Block 18 Doggie's Noodle — Restaurant in Hong Kong

Beyond its Michelin Guide recognition, 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝟭𝟴 𝗗𝗼𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗲’𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗹𝗲 possesses something deeper, stories of food rooted in nostalgia. Unlike its other branches, this original one is takeaway-centric with several makeshift tables and stools to dine on, albeit suitable for diners to stand along the street to munch on their snacks as well.

Here, patrons can find an assortment of old school snacks like imitation shark’s fin soup, spicy fish balls and braised duck leg. The star dish in its name, 𝗗𝗼𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗲’𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗹𝗲, takes one back to Hong Kong of the 50s to 60s. The dog-tail-looking and udon-texture rice flour noodles are steeped in a rich thick and goey broth that bring out multiple flavours of sour, spicy, umami and salty. Think of shark’s fin soup minus the shark but equally tasty. That’s due to the dried shrimps, garlic, and generous amounts of Chinese dried radish, otherwise known as chye poh, which add an addictive crunch to this...

doggie noodles ($29): soggy thick noodles, some minced pork, crunch salty pickles. i’d call the soup “oil”. pulled-duck fake sharkfin: a bowl of gluey soup with super insufficient mungbean noodles (fake sharkfin). mix of pig's intestines, pig's skin, hog maw and daikon: on the salty side. all food served in plastic bowls, with plastic spoons/bamboo sticks. price: hkd83 for the 3 dishes above. service: minimal environ: you can sit on the plastic stool chairs right next to the food counter, beside some trash bins in that back lane. verdict: just for a taste of real hk street food. go to other branches if you can't handle eating hot food...

Bought takeaway from this shop! It catches your eye immediately with lots of photos taken with celebrities, and true enough, taste-wise it is surely worthy of media coverage. Their shredded duck meat stew is very comforting in taste and not overly thick with starch. We liked how they were very generous with ingredients like black fungus shreds too. Meanwhile, their 狗仔粉 (or puppy noodles) were very delicious. Think of it as creamy udon with 冬菜 in it - classically Asian and easy to stomach. No dog meat or anything despite the name - we didn't check on the name's origin, but it's located on a street full of pet shops, so...