Mak's Noodle — Restaurant in Hong Kong Island

Mak’s Noodle - Central, Hong Kong Beef Brisket & Wonton Noodle Soup Mak’s Noodle vs Tsim Chai Kee. Two noodle shops parallel with each other in central Hong Kong. A debate that is ever lasting between locals, tourists and soup fans alike. Having eaten at Tsim Chai Kee twice I decided to give Mak’s a go for lunch. There’s a bit of a choreographed feeling upon entering Mak’s - a well rehearsed sequence from the floor manager which gets you from the line to your table and seated with a perfectly laid out table setting and a steaming cup of tea. This is something you don’t get across the road and it’s something in which probably justifies Mak’s higher price. I’m not here for the free tea refills or the fancy pants chopstick holder, I’m here for the soup. A soup prepared in the steaming front kitchen is hastily brought to my table. The fragrance of this dish is incredible. I could smell the aroma’s of a broth that had been clearly boiled down over many many hours. While the bowl is physically small the sheer intensity of this dish can be tasted through the complex flavours within. The beef brisket was a tasty delight. If like most reviewers I am to compare Mak’s to Tsim Chai Kee I would say the difference lies within the wontons. The golf ball sized wonton’s over the road are a clear winner - unfortunately I thought Mak’s was lacking flavour and the huge prawns. The noodles while similar from both vendors are a bit more stringy compared to the bouncy nature of Tsim Chai Kee’s. I however had a great experience at both restaurants, an immersive dining experience at Mak’s which featured some stunning service for a $9 noodle soup dish. Try both. You won’t be disappointed.

🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢 Broth Flavour: 🍜🍜🍜🍜/5 Soup ingredients: 🍜🍜🍜.5/5 Service: 🍜🍜🍜🍜.5/5 Overall: 🍜🍜🍜🍜/5 🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢

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Mak Noodles is a famous cha chaan teng (Hong Kong style cafe) that specialises in wonton noodles. They have several branches around the city including this eatery on Wellington Street in Central.

Opening hours are 11am to 9pm, the restaurant is full most of the day but tables turn over quickly, usually around 20-25 minutes. Expect a short queue if eating at peak lunch or dinner hours. If you are ready to order upon being seated, you have food on the table in no more then 3-4 more minutes. There will be English speaking staff to take orders. Menus on on the table and are in Cantonese and English. Note that serving sizes are small. As such, Mak's feels rather pricey compared to your usual cha chaan teng.

The wonton soup at Mak's has a heavy prawn presence - which can be a good thing if you like seafood flavoured broth and not such a great thing if not. Recently had pork & prawn wanton that tasted good. Bowl had four wontons. We also had the beef brisket noodles served in soup. This was better, the noodles are tiny but had a nice fragrance and taste. The beef was tender as well.

Another dish tried recently was the stirred noodle with pork sauce. This was a bit spicy, a nice change from the wanton and broth soup bowls at Mak's Noodle.

In the end, is the food good at Mak's Noodles? Yes! Is it really the best in Hong Kong? Probably not. But this is most likely the most famous wanton specialist in the city, which means loads of tourists will want to give it a try while seeking out popular historic eateries around Hong. Join the queue if you have time...

As a self-proclaimed wonton noodle enthusiast—it's one of my top 1001 favorite dishes—I had high hopes that Hong Kong’s famed Mak’s Noodle would set a new benchmark for this beloved classic. Unfortunately, my overly picky palate left me slightly underwhelmed, though the experience was far from disappointing.

Soup Wonton Noodle This was decent, though the umami in the broth leaned on the lighter side. While the wontons themselves were quite good, they didn’t deliver the bold punch I’d hoped for. Overall, it was pleasant but didn’t quite meet the lofty expectations I reserve for wonton noodle soups.

Dry Wonton Noodle The dry version fared better, with its flavors more pronounced and satisfying. What truly stood out was the beef brisket, which was tender, flavorful, and a clear highlight of my meal. This dish managed to redeem the experience, leaving me with something to smile about.

While Mak’s Noodle won’t be making its way to the top of my ultimate favorites list, I still left the place with fondness. The waitstaff’s warm and considerate service deserves special mention. Noticing that my, shall we say, generous belly was not well-suited for their booth seating, they quickly and kindly relocated me to a spacious center table.

Though the wonton noodles didn’t fully steal my heart, the hospitality and iconic atmosphere make Mak’s Noodle a place worth visiting, especially for those seeking an authentic Hong...