Unexpected Delight: The Teahouse's Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice

Salted Fish and Diced Chicken Fried Rice—whether others like it or not, I personally enjoy it. But the key is that the seasoning has to be just right. Otherwise, it can end up overwhelmingly salty, like accidentally biting into tiny chunks of pure salt. This dish is a classic Hong Kong-style fried rice, made with marinated salted fish cut into small pieces and stir-fried with tender, bite-sized chunks of chicken. The term "diced chicken" is quite literal—it should be cut into small pieces, but still retain its texture and chicken aroma.

For me, a delicious salted fish and diced chicken fried rice should allow both the salted fish and chicken to stand out while complementing each other. The rice should be well-separated, each grain distinct and slightly chewy—not too soft, or it ruins the dish. Ideally, every spoonful should contain both salted fish and chicken, which makes the ingredient ratio crucial. Some versions of this dish make it difficult to find either the salted fish or the chicken in each bite.

This particular fried rice wasn’t cheap—if I recall correctly, it was around 60 HKD, though I don’t remember the exact price. Either way, it was expensive. The portion size wasn’t necessarily enough for a full meal, at least not for a man with a normal appetite. I only felt satisfied because I had some additional snacks. Recommending this restaurant feels odd because I didn’t seek it out on purpose—it was just conveniently located downstairs from my hotel, so I picked it up on my way back.

At first, I had no expectations; I just wanted to fill my stomach. But to my surprise, it actually tasted pretty good. The balance of saltiness was just right, and the fried rice itself was well-cooked. It was a solid dish—if you ignore the price and portion size. But that’s precisely why many locals in Hong Kong don’t eat out as much anymore—it’s pricey and the portions are small. Even though the fried rice was tasty, I wouldn’t go out of my way to have it again on my next trip to Hong Kong, even if I stayed at the same hotel.