Eat & Drink

Local Palates

Savour & Compare: Noodles Shops in Hong Kong

Fishball noodles is one of the most common local eats in Hong Kong. Hong Kongers can be truly picky when it comes to what seems like a simple bowl of fish balls noodles soup but actually it takes loads of work and craftmanship before serving on the table: the delightful and tasty soup is brewed daily with pork bones and fish for many hours before served; the bouncy and chewy fish and meat balls are pounded until pulverised for their smooth textures. There are other toppings that you can add on to the noodles as well. We decided to try two noodles shops to appreciate the hearty work from the chefs.

We arrived at the Main Street East in Shau Kei Wan to savour the prestigious On Lee Noodles Shop. We order a bowl of noodles soup served with four toppings (wontons, beef briskets, fish balls and meat balls). The broth was mouth-watering indeed and the meatballs deserves their handmade prestige with its chewy and juicyness. The fish balls came chewy as well but a bit too salty for us.

The restaurant was packed as usual, so we shared the table with other customers. As our neighbors were quite enjoying their bowls of beef brisket with sliced fish cake noodle served with soup on the side, we decided to order the same for a tryout. The crunchy fish cakes shared the same tastes like the fish balls we had earlier, the beef briskets were quite disappointing as it was served overly dry and without tenderness we were expected. Our neighbors shared a bigger appetite and ordered another around of butter toasts. We were looking at each other and shared the same thoughts that perhaps the toasts might be a better choice for us.

On Lee Noodles

22 Shau Kei Wan Main Street East, Shau Kei Wan

7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

+852 2513 8396

Our fishball noodle tasting journey continues on the other side of Hong Kong Island at Sun King Kee Noodles. The shop has been situated in Central for over 70 years and is facing closure due to redevelopments. The shop maintains many of the old style Hong Kong, as with their fishballs and the cooking style.

We ordered a bowl of fish ball rice noodles with beef briskets and fried fish cakes. The broth was amazingly fragrant with fresh fishes from the sea. Another thumbs up goes to the silky smooth textures of rice noodles that brought the taste to another level.

We ordered thick noodles with four toppings with soups on the side. The soup was fresh, and the thick noodles were added with chopped garlics and scallions to enhance the flavour. The fish balls and meat balls were fresh and bouncy filled with juicy broth made a wonderful even with On Lee Noodles. The other two toppings weren't quite as spectacular but still worth a try. In less than two months, Sun King Kee will say good bye to their fishball noodle legacy in Central, as the shop will closed after March 15th.

Sun King Kee Noodle Shop

G/F, 5 Gage Street, Central

+852 2541 6647