3.104 Stir-Fried Duck Rice Noodle

3.104

18 (Wed) April 2012

Stir-Fried Duck Rice Noodle

2.0

at Hong Kong Noodle

-Sinsa, Gangnam, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

with DJ

Hong Kong Noodle is a Chinese restaurant. Specializes in Cantonese rice and noodle dishes.

As far as I’m aware, this might be the only Cantonese joint in town.

The prices weren’t too bad at 6,500 won for each rice/noodle dish and 4,500 won for the choisum; the roast duck at 36,000/19,000 won for a whole/half may be reasonable so long as the portions are big enough, but they were out this time.

Menu has only 8 items, including 4 of my all-time favorites: roast duck, roast duck noodle soup, fried rice, and choisum in oyster sauce.

I got the heads-up from reader SeoulFood, who happened to be walking by the place and noticed Chinese broccoli on the menu and recalled my affinity for the stuff and alerted me about it – what a pal! Come to think of it, his blog (see Seoul Food) is how I came across Cheongki Myeonga (청키면가), the only other restaurant in Seoul where I’ve had Chinese broccoli (see 2.221 Gailan in Oyster Sauce). Great tips, even though SeoulFood himself doesn’t really seem to Chinese food all that much.

Stir-Fried Yummy Rice (2.5): nicely wok-scorched rice, which may have been mixed with long grain(!), but otherwise bland; DJ sifted through the rice and remarked, “Wow. 5 shrimp. That’s too many. How can I ever finish them all?” – well-deserved sarcasm from a kindergartener.

Alas, the food wasn’t that great. Authentic, yes, but lacking in flavor, as if the chef had the right ingredients and knew the right techniques but forgot to add the right seasonings in the right amounts. From the quality of the food to the overall vibe of the place, notwithstanding the full service and porcelain plates, it felt like eating at a high-end shopping mall food court in Hong Kong.

But until there’s a better option, I’ll probably be back for more.

(For more details re food, see WHAT)

(For more details re venue, see WHERE IN KOREA)