I took a taxi to Kowloon for a bowl of bamboo noodles. I ventured outside everyone's comfort zone in pursuit of a lost art worth pursuing. Even my friend, a local, was impressed.
Bamboo noodles are a dying art, and after what happened to Notre Dame, I don't take anything for granted, and I'll never again assume it's always there. I’m told that Kwan Kee is the last of its kind - you can count the bamboo noodle shops on one hand as the process is complex and exhausting.
The noodles are eggy, impossibly thin and more al dente than anything that’s ever been called al dente. They maintain that textural integrity even when dunked in a side of clear soup, and the sulfur undertones help cut the fat in soyed-up slice of Pork Belly.
The noodles are traditionally made by a chef riding a bamboo stick, and they use duck egg rather than chicken. Like their creator, these noodles are incredibly thin but strong and the flavor is rather robust.
The noodles alone are a treasure, but the Four Treasures is a bowl I would not miss. It's a bit of a sampler of all the great things that come from this kitchen, and they don't just excel at noodles. The pork belly comes second to a fat-lattice of brisket, and the pig trotters are soft and full of every texture of tendon. They could open a separate shop just for wontons - these pork and shrimp ones are likely the best wontons in the world. The thin, chewy wrapper encasing tender pork and an entire succulent shrimp is unbeatable.
A side of Yu Choy in oyster sauce is not a must, but it does help with all the protein and carbs.
I love seeing every aspect of Hong Kong, and Kwan Kee is an absolutely essential view of the city's tradition and culture. Before Michelin even existed, these guys were riding their bamboo and pounding their noods into perfect little pieces. Nowadays, they don't make things like they used to, and to Kwan Kee I am grateful for a taste of delicious history.
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