Hong Kong - Tsim Chai Kee Noodle

My only authentic Hong Kong meal was wonton meen, at Tsim Chai Kee Noodle, a non-pretentious noodle shop where people eat and leave quickly. Interesting, the more famous and Bourdain-endorsed Mak Noodle is just across the street but the girlfriend felt this was better.

Good thing we arrived slightly before lunchtime, so we need not wait for a table. Shortly after our orders were taken, two steaming hot bowls of noodles (HK$16 each) arrived. They looked puny in size but in actuality, the portion turned out just nice.

Well, the noodles, they had a firm and wiry texture. The mild alkaline flavour was surprisingly not too bad and actually enhanced the overall dish somewhat. The stock was a rich pork stock glistening with a layer of oil. A little salty, very much like ramen stock, sinful but good.

The wontons were big, tasty shrimp balls in disguise! I regretted ordering the one with dace fish balls. The fish balls were very interesting. They were like fishcakes, only much denser. I think they had mixed in pork (why did I even think I could escape pork in HK?!) and little bits of tangerine peels that made the taste very interesting giving a slight hint of citrus.

I don't know if this was the best wonton noodles in Hong Kong but they are certainly very different from our local versions and not bad at all.

Tsim Chai Kee
98 Wellington Street
G/F Jade Centre
Central
9am to 8pm daily