MY friends know that I am a noodle foodie. Everywhere I go throughout Asia, I try the noodles, from laksa in Penang, pad thai in Bangkok, beef pho in Hanoi to mohinga in Yangon; each bowl showcases the culture and flavour of the place, through the different texture, spices, and taste. Somehow, I remember a place by the quality of its noodles.
There is nothing quite like the great wonton and noodle shops in Hong Kong. They are not fancy places, but have been in the same location for ages, and have become beloved local institutions with lifetime customers. In the past few months. several historic Hong Kong noodle shops and cafes have closed from rising rents. The closure of the 42-year-old Lei Yuen Congee Noodles in Causeway Bay this January made the South China Morning Post. Hundreds of tourists and residents flocked to the shop in its last days, waiting in hour-long queues at lunch time for their last chance to eat there.