Traditional Noodle on Pak Sha Rd: Causeway Bay

On Pak Sha Rd., there is a little restaurant named Traditional Noodle, with a Chinese name that is a little bit more colourful than its English counterpart; my girlfriend explained that the direct translation of the Chinese name is “Crossing the Bridge” noodle house, which is a reference to an old Chinese story. The story is that a long time ago, there was a scholar whose wife would bring him noodles to help feed him during his studies. The walk from the kitchen to his study took her over a bridge, and by the time she got to him, the noodles would always get cold. Then the wife came up with an idea: she would pour a layer of oil over the noodles, which kept the noodles warm until she got to him. The name, “Crossing the Bridge”, thereafter has become synonymous with the type of fragant oil traditional style Chinese noodles served here at this restaurant.

Décor
The interior is nicely cooled, and the design is very simple due to space constrictions. The seating of the restaurant is limited, and would fit only about 15-20 customers at a time. In some occasions, the customers will be seated with other customers that they do not know (actually quite common in Hong Kong). There specialization is more in the noodles than in the restaurant itself.  If space is an issue, the take out noodles are just as good as the dine in noodles.

Menu
There is a wide selection of ingredients for the noodles, as well, there is the possibility of adding or changing what goes into the noodles for those who like to customize the flavour to their own palate. There is definitely a large selection of ingredients, which include star shaped fish cakes, beef, beef flank, wonton, dumplings, meat stuffed fish balls, and more.

What makes the noodle meal unique is the broth itself. The thin soft rice noodle is definitely well complimented by the flavourful soup, which can be ordered in 3 levels of spiciness, from small, medium and big spicy (in Cantonese respectively: siu/chong/dai la). It’s easily visible why the soup is so good, when you see a lot of mixed seasonings floating at the bottom of the bowl when the noodles are finished.

a bowl of traditional noodles enjoyed in the restaurant

the soft firm rice noodle is equally complimented by the soup

a stuffed fish ball; the variety of tasty ingredients shown here is just a teaser to what other possible combinations can be made

the noodles are just as equally satiable as take out; the soup is abundant with flavor with seasonings and fresh ingredients such as green onions, bean sprouts and chives

a star shaped fish cake hidden like a treasure in the noodles

the red savoury broth is an indication of the tantalizing tastes waiting ahead; in the soup is a combination of flavourful marinated beef and dumplings.

Location

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