If wonton noodles are a gauge of economic health, can Hong Kong diners still get their money’s worth amid the coronavirus recession?
- To judge the state of the Hong Kong economy, order one of the city’s favourite dishes – a bowl of shrimp dumpling, or wonton, noodles
- We try five restaurants to see if they still offer value for money amid the downturn, based on price and the quality and quantity of wontons, broth and noodles
All have a bearing on the budget of the kitchen that serves it. So you can imagine how the popular Cantonese dish has shrunk in size during the coronavirus pandemic, from the wontons (shrimp dumplings) to the bowl that is holding them.
Can you still find a bowl of decent wonton noodles that offer value? We visited five restaurants to find out.
Mak’s Noodle
Founded by Mak Woon-chi in Guangzhou, southern China, before the second world war, the restaurant sets the gold standard for wonton noodles, but one serving is probably not going to satisfy your craving.
The bowl is almost as small as your rice bowl at home. And you can probably finish all the noodles in five bites. But the quality of the noodles and broth is excellent.
Thin and refined, the noodles are neither too soft nor too firm, as they are not entirely immersed in the rich broth, which has a strong aroma of dried seafood. When you pick up a bite with your chopsticks, the broth adheres to the noodles.
