San Lorenzo, Meet Kowloon Café

On a recent slow weekday evening, my friend and I found ourselves traversing the near-empty Lucky Supermarket parking lot.

Then, in the abandoned corner of the shopping plaza, a bright red neon emerged like a beacon amidst the deserted concrete.  

This was Kowloon Café, San Lorenzo’s newest gastronomic haven.

As we would soon learn, the restaurant opened a little over a month ago. My dad had spotted it while on a Lucky‘s milk run and urged me to check it out.  

Past the front window’s drawn bamboo shades was a world of activity: bright lights, sleek black tables, cozy beige booths and a sea of white plates. A sizable number of patrons seated engaged in friendly conversation surrounded by saffron-hued walls. 

Our young waiter greeted us with exuberant energy, motioning us towards a front corner booth. He handed us menus with a smile and scurried off to get the tea. 

On the walls hung oversized photographs of bustling Hong Kong city streets. Flower pots lined the front wall. On two flat screen TVs, set at low volume, were the images of satellite programming. A heated Champion League soccer match in play. 

It took only moments to realize this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill Chinese restaurant. 

Gracing the packed menu were classic favorites like rice bowls, chow mein noodles, instant macaroni and even Japanese-style bento boxes. On the flip side, grilled cheese and club sandwiches, French fries, fried chicken nuggets, chicken wings and, yes, even buttered toast for the mildly famished.

Huh? The mélange of dishes was nothing short of overwhelming. What was this place? 

Our waiter returned with blue mugs filled with steaming hot black tea. Before he had time to take our order, I quickly intervened with my query. "What exactly is a “Hong Kong-style cafe?” 

As our waiter explained, Hong Kong was ruled by the British for 155 years until it returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. After years of British colonial rule, Western influence on Chinese tradition and daily life was inevitable. 

Enter the “Hong Kong cafe,” a phrase apparently chock full of epicurean delights. Here, Western diner-style mishmash meets the Eastern palate to produce a true hybrid of cozy comfort food topped off with a dash of “Hong Kong style.”

To start, a complimentary bowl of Russian Broth, a gallimaufry of sorts. A jumble of chunky cabbage, green pepper, potato and celery was bathed in tomato soup to whet the palate.  

Next up, chewy pan-fried rice rolls with hoisin sauce appetizers ($4.95), and Hong Kong-style iced milk tea ($2.10). 

Our waiter brought out each dish with pride and fanfare. The Hong Kong-style beef chow fun ($6.95) was a delicious steaming hot mound fit for four. The wonton noodle soup ($5.95) overflowed with savory egg noodles and overstuffed wontons. 

Making its way to the head of the table was the most eclectic dish of them all: baked chicken and ham with rice, topped with curry sauce and melted cheese ($6.50).

For two people, this was unexpectedly a lot of food. Apparently “family style” is the name of the game here at Kowloon Café. 

After a little over an hour, our sumptuous feast sat half-eaten, neglected as our filled tummies screamed, “No more!” With a low chuckle, our waiter kindly guaranteed us that we had roughly three hours to take our time and finish.  

Yes, my late night snack hankerers, Kowloon Café is open daily until midnight.

It was nearing 9 p.m., but many of the booths were still filled by a steady stream of restaurant goers. The ambiance was vibrant. Amicable waiters chatted it up with friends and new faces. 

Our waiter had made every effort to check on our “progress,” which resulted in several amusing rounds of small talk. We cracked jokes, commented on the Hong-Kong food flavors, and touched the tip of the iceberg about his personal life. 

At the end of the evening our waiter swooped up our half-eaten plates and magically transformed them into three neat layers of boxed food wrapped in one “thank you” plastic bag. 

The check was equally impressive. Given the sheer amount of food we ordered, the total was a mere $30.15. That was further downsized by splitting the bill between two people. I had scored the ultimate deal of the day. 

Leaving was done with equal fanfare. We said our goodbyes to the sound of the entire waitstaff bidding us adieu. 

I stepped out into the cool night air still reeling from having discovered a brand new eclectic spot that welcomes you with open arms and, more importantly, teaches you a thing our two about culture and the foods we share in common. 

Kowloon Café is next to Lucky Supermarket at 15828 Hesperian Blvd. Open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight.