Wong Chi Kei (Macau) Foods Co. Ltd., Macao’s time-honoured brand for noodles and congee was founded by Wong Woon-chi in 1946 in Dongguan, Guangdong. In 1959, Wong came to Macao and opened a restaurant in Rua de Cinco de Outubro, whose hand-made Jook-sing noodles (bamboo noodles) and pure noodles soup with shrimp roe become very popular in Macao. The brand has been passed down through three generations and been transforming to keep pace with the times. Wong Chi Kei has always been loved by locals and tourists alike.

An old photo of Wong Chi Kee’s restaurant in Rua de Cinco de Outubro 

(photo provided by the enterprise)

Noodle products and sauces from Wong Chi Kee

Freshly made Jook-sing Noodles

A sound brand foundation for generations

        In 2000, Wong Chi Kei opened another restaurant in Senado Square and entered the Hong Kong market with a number of restaurants. At that time, Wong Tin, a second generation of the family business, felt it was difficult to fulfil the demand from the increasing number of customers with hand-made noodles. Therefore, he and his brother looked into the traditional technique of bamboo noodles and tried to increase the production. They even travelled to Japan to make the ideal noodle-making machine to improve production capacity.

        Nowadays, in a factory of over 10,000 square feet in Macao’s Iao Hon District, Wong Chi Kee has a central kitchen and data-based noodle-making facilities, offering a wide range of noodles and noodles sauces, including “Yea Yea Noodles” (Grandpa's Noodles) series: Silver Fine Noodles, Shrimp Roe Sauced Noodles, Black Garlic Soy Sauce Sauced Noodles, Bacalhau XO Sauce, Crab Roe Sauce and so on.

Wong Chi Kee’s factory in Macao’s Iao Hon District

Data-based noodle-making facilities 

Noodle master shows the technique of making traditional Jook-sing Noodles

Rebranding with the warmth and dreams behind the brand

        Wong Yu-fei, the third generation of Wong Chi Kee took over the business and started to renew the branding. In 2016, Wong Chi Kee expanded its business into the retail and souvenir industry with the launch of "Yea Yea Noodles", a handy gift set that conveys the story of grandpa and his grandchildren behind the brand in its carefully designed packaging. Over the years, Wong Chi Kee has perfected its noodle-making skills and introduced new products. From 2018 until today, it has won nine gold medals and eight silver medals from the “Monde Selection” prize and has a record for winning gold medals for four consecutive years.

Wong Yu-fei, third generation of Wong Chi Kee

First gold medal of Monde Selection in 2019 

(photo provided by the enterprise)

IPIM’s support for business transformation into retail industry

        Wong Yu-fei reveals that although he is experienced at running a restaurant, he is pretty new in terms of retail, production and import/export trade. He attended the China International Import Expo (CIE) in Shanghai with Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and was exposed to the vast business opportunities in the Mainland and set a new goal to develop the Mainland market.

        Wong Yu-fei points out that in order to comply with the Mainland's food safety regulations, multiple tests have to be conducted on the formulation of ingredients, taste and texture, shelf life and  standards of food products. These areas are closely related to each other and if you make a mistake in any one area, you will have to start all over again. After years of hard work, eight of the company's products have now successfully passed the tests and entered the Mainland market.

Attending China International Import Expo

(photo provided by the enterprise)

Contact Wong Chi Kee

If you are interested in discussing co-operation with the above-mentioned company, please contact the staff of “Macao Ideas” during office hours.

Tel.: 

Ms Cheang +853 8798 9707

Ms Chong +853 8798 9739

Email: 

fionacheang@ipim.gov.mo 

elizachong@ipim.gov.mo