DIY soup Devil Tomato soup base
Premium push cart noodles seems like an oxymoron. Although once a popular staple found in little wooden carts on every other corner of Hong Kong, push cart noodles – characterised by a wide variety of a la carte topping options – were nevertheless prized for being economical. While the physical carts may long have disappeared, numerous hole-in-the-wall vendors can still be found.
Cue Cartson’s Noodles, a new Causeway Bay store offering a classier take on this street staple. The ordering system is similar to the smaller shops – take an ordering sheet, choose your noodle, soup base and as many toppings as you can stomach. Cartson’s also offers combo menus with pre-selected toppings. We choose Cartson’s Creation ($68) with the Angel Tomato (non-spicy) soup base and try our hand making our own bowl ($61) with a Devil Tomato (spicy) soup base.
We’re pleasantly surprised by the tomato soup base, a rarity in the city’s noodle shops. The spicy version has added hot sauce making it rather slurp worthy. Unfortunately, the palate is a little too clean, lacking the hearty street flavour that is unique to push cart noodles.
The generous serving sizes and quality ingredients gives some bang for your buck. However, does it set itself apart from the ubiquitous cart noodle stalls enough, to justify a return visit? We’re not so sure. Val Chan
Verdict: Premium but pricey
Cartson’s Noodles 440 Jaffe Rd, Causeway Bay, 2413 1769; cartsons.com. Dinner for two: $150.