days a week, it has cut down its operating hours after Fook-gor suffered serious bouts of pneumonia. According to the segment, the hawker had considered closing his stall permanently, but eventually returned to work “for the customers”.

Fook-gor readily admits to TVB that the ingredients for his sarnies are “very ordinary”, comprising of canned meats, processed cheese and some blanched veggies added “for nutrition”. But he adds that his sandwiches are cooked “with love”, and the ingredients are specially prepped to make them tastier. The corned beef is mixed with an egg wash before being stir-fried, and the sandwich is then assembled with some “secret” proprietary steps, which Fook-gor shoos the cameraman from filming as he prepares the food.

From the segment, it’s evident that Fook-gor takes pride in his work. He throws a burnt sandwich in the trash. “It got burnt ’cos I was distracted talking to you,” he complains to the TVB journo. “My sandwiches are cheap food. If my customers have to suffer bad cooking too, they might as well not come here (waves hand dismissively).”

The unique bit about Yue Hing’s corned beef sandwich is that it’s paired with peanut butter, which sounds like a strange, whimsical combination. 8days.sg’s senior editor Florence Fong, who managed to dine there in 2017, opines: "It's a fun novelty and worth trying once, I suppose — the peanut butter acts as a sort of savoury-sweet nutty sauce on the beef. Not bad, but I can't say it's my favourite combo. Especially 'cos there're bits of cabbage fried with the meat and egg too. It's just a little too wacky-tasting for me. If you do go, make sure you're there by 8am or earlier if you don't want to wait for more than 30 minutes."

And dining at Yue Hing can be a gruelling experience that requires grit and determination, like training under Ip Man. When quizzed by TVB’s reporter about his infamous practice of turning away waiting customers after he has sold out of food, the straight-talking Fook-gor replies sassily: “You think you’re a big shot ’cos you come here with a few dollars? You think you can [secure an order] just 'cos you’re here? Try a few more times! The customers who really want to eat here will find a way to do so. We have our standards [about keeping food quantity limited to maintain its quality], and we hope our customers have standards too. If you don’t have time to wait, don’t come.”

Shop 82, Stanley St, Central, Hong Kong. Open Mon-Wed, 8am-12pm or while stocks last.

PHOTOS: TVB/ OPENRICE/ FLORENCE FONG