There’s something innately satisfying about Hong Kong cart-style noodles. After all, it’s essentially a buffet in a bowl where you get to mix-and-match various ingredients to your exact liking. It’s all about what you choose and at Chun Moon, whatever you go for, it’s bound to be brilliant.
Each bowl at this humble, no-frills eatery is built up from a basic clear broth base and is spiked with curry sauce, beef brisket jus, Sichuan peppercorn and chilli, or house special chilli paste. Go for the last one, which is a delightfully fragrant affair that’s subdivided into mild, medium or super-hot gradations. Next, choose one of the nine noodles on offer, including thick and slippery oil noodles, flat hor fun, rice vermicelli (all $8) and Japanese udon ($10).
Once you’ve decided on the basic framework, you can start ticking ingredients off from the 50-deep paper checklist. This is when the real fun begins. Everything is freshly marinated, from tender beef brisket ($8) to soy-braised tofu ($5). Offal fans will also be happy to know that the offcuts here are particularly good. We’ll draw special attention to the sweet and supple pig intestines ($8), as well as pig’s blood and skin (both $6), which are fully imbibed in the broth’s umami essence. For cart-noodle newbies who can’t make up their minds, Chun Moon offers an assorted arrangement ($33) that’s brimming with a few of our favourite things. No joke – the face-sized bowl comes with chicken wings, fishballs, sausage, sprouts, tofu, seasonal veggies and various cuts of beef and pork. Our only gripe would be about the few too-firm blocks of daikon radish that bob about the surface. Aside from that, this bowl is all sorts of satisfying.
Moving beyond noodles, Chun Moon also does a pretty neat snacks menu to pad out the meal. The rose tea chicken wings ($15) are exceptional, marinated in a balanced blend of sugarcane and rock sugar before being doused in homespun soy sauce marinade. The resulting meat tears off the bone easily and boasts a distinct smokiness that mellows out into a soft, sweet finish. We’ve had many a wing before but this is in a league of its own. Deep-fried dace fishballs ($20) are another common noodle shop offering but the ones here are soft as a pillow and are served with a side of clam sauce that’s tempered with a slight kick of ginger. If you’re not afraid of messy eating, be sure to order the pig trotters ($22), which are firm, gelatinous pieces scented with pu-erh tea leaves. And, if you’re looking for something to wash it all down, the restaurant offers a red bean drink ($20) done the old-school HK way with a towering cone of crushed ice protruding from the cup.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to whip up a bowl of noodles but what you get at Chun Moon is pretty damn special. The guys here do even the humblest dishes with heart and, at the end of the day, that’s what really counts. Dorothy So
34 Shiu Wo St, Tsuen Wan, 2614 6636. Daily 10am-11.30pm.
The bill
Assorted noodles x2 $66
Rose tea chicken wing $15
Dace fishballs $20
Pig trotters $22
10 percent service charge $0
Total (for two) $123