[FOOD] 20141224 Cheong Kei Noodles 祥记面家 @ Macau

13:23 3-Star Service , 4-Star Value , 5-Star Food , Cantonese Cuisine , Cheong Kei , Food , Guide , Macau , Noodles , Prawn Roe , Soup , Travel , Wanton 1 Comments

Cheong Kei Noodle is probably one of the more well known noodle house in Macau that sells wanton noodles identical to those in Hong Kong like the one I went - Mak's Noodle.

With more than 50 years of history and their unique method in making their noodles using bamboo stick to kneed the dough (a traditional method before the invention of machines), it is not surprise why this noodle house is so famous locally and internationally. It became a must eat in Macau by many travel magazines and guides.

Among all, their prawn roe wanton noodle and side dishes like the fish skin and fish cake are the most ordered.

68, Rua da Felicidade, Macau
新馬路褔隆新街68號
Telephone: +853 2857 4310
Opening Hours: 12:00pm until 12:30am

TO GO

Located walking distance away from Senado Square, Cheong Kei Noodle House is located at a small alley, in between two cookie shop. The tagging in Google Map was off from the exact location, so following my mark below will definitely lead you to the correct way.

SPECIALITY

It was quite hard to find the exact location using the address and the Google Map's POI is way off from the exact location. However, with good sense of direction and natural instinct, it lead me to the correct location. 

There's no queue noted during my visit, as opposed to my expectation for a famous eatery like this. The eatery is old and small, with about 10 small tables for a total maximum capacity of less than 50 patrons.

Menu, newspaper articles, magazine reviews etc filled both sides of the wall, promoting their signature dishes. A small cramp space in the front, opposite the counter is where the chef will prepare all the orders.

Service is not stellar with the lady boss (I assumed) rushed for order. 

Signature Prawn Roe Wanton Noodle 招牌虾子捞面 @ MOP30 (RM13)

I ordered their famous prawn roe wanton noodle 虾子捞面 @ MOP30 (RM13). The serving is very simple, plain noodles in soy sauce, sprinkle with stir-fried prawn roe for flavouring. You will notice a very strong aroma of the prawn roe, identical to ebiko in sushi restaurants will fill your mouth during the first bite. Then, the texture of the noodle is slightly different from the Hong Kong variant. It is less tangy, and has a more coarse texture than the counterpart in Hong Kong, most probably due to the preparing method of using bamboo, hence the name bamboo noodle 竹升面.

Wanton Soup Noodle 云吞汤面 @ MOP26 (RM10)

I also tried their wanton soup noodle 云吞汤面 @ MOP26 (RM10). The wanton was OK and the noodle as the dried noodle above but I don't really like the soup base (still better than lousy Malaysian MSG soup). Probably due to higher expectations from those I tried in HK. Overall a good bowl of noodle but nothing much to shout about.

SUMMARY

Personally I think Cheong Kei Noodle is a bit overrated, probably due to less competition in Macau and also a few signature dishes like the prawn roe noodle and fried fish cakes etc. Given the price and quality, it is still an acceptable and decent meal. Recommended if you are a fan of wanton noodles and would like to try their prawn roe noodles. 

Taste	☆☆☆☆☆ Five star for the unique variant of prawn roe wanton noodle
Value	☆☆☆☆ acceptable pricing
Service	☆☆☆ poor service but still acceptable
Cleanliness	☆☆☆ slippery floors but clean utensils
Opening Hours	12:00pm until 12:30am (Daily)
Wifi	N/A
Parking	N/A
Website	N/A

GPS: 22.194752, 113.537480