So I was at Sheung Wan one Saturday afternoon after a somewhat grueling workout, hungry for sustenance. It occurred to me that I had yet to check out Yonge Piggies (pronounced as “Young” Piggies) which is right across the street from the gym. Geographically speaking it couldn’t be any better; imagine hordes of starving gym bunnies descent upon Yonge Piggies all looking for their calorie fix. That gives a whole new meaning to “why did the bunny cross the road?, doesn’t it?
Anyway, so in total disregard to the workout I just did (I am using that term very loosely here), this non-bunny crossed the street for lunch. It was a rainy day, so there outside stools were removed, and I had to sit inside. Not that I am complaining; I do think Yonge Piggies is the perfect spot for some people watching while you digest some Canadian street food.
Not having been to Canada, I wouldn’t have known that hot dog is considered the ultimate street food, so much so it is called “street meat”. At Yonge Piggies, you have three choices of Canadian sausages – Hickory Smoked, Honey Garlic, and Picante Pepper. Each dog cost HK$65 – for another $20 you can upsize it into a proper meal with a regular fries and a soft drink.
So I went for the Picante Pepper sausage, which I ordered with ALL the toppings available. There’s a whole list of what’s available to go with your dog, and they are not far from the usual suspects like pickles and chopped onion. I was also offered some strange options like beet root, corns and sourkrout.
The end result was one juicy sausage goodness slightly overwhelmed by my greedy heap of toppings. The sausage itself is chargrilled to a juicy perfection, with burnt bits which gave it a delightfully smokey and peppery taste. The house of toppings came crashing down, however, so it was quite a mess for me to enjoy the sausage properly. Next time, I shall not be so greedy.
I also ordered a side of chilli beef bowl (HK$34 for small, HK$62 for big), which was served in a paper bowl with some cheese on top and rightfully count as one square meal. The chilli beef, cooked with beans, was smokin’ hot, which went great with the cold, rainy weather in winter Hong Kong. The toasted bun was done very well too, surprisingly fresh and warm, very unlike the usual Subway fare I was accustomed to.
A word about the restaurant. I’ll give it to you – Yonge Piggies has got character. From the deli-like neon-signed deco with emphasis on takeaway (there were hardly ten stools available), to the wittily written menu, to the corny but retrolicious wall mural, Yonge Piggies made me feel left out for moving out from Sheung Wan. This is the kind of place I would love to have in my ‘hood.
During my visit, the place was run by two guys whom were obviously not very well prepared for their first customer. Nor was it cool for one of them to deal with money while wearing their sanitary gloves – what’s the point of wearing them, then? I might be nit picking, but I’ll blame it to teething problems. Every budding restaurant (again, I am using the term very loosely here) will have to go through it at some point.
Verdict? Snappily good hot dog and chilli bowl in the Sheung Wan ‘hood. Great grubs for a spot of bunny watching.
Yonge Piggies
G/F, 1 Jervois St
Sheung Wan
2104 7218
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