One of the biggest frustrations I have sometimes is that when certain segments of visitors look at…read morefood in Hong Kong, they seem to be unable to tear themselves away from the tractor beam that is lasered in on dim sum, maybe typhoon shelter crab, Michelin high end dining. Maybe, just maybe, they may think about won ton noodles, but suddenly they listen to some sages who are so caught up in chasing after the perfect won ton, wanting roasted flatfish themed broth, and Rapunzel golden hair strand bamboo pole kneaded egg noodles, won tons with excess skin wrap that look like goldfish tails after they are cooked, the freakin placement of the spoon, noodles, broth in the tiny bowl etc etc, that they suddenly feel disillusioned by the whole thing.
But part of the reason noodle shops get a bum rap outside of Hong Kong, is just mostly lack of understanding of that part of the culture, and people who are not as adventurous.
Truth be told, there is really nothing wrong with an oldie but goodie shop like Ho To Tai 好到底. Their broth and noodles taste very different from the competition, and in some cases will not meet the criteria of the won ton noodle nazis or extremists. Been around since 1946! Everyone who lived and grew up in Yuen Long know this noodle shop, it is iconic.
Yuen Long has in the last few years, become a major heaven for traditionalist food lovers of all shapes and sizez. So for me venturing so far north from Hong Kong Island side (which was a huge obstacle 2 to 3 decades ago), is now just a matter of a 30 to 40 min easy time sacrifice of getting on the right train, and then walking 10 to 20 minutes to explore. Calories? What's that? Munch, walk some more, then munch! After all, Pac Man did that for a living, and he ate ghosts too with the right pill!
When real estate is gobbling up people's lives (and food culture), it is refreshing to still find pockets of places that still seem untouched by tourists (and ahem..."free roaming folks" for those locals in the know), as well as places that still seem stuck in time, yet continuing to deliver traditional eats despite the state of inflation and despair.
This is definitely not your average Michelin recommended shop. This noodle shop with no other branches remains steadfast in its commitment to quality and approach.
If there are other locations listed, they are just outposts for selling dried noodles. I kind of regret not picking up a pack or two to bring back to the USA as gifts.
In short, the prawn roe lo mein 蝦子撈麵 was one of the more unusual and interesting variants I've had during my Dec 2013/Jan 2014 visit to HK. The prawn roe they use is far more fragrant compared to Wing Wah or Lau Sam Kee, and I actually had their versions too. Heck I think I enjoyed Ho To Tai's the best! Cantonese pasta alla bottarga, al dente!!!
The noodles are not bamboo pole kneaded, but are very tasty and have a unique texture that is hard to explain...and don't come across as dry like Lau Sam Kee. I can totally understand why people's noodle preferences are very specific and varied in Hong Kong, simply because everyone approaches the same dish differently based on technique, ingredients, and preparation, and finally personal taste. But still a pleasure nonetheless.
Sadly I was only at Ho To Tai for just the prawn roe lo mein and had no room to try other noodle preps. But I still found the experience overall very enjoyable, and almost reminded me of having Cantonese egg noodles many years ago when I still lived in HK.
Michelin recommended or not, this is definitely one of the better egg noodle shops around, despite what "experts" and won ton noodle nazis are saying.
