My friend C. has, probably quite rightly, decided that I have not sufficiently embraced "local" Hong Kong cuisine during my time here and has decided to act as my guide in the ways of all things noodles, rice or dumplings.
So, lesson no. 1: Lan Fong Yuen
This is one of those places that you walk past on a regular basis, wondering what all the fuss is about. It doesn't look that much from the outside and yet there is always a massive queue of people standing, waiting for a table at lunchtime.
There are actually two versions of Lan Fong Yuen on Gage Street - the original one at the top near Pizza Express and a second ("slightly smarter") one a little further down. Both were absolutely heaving when we arrived and, given this was only lesson no 1, we went to the "slightly smarter" version. Although the queue was quite lengthy, they generally let people in as soon as the right number of stools come free at a table and so being two persons actually worked in our favour, allowing us to skip through the queue.
If claustrophobia is a problem for you or if you really need your personal space, don't even think of trying Lan Fong Yuen. The inside is as small as you imagine it will be from the outside and yet, somehow, they manage to fit most of Central's office workers round tables of six inside. A feat of pure magic.
While the "look at what everyone around you is having and point at what you want" method is probably the most effective one, there is a short menu which has both photos and English translations. C. chose the braised ramen noodles with chicken breast and scallion oil for us. 
I have to admit to being a little sceptical as to what exactly you were going to get for the money (after all, the whole meal - two chicken noodles, some bread and two iced teas - came to HK$85) but it tasted surprisingly good. The turnaround is unbelievable and so there is virtually no time delay whatsoever between ordering and the food arriving. Once mixed, the combination of crispy pan-fried chicken, al-dente instant noodles and a light covering of slightly sweet sauce was great. It's not haute cuisine but it is formidable value for money.
C. also ordered two iced teas, not the usual jasmine tea but, rather, "pantyhose tea" or "silk stocking tea". Made with black tea, evaporated milk and sugar, and filtered for extra smoothness through something that looks like a silk stocking, this stuff is truly hideous. 
Naturally, C. thinks I'm a philistine and certainly, on the criteria that it is supposed to be "smooth", this one was good but, wow, was it sweet. I could only manage a few sips.
One thing that I did think was rather brilliant was that they got round the problem of the ice cubes watering down the tea (god forbid) by using ice cubes made from the tea itself. Genius.
I was seriously impressed by the quality and tastiness of the food given the incredibly low cost involved and although it is probably not the place to go for a bit of a gossipy lunch, it was great for a quick and filling bite to eat. Plus, amazingly given how crazy the place was, the staff were really friendly and welcoming, and I think would probably be really helpful if you were a couple of non-Canto speakers there without a Canto speaking mate!
Lan Fong Yuen
Gage Street
Central
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