HKDictionary

Cantonese Noodle Dishes

Every Hong Kong neighbourhood has a noodle shop, and the menu is a vocabulary lesson: the noodle type, the topping, and the way it is served all have their own words. Learn the ones below and you can order anything on the wall — each links to a full entry with pronunciation audio.

minˍ₆麵
noodles; (wheat) flour; dough
雲吞麵
wonton noodles
ceˉ¹車zaiˊ²仔minˍ₆麵
cart noodles | also 嗱喳麵
ngauˎ₄牛naamˏ₅腩minˍ₆麵
beef brisket noodles
louˉ¹撈minˍ₆麵
boiled noodles strained and then seasoned
tongˉ¹湯minˍ₆麵
noodles in soup
caauˊ²炒minˍ₆麵
fried noodles; chow mein
hoˎ₄河fanˊ²粉
steamed flat rice noodles (full form 沙河粉, derived from 沙河街)
maiˏ₅米sin˗₃線
rice noodles
singˉ¹星zauˉ¹洲caauˊ²炒maiˏ₅米
fried vermicelli Singapore style
出前一丁
instant noodles (Demae Itcho)
gaaˉ¹加daiˊ²底
to increase the bulk of food (by adding more rice or noodles); to cut drugs (lit., "add bottom")

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say noodles in Cantonese?

麵 (min6). Add the topping in front of it: 雲吞麵 (wan4 tan1 min6) is wonton noodles, 牛腩麵 (ngau4 naam5 min6) is beef brisket noodles.

What is the difference between 撈麵 and 湯麵?

撈麵 (lou1 min6) arrives drained and tossed in sauce with the soup on the side; 湯麵 (tong1 min6) comes sitting in the soup.

How do you ask for extra noodles in Cantonese?

Say 加底 (gaa1 dai2) — a bigger portion of the noodles or rice underneath. The opposite, a smaller portion, is 減底 (gaam2 dai2).

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