Good Hope Noodle

I’ve walked the streets late night looking for noodles to satisfy my stomach pains and this noodle shop was the only thing open for the location. Surprisingly I was not the only one here hungry, it was packed with people and one table short of standing outside waiting.
Menu was limited but the standard for all noodle shops. I’ve ordered wonton noodle and wanted proteins such as pork, chicken but no protein served here.
I was in and out in 10 minutes and still hungry. Not worth another bowl of noodle.

We went to this place because it was highly rated by Lonely Planet, which claims it has Michelin approval. I think they don’t eat at the places, but just record what it says on the outside. We don’t eat meat and that could be a factor. Maybe their pig livers and pig kidneys are delicious, who knows? We also eschewed dried oysters and preserved eggs. We chose noodles with grated ginger and green onions and noodles with shrimp dumplings. My husband thought the noodes were good, once you added enough condiments (hot oil, soy sauce, vinegar) and pleasantly al dente. I thought the noodles were bland and boring, really just edible. I had one shrimp dumpling, which was pretty terrible. You can get much better food at Shanghai Noodle House in City One plaza in Shatin, and I’m sure you can elsewhere in Hong Kong. The other thing going for this place is that the meal was incredibly cheap (HK$ 81). But the meal at Shanghai Noodle House was close. Also the tea, which was poured first, was tepid.

好旺角粥麵專家 (Good Hope Noodle) is a reliable and affordable standby if you want something simple and are in the area (Mongkok) to shop, whether it be for the latest and greatest Air Jordan type shoes, gadgets, or the next biggest fashion trends.
The sweet and spicy bean paste brothless noodles here (ja jeung meen) 炸醬麵 has a fairly rabid following by local food fans, but honestly is not really something that is earth shattering. Others think the congee is the greatest, but there are far better choices in the area.
The best thing about the sample that I had, was it came in a small portion (you could get a larger one for more, but personally I would not waste further valuable stomach quota if you are here on an eating trip).
The noodles here are supposed to have been made with bamboo pole kneading. The texture is decent, but nothing to wow about if comparing to Wing Wah, Mak An Kee, or Lau Sam Kee. Certainly this is still a dying artform that is to be respected, and for sure miles better than many places abroad.
But we have to be realistic here in a town with way too many choices (and not enough time or quota). Small portion is perfect for sampling (even if you order just won ton noodles). Then you can fill it up with street food, like stinky tofu skewers, deep fried intestines skewers, ethereal innards skewers (Fei Jie/​Fat Sis), fresh sugar cane juice, boba milk tea (if you are into that stuff), or Hui Lau Shan for mango drinks.
The bean sauce, why does it look red, almost like umeboshi? Not much of a hint of smokey flavor, and definitely wasn’t terribly fragrant.
After tossing the components up like a salad (noodles with sauce and a touch of broth), I think even my camera was weeping at the visuals.