Hua Yi Kitchen

Hua Yi Kitchen at International Building is tucked away in a little corner on the 2nd floor next to Rice Table & opposite Coca Steamboat. For those in search of affordable Shanghainese cuisine, this would fit the bill. This place sells delicious hand-made noodles such as zha jiang mian, jiao zi, guo tie & many others. A colleague of mine was the one who discovered this little gem and introduced it to me.

I recommend their Beef brisket noodles ($4.50) available in soup/dry. The soup version has a clear beef broth with tender slices of beef brisket. Each slice was juicy and had little fats attached to it. Once you start on the soup, you will find that it grows on your tastebuds. The noodles are thick and non-chewy, but lack a smooth texture. Some would say that this is typical of hand-made noodles, so it could be just my opinion. Generous amounts of leafy greens can be found in this bowl, so rest assured that you will receive your daily serving.

While your at it, do order their Guo Tie - 8pcs ($5.80) It is cooked the typical Shanghainese way where each piece is steamed & fried slightly on 1 side till it becomes a rich golden brown. Dip these in vinegar & plonk it in your mouth together with ginger slices...yums. Rest assured that Hua Yi Kitchen provides abundant amounts of both to complement your appetizer.

I haven't had the chance to try anything else from this place yet, but I will definitely re-visit it. It's a nice quiet spot away from the maddening crowd. Although the place is small, the food is decent & the lunch crowd tends to fluctuate rather unpredictably. So you might want to call them beforehand, or just drop by to try your luck.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste - 7/10
Price - $$
Service - 6/10
Ambience - 6/10
Accessibility - 8/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts
[$$]-average Jane
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant

Tel: 6235 3156

Address:
360 Orchard Road
International Building (next to Shaw Centre aka Lido)
#02-11/12

Opening hours: 11.30am-3pm / 5.30pm-9.30pm daily

Dress code: casual
Buses: 174, 123, 7, 105, 36, 132, 77...