Pandas love noodles too

This article first appeared in the Nov/Dec 2010 issue of World Gaming magazine.

Most ordinary pandas live on sugar cane but World Gaming’s very unique culinary expert freely confesses that noodles trump sugar cane every time. As you know the Panda is not only interested in Michelin star restaurants; he loves all varieties of cuisine so this issue he thought he’d indulge in something a little less upmarket but delicious nevertheless.

You might be surprised that as a Panda I prefer noodles above all else. Burgers, sausages and mash and the like might be good for the occasional change but give me a tasty bowl of steaming hot noodles and I will be the happiest bear in town. Aside from the Vietnamese traditional ‘pho’ soup there are no finer exponents of the humble noodle than can be found in Chinese cuisine. Macau might not be as famous as Hong Kong when it comes to dim sum, dumplings and noodles but make no mistake this type of cuisine is alive and well in Macau and the city competes with its larger neighbour admirably.

The other day the whole gang was over at The Dragon’s penthouse and everyone mentioned how hungry they were. I had heard that there was a good noodle joint just around the corner, so I made the suggestion and within minutes we were piling out the door and on our way.

Kuong Chiu Fok is my kind of noodle joint. Not too many confusing menu options – there are noodles and that’s about it. You can make a few choices about what you want with your noodles but don’t bother coming here if you are looking for something other than a big bowl of hot and steaming noodle soup.

We all sat down and ordered braised beef and fish balls in noodle soup, which the waiter agreed was a good selection. Normally I would try and get the crew to choose different dishes at a restaurant so I can have a cross section to taste and review but there was really no point here. There were just a lot of different versions of the same thing and they all looked good.

Noodles have to be quick, hot, cheap and served in a tasty broth. Kuong Chiu Fok ticked all these boxes with consummate ease. The fragrant aroma of stock filled the whole noodle shop where everyone was jammed in cheek to cheek just the way it should be. The ingredients were fresh and like all good soup it was filling but not bloating.

The service was what you’d expect. Fast, efficient and not overly friendly. This is exactly what you want. You don’t go to a noodle joint to check out the wine list and wipe the corner of your mouth with a linen napkin. My policy is “take my order and bring me my soup quickly!”

You can wash down your soup with an icy cold Tsing Tao, some tea or even a soft drink if you want to tamper with the traditional accompanying beverages. Kuong Chiu Fok is a great little joint to get a good cheap feed. It is outside the walls of the casinos which will give you a break from the baccarat for an hour or so but this place is worth the effort to get there. I still love my fine dining but sometimes simple fare is just as satisfying.