One of Hong Kong’s most celebrated noodle shops has landed in the GTA! Kwan Kee Bamboo Noodle is a Michelin Bib Gourmand pick in Hong Kong, and the brand opened its first international location in Markham. Kwan Kee is known for jook-sing (bamboo-pressed) noodles, a Cantonese style of egg noodle made the old-school way: a chef uses a thick bamboo pole to knead the rich dough in a seesaw motion before slicing springy strands.
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Kwan Kee’s technique emphasizes an egg-forward dough and careful kneading, instead of relying on strong alkaline agents. This ensures that the noodles maintain their elasticity and prevents any unpleasant aftertaste some alkaline noodles can have. The result is a snappy, sort of elastic bite and a clean, egg-forward flavour.
In Hong Kong, Kwan Kee’s market-stall shop in Cheung Sha Wan earned long-running Bib Gourmand recognition for these very noodles. And if you’ve never seen bamboo-pole noodle-making in person, the Markham location offers live, kneaded-dough noodle production right in front of customers, bringing a rarely seen Hong Kong culinary tradition to GTA diners!
The Markham menu leans into Kwan Kee’s greatest hits: shrimp wonton noodles, beef brisket noodle soup, dumpling lo mein, and “big bowl” combos packed with wontons, pork feet, brisket and fried fish skin. There are also tasty snacks like deep-fried wontons and flounder fish soup, as well as classic Hong Kong café drinks, like milk tea and soy milk (Soya Soy). For dessert, indulge in mango pomelo sago with grapefruit or green tea sago pudding.
If you’re in a hurry, take-home packs of dry and raw bamboo noodles, soup bases and sauces are also available, so you can recreate the Kwan Kee experience at home!
Kwan Kee Bamboo Noodle is located at 9390 Woodbine Ave. (King Square) in Markham. Follow @kwankeecanada on Instagram for updates.
