Is Ho Lee Fook the best street food in Glasgow?

Glasgow Times

11-05-2025

There, over a counter filled with a rainbow of raspberry bonbons, soor plums, and cola bottles divvied up into cellophane pouches, the team had a lot to say about the changes they've witnessed over the past few years.
"Glasgow's food scene is just incredible," enthused Julie from the dynamic mother-daughter duo at Glickkman's on London Road.
"I mean, look at that street food place around the corner.
"They're smaller than we are, and when they got the roof put on, we thought it might just be an extra storage unit for the pub next door.
"Next thing we knew, they were serving Chinese food from a hatch, and there were queues right down the street. They've done so well."
Pictured: Ho Lee Fook in Glasgow's East End (Image: Newsquest)
If you've not already guessed which pintsized powerhouse of 'streetfood from the east served with love on the streets of Glasgow' they were talking about, let me introduce you to Ho Lee Fook with this week's lunch review.
Husband-and-wife team Lee and Johnny Chung spent much of their teenage years behind the counters of their parents' takeaway restaurants, learning the trade inside out and surrounded by traditional Asian cooking.
"Our friends might have been eating sandwiches, but we were eating dim sum, noodles and dishes that felt like home to us," they explain on their webpage.
Fast forward a few years, which included time spent travelling Southeast Asia as well as running an award-winning chippy named Off the Hook in Airdrie, and the pair eventually took the plunge and opened up Ho Lee Fook in the shadow of the world famous Barrowland Ballroom in the summer of 2023.
Phew. What a backstory that is.
Spurred on by my chat at Glickman's and some internet research, I feel silly for not having visited this place before. Though I have on occasion come close.
There have been lazy Saturday afternoons at The Barras where that constant queue simply seemed too much to tackle, or last month, where a proper attempt to review was a total failure.
Stopping by just half an hour before closing time, I was regretfully informed that both the pork and chicken tonkatsu sandwiches had sold out for the day.
A hard learned lesson on just how popular Ho Lee Fook's food is, even on a weekday.
READ NEXT: The story behind the Barras new street food spot Ho Lee Fook
So this time I'm here bright and early, walking towards McFarlane Street full of hope that this will finally be my chance to sink my teeth into the full menu.
There's an interesting mix of people taking up a scattering of outdoor seating on this small corner of The Barras, like the family of four with a pram by their table, two girls at a narrow counter, and a solo diner who seems to be chatting to the owners about their time at Off the Hook between mouthfuls of handstretched noodles.
Any dishes which can pull in this eclectic demographic on a sunny day must be good.
Though the menu is an impressive length for the size of the unit, my heart is set on the Pork Tonkatsu sandwich which, judging by social media, has been the star performer since Ho Lee Fook first opened.
I add on a portion of Biang Biang noodles too, influenced by fellow customers who are fervently plunging wooden chopsticks into bowls to capture thick ribbons of starch, a coating of slick chilli oil catching the sun with each repeat motion.
Service is calm, collected and friendly, and there's a sense that this would be the case even on their busiest of days. Stress and disorganisation are luxuries afforded only to kitchens much bigger than this, and more likely to plague chefs without the years of experience shared between Lee and Johnny.
Pictured: Biang Biang noodles and a Tonkatsu Sando (Image: Newsquest)
Just five minutes later, I clutch two rounded containers full of my first ever Ho Lee Fook in my hands, a promising glow of heat radiating through recyclable material.
If we were to try and pinpoint what makes a perfect street food dish, on looks alone the Tonaktsu Sando would be right up there. A thick, panko crumb-coated wedge of meat dominates the shallow bowl, flavourful juices dribbling from where this unbelievably tender meat has been sliced through the middle.
Brined, braised and breaded, this generous serving of pork belly is described on the menu as a 'three-day labour of love', and not a second of that time has been wasted.
The varying textures of firm, salty meat and soft white fat all the better for being contained between two slices of pillowy white sandwich bread to soak up any excess grease.
I now understand exactly why these sell out fast. I can only imagine this would be a near-transcendental experience after a couple of pints at the bar over the road.
Though the Taiwanese hand-cut noodles have a lot to live up to after that, they too benefit greatly from the fact that you rarely find street food like this in the city. At £8.50, it's an explosion of fresh flavours and slurpy, spicy goodness, heavy on Lee's signature garlic chilli oil.
Crunchy carrot, mixed cabbage, cucumber and a liberal sprinkling of fresh coriander, chilli and crispy onion make this a hearty dish on its own, but next time I'd be tempted to accept the offer of additional chicken or egg to really make a meal of this comforting carb load.
Just as the ladies at Glickman's had mused the week before, Ho Lee Fook is one of the many fabulous places in Glasgow which catches you by surprise.
A tiny street food spot, at The Barras, serving dishes full of Asian flavours: it's almost as if the concept has been constructed during a game of Ad Libs.
And yet, it is utterly brilliant.
"This corner of the city is a true melting pot, filled with people from all walks of life, and we love the energy, warmth, and diversity of our neighbourhood," Lee and Johnny go on to state on their website."
"Every day, we're excited to share our passion, meet new faces, and hopefully bring a bit of joy through our food."
The couple should be in no doubt that they've achieved that goal.
Price: £8.50 for the Biang Biang 'noodz' and £10.50 for the show-stopping Tonkatsu Sando
Time: Five minutes
Score: 4.5/5. Without a doubt, some of the best street food you'll find in Glasgow.
Ho Lee Fook is located at 1 McFarlane Street in Glasgow.