Cover Photo: Getty Images
Stir-fried, in soup or in salads, noodles are a staple comfort food loved by all Hongkongers. There’s nothing more nostalgic than a piping hot bowl of ramen— but while it’s still the middle of summer outside, it’s best to switch to something more refreshing. Stay cool with these unique noodle dishes, all served chilled.

Muse

Tucked away in a subtle corner of Tai Hang, Muse is a popular café with a holistic concept inspired by nature. Specialising in high quality tea, their all-day menu offers a range of light meals, sweet treats and drinks. Their cold soba in soba sauce with bonito flakes, scallion, and kizami nori remains a constant crowd favourite— served with a side of tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelette), it’s a perfect dish to cool off from scorching summer days.

Muse, 15-17 Ormsby Street, Tai Hang, Hong Kong; musecollectionltd.com

Matchali

With a number of locations already scattered across the city, Matchali has finally opened their very first flagship store, serving up healthy dishes for breakfast, lunch or a snack alongside all of your favourite matcha drinks. Situated on Moon Street in Wan Chai, this café is an ideal spot for a day of self-care with yourself or your friends. Matchali’s green tea soba salad infuses the store’s signature drink with buckwheat soba, which is balanced out with a sweet honey-tamari dressing.

Matchali, 5 Moon Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong; matchali.com

Kokoro

Kokoro transports you to Tokyo with their mazesoba, a popular brothless ramen usually flavoured with an umami-rich sauce and topped with minced meat, scallions and an egg yolk. Using top quality multi-grain flour and a water softening machine from Japan, their soba noodles are handmade in-house everyday. First-timers should try out their signature Premium Tokyo Mazesoba, consisting of noodles topped with slow-braised char siu, egg yolk, spicy minced meat, soft boiled egg, and seaweed. For more adventurous eaters, variations such as mentaiko cream mazesoba, curry karaage mazesoba and 24-month-aged cheese mazesoba are also available on their menu.

Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba, Shop 1C, 68 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong; +852 3751 6966

Zagin Soba

Braised for hours, Zagin Soba’s take on tsukemen—a Japanese ramen dish consisting of chilled noodles dipped into a separate bowl of soup—is based on a creamy and comforting chicken-based broth. This dish is a perfect summer alternative to a steaming bowl of ramen when your craving hits. With one location in Happy Valley and another on Gough Street, Zagin Soba is usually bustling with eager customers during lunch hour and dinner time.

Zagin Soba, G/F, 7 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong; or 13 King Kwong Street, Happy Valley, Hong Kong

Katsuo Udon

Offering fresh udon that is handmade every day, Katsuo Udon is noteworthy for serving these bouncy-textured noodles in almost every style you can think of. From a refreshing chilled udon with salmon roe for the summer, to a rich curry-based broth for the winter, there’s a suitable dish for every season. Green tea lovers might also be intrigued by their chilled matcha dipping udon. As for side dishes, don’t miss out on their juicy grilled chicken leg!

Katsuo Udon, 464 Un Chau Street, Cheung Sha Wan, Hong Kong; +852 2320 2264

Chôm Chôm

Chôm Chôm’s Vietnamese dishes feature rice noodles, making for a light yet flavour-packed meal with nourishing benefits. Ideal for sharing, the menu features a range of rice paper rolls with different sources of protein: pho roll with beef, soft shell crab roll, duck roll, and a vegetarian summer roll. More wholesome larger plates such as the short rib lettuce wraps and mushroom bun are served with chilled vermicelli noodles.

Chôm Chôm
Vietnamese   |   $ $   |  

58-60 Peel Street

Website Website
Call Call

Arirang

Using ingredients imported from Korea, Arirang Korean Restaurant serves authentic traditional food such as kimchi stews and pancakes, as well as Korean barbecued meats. A popular option during summer months is naengmyeon, a chilled buckwheat noodle dish with either a tangy cold soup or mixed with spicy Korean red pepper paste. Pickled radishes and hard-boiled eggs are usually served on the the side for added texture and protein.

Arirang Korean Restaurant, 3/F, W Square, 314-324 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong; +852 2506 3298

Yu

Well known around Hong Kong for their Sichuan spicy chicken, Yu is a Sichuanese restaurant that specialises in spicy dishes with a mala numbing effect. It might not do much to cool you down, but the restaurant’s Sichuan cold noodles with shredded chicken and sesame paste are served chilled. Their dan dan noodles with a choice of spicy minced pork or OmniPork is also a must-try.

Yu, 4 Yiu Wa Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; +852 2838 8198

Kiki Noodle Bar

A modern noodle bar with multiple stores around the city, Kiki has recently dropped their new summer set menu with three intriguing noodle bowls, one of which is a popular Japanese cold noodle dish: hiyashi chuka. Served with assorted seafood, the ramen noodles are mixed in an umami soy dressing and pickled cucumbers are served on the side.

Various locations, facebook.com/kikinoodlebarhk


NOW READ

The Most Unique Dining Experiences to Try in Hong Kong

The Best Sushi Restaurants in Hong Kong in 2022

Where to Go for the Best Doughnuts in Hong Kong

Topics