Mow Lee & Co.

On a quiet Chinatown street you will find a nondescript shop with signage Mow Lee Co. and Chinese characters I can’t read. Yes I am the illiterate one in the family. Most will keep on walking but there are treasures inside.

It’s even quieter inside. Sweet scent of rice wine and preserved meats fill the air. My mom was from the a village near Taishan and if she was here she could tell you what each meat was. I am a poor guide and can only marvel at the variety of meats available for purchase. I take my time and breathe deep the scents. I take in the sights of long ago.

Mow Lee has been making Chinese sausage since 1856, Place seems unchanged since the first time I visited in the early 2000’s.

I always get the pork Chinese sausage. It is bursting with a unique sweet and savory flavor from the pork, rose water, and rice wine. It’s the best tasting pork Chinese sausage I have found. Asian supermarkets usually have Kam Yen Jan Chinese sausage which has similarities but is a shadow in comparison in terms of freshness and flavor.

After the nice woman helps me with my purchase she goes back to working her culinary magic in the back kitchen. This shop is shop of wonders. I look forward to my next visit.