Ken Kee Restaurant Hong Kong
Chicago
At a glance
Located in Chicago's vibrant Chinatown Square, Ken Kee Restaurant brings a touch of Hong Kong's street food culture to the city with its dedicated cart noodle offerings. A nod to the iconic Hong Kong dish popularized by street vendors in the mid-20th century, Ken Kee embraces the tradition of cart noodle, an a la carte noodle dish where diners customize their meal with a choice of various toppings and noodles. The restaurant is known for its authentic approach, where meticulous preparation meets a passion for flavor. Patrons enjoy a bustling yet welcoming atmosphere that captures the essence of Hong Kong’s culinary scene.
While the cart noodle is a centerpiece, Ken Kee also offers traditional Cantonese dishes that appeal to a wide array of tastes. Each dish combines fresh ingredients with skilled preparation techniques, delivering a genuine taste of Cantonese cuisine. Ken Kee's setting is casual and friendly, making it an ideal spot for those looking to enjoy a leisurely meal with family or friends. The restaurant's interior invites diners to relax and enjoy, with a focus on the food and experience rather than ornate decor.
Ken Kee Restaurant is suited for anyone eager to explore the textures and flavors unique to Hong Kong and Cantonese cooking. It's a fitting choice for solo diners, small groups, or families who appreciate a meal that both satisfies the palate and respects culinary traditions.
Reviews
Food was okay we ordered the wonton soup, braised beef noodle soup, beef chow mein, and salt and pepper squid. Positives included: both broths for wonton and braised beef were decent, not too heavy and you could taste the beef/chicken. The wonton dumplings were meaty too. The beef in the chowmein was tender and seasoned well. However, it did have a similar taste to instant noodle seasoning. Negatives: Wonton soup for some reason came with romaine lettuce as the vegetable. Usually bokchoy is the vegetable of choice. They weren't out of bokchoy because the braised beef and beef chow mein both came with it. The salt and pepper squid was terrible. It came out so late that we were basically done eating. The outside was crunchy but the actual squid was basically as thin as cardstock and chewy as all hell. That super thin white line in the photo is the squid. For $15.00 I'd like to be given a non-anorexic squid.
The food was so awesome and the prices are affordable. I loved the chicken fried rice and their crispy Chicken chow mein idk what sauce they put in it but it was good and I added their chill oil on top perfection. I loved the vibe in their restaurant too!
I had been following this place on instagram and was finally able to make it in for lunch. The Five Spices Beef Brisket and Tendon casserole was really tasty. It was served with rice.
Visited Ken Kee Restaurant and had a decent experience overall. We ordered the salt & pepper squid and a beef dish. The squid was a little bland and not as crispy as I expected, but the beef dish was good. From my past visits, their noodle dishes are definitely the highlight—especially the char kway teow, which is always a solid choice. I’d recommend sticking with their noodles if it’s your first time. Would come back again for that! 🍜
We have not been to Ken Kee for at least 10 years and we decided to try them out again and it was a mistake. Besides the nice service which deserves 1 star and the nearly renovations which also deserves 1 star which totaled to 2 stars. That is it. Food was not good at all. We ordered one congee, 3 noodle soups, 2 pineapple buns and one rice dish. That is it and with tips and tax, it was $130!!! What??? For some noodle soup? The worse thing is, it was horrible in taste. It was bland and not worth it at all. I was sick to my stomach for the amount of money I paid for something so terrible. There are so many good restaurants and we picked the wrong one. I don't think my family and I will ever be back.
