Eating Chinese food in Hong Kong puts me in a state of comfort and pure joy. Soy bean milk, dim sums, noodles, egg pancakes, and of course the street food stalls selling curried fish balls, siu mai, and beef balls to name a few; I'm sure there are a lot more to discover! However, there are some days when you crave for other tasty treats like burgers and fries, but the usual McDonald's just won't do.
One of the perks of living somewhere near the North Point Ferry, bus terminal and MTR is finding slightly hidden good eats. I heard that it used to be in a mall until it closed down. Fortunately, it is now a few steps from my place (haha). The Big Bite (TBB) was indeed a twist for my taste buds from the Asian food that I've enjoyed for a few weeks now. I've been walking across TBB for a couple times at different times of the day. After seeing several people lining up during dinner time, I wondered what the fuss is all about.
Once I entered, it was like being transported to another part of the world. The stuffed animal toy-adorned wall is cute, it had heads of bear, deer and moose. The Big Bite was packed with people on a Friday night. Luckily, we found a table for two at around 8 PM and chose what to order from the table menu.
Once decided, one of us ordered our meal from the cashier then went back to our table. Space is limited in Hong Kong; so if you are a 6 foot-tall man, get ready to squeeze in with your friends, it's easier to chat with each other anyway.
Once decided, one of us ordered our meal from the cashier then went back to our table. Space is limited in Hong Kong; so if you are a 6 foot-tall man, get ready to squeeze in with your friends, it's easier to chat with each other anyway.
I really appreciated the English-written menu and the English speaking cashier, I think that this is a plus for a expats, who just wanna have a good time like how they are used to in their hometowns. Though we opted for lemon teas instead of beers, I do not recall seeing Molson Canadian beers in common stores like Wellcome or 7-eleven stores in Hong Kong, so it might be some kind of a treat for people who like Molson Canadian.
The Big Bite Review:
For each burger or hotdog meal, one can opt for an additional set meal from poutine, onion rings, or chili fries, plus 1 drink. The lemon tea was okay, the onion rings was crunchy and perfectly seasoned. The poutine was a winner; it had gravy, topped with mozarella-like cheese that stretches as you eat them.
From left to right, clockwise: Sloppy Joe Burger, Fat Bastard Burger, Lemon Iced Teas, Onion Rings, Poutine
The Big Bite Burgers: Sloppy Joe Burger and Fat Bastard Burger
I had the Sloppy Joe Burger, I liked how the consistency of the chili, not too spicy or oozy, just enough to complement the thick beef patty. Mine had 2 big slices of pickles, tomato and lettuce. I'm not sure if there is a piece of hot pepper in it, I just realized that the temporary sensation of heat while I was wolfing down from the middle part of the burger. The heat was not from the chili nor the beef patty, it was a good kind of heat though. I gave up with the last 3 bites, too full to finish it even if I hadn't eaten in the last 8 hours.
The Big Bite Sloppy Joe
The Big Bite Fat Bastard
Note: Like we usually do, we use the "flipped burger eating method", wherein we flip the burger's base to top and eat our way down in order to anticipate the juicy drips, then flip again when necessary.
They have a wall of fame for people who survived the Homicide Wings on Tuesdays - they say that it's lethally spicy! When you order beer, you can eat all chicken wings you want (or you can) for 3 hkd each. I'm not sure if I can, but I surely wanna try and see how others survive this challenge.
Price:
Sloppy Joe Burger - 57 hkd = approx. 323 php
Fat Bastard Burger - 88 hkd = approx. 498.08 php
Onion Ring + Lemon tea set = 33 approx. hkd 187 php
Poutine + Lemon tea set = 33 hkd approx. hkd 187 php
Total Bill: 211 hkd (tax included)
Likes:
- Huge beef patty with no MSG aftertaste.
- It's a walking distance from my place; a place an expat could just run into when in dire desperation from homesickness.
Dislikes:
- The burger hangover. Though my mouth is watering as I write this blog, I had the burger hangover right after I ate, had to nibble on some strawberries to cleanse my palate.
- Burger patty needs more character, which will make me wanna go back for the distinct taste that it has.
Verdict:
- It's a place for basic home goodness burger fix.
- Above average price for a usual meal in Hong Kong.
- Good atmosphere for a hangout night.
Tip:
For people who do not like eating along with a lot of people in a restaurant, try coming in from 1 to 4-ish in the afternoon.
Address:
Shop 4B G/F Kar Fu Building, 196-202 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong.
For more information about The Big Bite, click here.
Keywords: The Big Bite, Big Bite, Fat Bastard, Sloppy Joe, Molson Canadian, North Point, Hong Kong, TBB
