Street cart noodle is undoubtedly one of the cultural icons of Hong Kong. Made popular in the 1950s by street vendors peddling their wares using carts, street cart noodle continues to be a popular staple for Hong Kong today, and can be found everywhere.
I am a BIG fan of street cart noodle. Cart noodle is a kind of à la carte meal – you pick the kind of noodles that you want, the soup base you fancy, and the kind of ingredients you like to go with your noodle. The sheer options available can be mind-boggling especially to tourists, but it is a great big joy of an eat for gluttons like me.
So when my friend brought me to this nondescript stall at Taipo for a spot of street cart noodle for lunch one day, I couldn’t resist.
And oh my, what a bargain! There was a queue of course, but that’s mainly because the very reasonable price charged. You pay based on what kind of ingredients you want to go with your noodle.
This stall, called “合華咖啡” in Chinese (there’s isn’t an English name, nor a menu) serves up all the usual suspects, including pig skin, curdled pig’s blood, chicken wings, meat balls of various varieties, cuttlefish, mushrooms and green vegetables.
And the price for these two giant bowls of noodles (with at least five different ingredients and toppings each), plus a side of fried fish skin? A mere HK$88. Now that’s what I call a bargain, and it tasted absolutely delicious!
EAT: 合華咖啡 | CF 1-4, Fu Shin Shopping Centre, 12 On Po Road, Tai Po | 2661 7577