Noodle Lah! in Wan Chai offers lunch sets for under HK$100 and a view to remember
For a place serving food at this price, the view of Victoria Harbour through its floor-to-ceiling windows sets Noodle Lah! apart; as for the food, the starters were the star of the show, and Malaysian chicken rice a change from the Hainan variety
Noodle Lah! in Wan Chai offers Southeast Asian small bites and comfort food at reasonable prices and with a great view of Victoria Harbour through its floor-to-ceiling windows. In addition to regular tables, the restaurant also has a communal table in the centre of the room for solo diners.
Set lunches, with choices of both rice and noodles, are offered daily from 11am to 3pm. For HK$82, you get a small appetiser, with choices that include chicken satay and Vietnamese net spring roll, a main course and drink. Each course has four to six choices, allowing customers to enjoy a tailored lunch set.
We ordered the “chef-recommended” Malaysian Ipoh chicken rice with an appetiser of Vietnamese net spring roll, and the pho bo set with a cold eggplant salad. The drink for both sets was a refreshing iced lychee lemongrass soda – just right for the steaming-hot summer lunch.
The pork spring rolls, served with a sweet chilli dip, had a delicate, net-like wrapping that gave it a crisp and crunchy texture.
The other starter was a vegetarian salad of tomatoes and sliced, grilled eggplant seasoned with vinaigrette. The eggplant had been slightly charred, and its smoky flavour was balanced by the sweet-and-sour flavours of the vinaigrette and tomato slices.
While the broth for the Vietnamese pho could have used more lemongrass, the sliced beef was delicious.
The Malaysian chicken rice was a nice variation on the more famous Hainan chicken rice. It came with a ginger dipping sauce that added even more flavour to the meat. The chicken came on a bed of bean sprouts, but the yellow rice served with it was dry and did not have much taste.
Noodle Lah!, Shop 105-110, 1/F Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2333 1306.
Open: daily 7.30am-10pm.
While you’re in the area:
New restaurants in Wan Chai: Sueño – enticing menu, great service
New restaurants in Wan Chai: Francis serves Middle Eastern food with charm
Restaurant review: Osteria Marzia in Wan Chai – flavourful Italian seafood dishes
