
Hou Hou Mei
Quick info
About Hou Hou Mei
Hou Hou Mei serves Chinese and Thai cooking on Tomnahurich Street in Inverness, with a menu of around 45 dishes split into small plates, large plates, sides and desserts. Meals open with a complimentary pot of tea and close with fortune cookies, and the small-plates format suits tables ordering several dishes to share, tapas style. Salt and pepper cauliflower bites turn up often, alongside king prawn Singapore vermicelli and sirloin steak Cantonese style, and cocktails run alongside the food. Vegan and gluten-free options are marked on the menu. Reservations are required, and the dining room is frequently fully booked, midweek included, so a wait is common. It opens Tuesday to Sunday in the evenings only, with Mondays closed.
Good to know
- ReservationsAccepts reservations
- ParkingPaid street parking
- AccessibilityHas wheelchair-accessible entrance · Has wheelchair-accessible seating
- Good for kidsGood for kids · High chairs available
- DietaryServes vegan dishes · Serves vegetarian dishes
Menu & Prices
45 dishes · mains £6–30- STEAMED SALMON FILLET£19.00
- TATAKI SIRLOIN STEAK£30.00
- SIRLOIN STEAK CANTONESE STYLE£30.00
- KING PRAWN SINGAPORE VERMICELLI£17.00
- KIMCHI£2.20
- PRAWN CRACKERS£2.20
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention salt and pepper cauliflower bites, cocktails, small plates to share and complimentary tea and fortune cookies.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention salt and pepper cauliflower bites, cocktails, small plates to share and complimentary tea and fortune cookies.
Customer Review Summary
The salt and pepper cauliflower bites draw the most attention, described by one diner as "famous" and by another as "insane", and they anchor a small plates approach that several reviewers say they built whole meals around, one noting that seven plates is "not for the faint of heart". Close behind are the cocktails, praised repeatedly as delicious and original and singled out as a chance to try something unfamiliar. Also named: king oyster mushroom noodles, fried chicken baos, shrimp toast, corn niblets, veggie spring rolls, chicken satay and momo, with vegan and gluten free choices mentioned by more than one diner. The complimentary pot of Chinese tea and fortune cookies come up as a welcome touch. The one recurring caveat is how heavily booked it gets, with several suggesting reserving in advance since it fills up even midweek, and one warning that the spicy edamame carries a real kick. One family describes a birthday marked with a sung greeting and a dessert for their daughter.
Customer Review Summary
The salt and pepper cauliflower bites draw the most attention, described by one diner as "famous" and by another as "insane", and they anchor a small plates approach that several reviewers say they built whole meals around, one noting that seven plates is "not for the faint of heart". Close behind are the cocktails, praised repeatedly as delicious and original and singled out as a chance to try something unfamiliar. Also named: king oyster mushroom noodles, fried chicken baos, shrimp toast, corn niblets, veggie spring rolls, chicken satay and momo, with vegan and gluten free choices mentioned by more than one diner. The complimentary pot of Chinese tea and fortune cookies come up as a welcome touch. The one recurring caveat is how heavily booked it gets, with several suggesting reserving in advance since it fills up even midweek, and one warning that the spicy edamame carries a real kick. One family describes a birthday marked with a sung greeting and a dessert for their daughter.
Featured reviews
- Mike Fogg
“Absolutely lovely place for Asian food. Pot of tea provided right from the get go, we opted for a lot of small plates, as it turns out 7 is not for the faint of heart but every one was delicious. Highly recommend going the tapas route if nothing from the large plates catches your eye.”
- Liz Rediske
“I read quite a bit about this restaurant before arriving in Inverness and had made reservations 3 weeks ago. I am so glad that I did as we had a fantastic meal here. We shared Fried Chicken Baos, Shrimp Toast and Corn Niblets - all …”
- Rona x
“Was in tonight for a meal for my daughter’s birthday, and it was brilliant. Great service, and the food was out of this world. This is the second time I have been but a year apart and so glad to see that standards haven’t slipped. The cocktails were incredible and the famous cauliflower bites were insane. It was also my mum and sisters first time here and they haven’t stopped raving about the food. So enjoyed by everybody and would highly recommend 1000%. Well done guys and will definitely be back soon 🥰 also thank you to the wee happy birthday sing song and dessert for my daughter, that was a lovely touch xx”
- Patrycja Jastrzębska
“Absolutely delicious. Pretty much everything we had was exceptional. Great selection of vegan dishes. The king oyster mushroom noodles were delicious. And the spicy edamame truly had a real kick to it - fair warning if you're not into heat :) I can understand why this place is almost always booked. Definitely recommend!”
- Kayla Werstine
“My boyfriend and I have been coming here once a month for the last half a year now, and every time the food is absolutely out of this world. The quality is so wonderful, the cocktails are delicious, and the food is just perfect. Isabella …”
Hours
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Highlights
- Has great beer selection
- Serves great cocktails
- Serves great dessert
- Has great tea selection
- Has great wine list
- Popular for popular for dinner
Amenities
- Has wheelchair-accessible entrance
- Paid street parking
- Accepts reservations
- Serves dine-in
- Good for kids
- Serves vegan dishes
Show more amenities
- Has bar on site
- Casual
- On-site services available
- Serves beer
- Serves coffee
- Serves small plates
- Offerings· 6
- Serves alcohol
- Serves cocktails
- Serves healthy options
- Serves spirits
- Serves vegetarian dishes
- Serves wine
- Popular for· 2
- Popular for dinner
- Good for solo dining
- Crowd· 2
- Good for groups
- Popular with tourists
- Highlights· 5
- Has great beer selection
- Serves great cocktails
- Serves great dessert
- Has great tea selection
- Has great wine list
- Facilities· 1
- Has toilet
- Family-friendly· 1
- High chairs available
- Planning· 3
- Reservations required
- Dinner reservations recommended
- Usually has a wait
- Dining options· 4
- Serves dinner
- Serves dessert
- Has seating
- Has table service
- Atmosphere· 4
- Cosy
- Romantic
- Trendy
- Upmarket
- Accessibility· 1
- Has wheelchair-accessible seating
Location
Restaurants near Hou Hou Mei
- Coyote Burger4.41,4200.2 miWheelchair accessible
haggis smash burger, brisket chilli beef burger, mac and cheese balls
- The Mustard Seed Restaurant4.53,7700.2 mi£20–40Outdoor seatingVegan optionsVegetarian options
seabass, two course lunch menu, river views upstairs
- La Tortilla4.21,1130.2 miWheelchair accessible
paella, sangria, gambas pil pil
| Place | Rating | Distance | Price | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hou Hou MeiGood for kids · Reservations | 4.7609 | — | £20–40 | salt and pepper cauliflower bites, cocktails, small plates to share |
| Coyote BurgerWheelchair accessible | 4.41,420 | 0.2 mi | — | haggis smash burger, brisket chilli beef burger, mac and cheese balls |
| The Mustard Seed RestaurantOutdoor seating · Vegan options · Vegetarian options | 4.53,770 | 0.2 mi | £20–40 | seabass, two course lunch menu, river views upstairs |
| La TortillaWheelchair accessible | 4.21,113 | 0.2 mi | — | paella, sangria, gambas pil pil |
The 3 nearest restaurants by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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