Who doesn’t love a steamy bowl of freshly made Chinese noodles? Macau, being one of the country’s gastronomy capitals boasts a long list of places to explore the diverse world of noodles. There are rice vermicelli noodles, pulled noodles, lo mein cooked with broth, stir-fried, with seafood, beef, vegetables, and more. The more you try, the more you fall in love! Besides, tasting different types of noodles is the perfect way to dive into the regional cuisine of China as most regions have their own styles, methods, and recipes. To see where you can get the tastiest ones, check out our list of the best Chinese noodles in Macau!
North by Square Eight
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North by Square Eight will impress you with their flawless interior design and decor with scarlet furniture, stunning ceramics artistically lined up on the shelves and modern Chinese artwork. But more importantly, the kitchen team here does not disappoint. You can even watch the mesmerizing process of noodle pulling at the open noodle station–true craftsmanship. You can place your order on the tablet available at every table.
Focused on dishes from northern and central China, North serves a variety of Shaanxi noodle bowls. There are spicy flat noodles tossed with garlic, chili and soy sauce, minced pork noodle soup, as well as flat noodles with vegetables and shredded pork cooked in rich pork bone broth. Lanzhou style beef soup or Lanzhou la mian is made with soft wheat flour noodles, plenty of herbs, sliced radish, and tender beef. In fact, you wouldn’t usually find pork or chicken in Lanzhou cuisine as it’s influenced by the Hui people who are mostly Muslim.
We found that the noodles’ portions are large and one would be enough for two to three people.
North by Square Eight MGM Macau, Avenida Dr. Sun Yat Sen, Macau, +853 8802 2388, www.mgm.mo
Sautéed pork belly and mushrooms with noodles in yellow oil. Photo credit: Ksenia Kuzmina
99 Noodles
Although this restaurant at Wynn Macau, doesn’t, in fact, offer literally 99 types of noodles, there are still many to choose from. At 99 Noodles, you can order a custom-made bowl. First, select noodle type of your choice out of nine available. Then, pick one of nine broths (the signature ones are beef brisket broth with tomato and opulent chicken broth with sea cucumber). At last, decide on a garnish to top your dish with. We are especially fond of braised eggplant with pork and traditional Beijing minced pork with yellow bean paste.
Of course, if you don’t feel like customizing, there are plenty of signature bowls on the menu. Some of the most notable ones are sautéed pork belly and mushrooms with noodles in yellow oil and all-time favorite Sichuan dan dan noodles. Check their set menus for the best value for money.
There are two 99 Noodles locations at Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace.
99 Noodles Wynn Macau, Rua Cidade de Sintra, Macau, +853 8986 3663
GF, Encore Tower, Wynn Palace, Avenida da Nave Desportiva, Cotai, +853 8889 3663, www.wynnpalace.com/99-noodles
Also read: Macau’s Best Wonton Noodles for Under MOP $50
Handmade noodle, braised pork with sliced vegetable (zhajiangmian)
Beijing Kitchen
Home to Northern Chinese cuisine, Beijing Kitchen at Grand Hyatt Macau has been a restaurant of choice for many Macau’s foodies for more than ten years. Here, they serve one of the best Beijing ducks in town. Naturally, we can’t fail to mention that two pages of Beijing Kitchen’s menu are dedicated to noodles. That includes zhajiangmian (described as “handmade noodle, braised pork, sliced vegetable” in the menu), biangbiangmian (handmade flat noodle, chili), Cantonese beef chow fun (fried rice noodle, sliced beef, soy sauce).
Popular in Shaanxi province, biangbiangmian is made with flat long noodles. At Beijing Kitchen, they are served with spicy chili sauce. Notably, the character “biáng” that gives this dish its name, is one of the hardest ones in traditional Chinese as it requires 56 strokes to write. Zhajiangmian is made with thick noodles with zhajiang sauce, fermented soybean paste cooked with stir-fried pork, and sliced vegetables. Traditionally, you should toss all the ingredients together before enjoying the dish. Originating from Shandong province, zhajiangmian has become one of the most iconic dishes in northern China.
Beijing Kitchen Grand Hyatt Macau, Estrada do Istmo, Cotai, +853 8868 1930, www.cityofdreamsmacau.com
Sichuan dan dan noodles. Photo credit: Ksenia Kuzmina
Northern Noodle House
Right inside the City of Dreams casino, this always-busy noodle eatery has everything that a hungry guest needs–a bowl of hearty handmade noodles and quick service. Some of the options you should try here are Sichuan dan dan noodles, Tianjin noodles with crab meat sauce and Chongqing style spicy beef noodle soup.
Sichuan dan dan noodles might be some of China’s most well-known street food. If you’ve ever had this fiery savory dish made with numbing Sichuan corn peppers, chili oil, ground pork, preserved veggies, and scallions, you have most likely already joined the fan club. Another spicy Sichuan specialty, Chongqing noodles is a soup seasoned with vinegar, sugar, red oil, ginger, and scallion and topped with beef. Northern Noodle House sure knows how to make them right. For seafood lovers, there are Tianjin noodles, one of the restaurant’s signature bowls. Tianjin cuisine comes from a large coastal city in the North of China. Hence, seafood is common in Tianjin dishes.
Northern Noodle House Level 1, Casino, City of Dreams, Estr. do Istmo, Cotai, +853 8986 3663, www.cityofdreamsmacau.com
Also read: Macau’s Best Dumpling Places
Stir-fry lamian with pork chop and black mushrooms. Photo credit: Ksenia Kuzmina
RTC – Noodle & Congee
This round-the-clock spot is as straightforward as its name. By focusing strictly on noodle and congee dishes, they managed to become one of the best places in town for the genre. The restaurant at iconic Grand Lisboa is famous for its single noodle bowl, Yi Gen Mian–a dish made with just a single noodle that’s 70 feet long. Try to slurp this one in a single attempt!
However, if you found yourself at Noodle & Congee looking for something other than a challenge, you won’t stay hungry. Order a custom bowl by selecting noodles, broth, and toppings that you prefer or go with what the a la carte menu has to offer. Their selection of Lanzhou la mian is possibly the largest in the city. The ones worth mentioning and tasting are seafood noodles with shredded eels and filling stir-fried la mian with pork chop and black mushrooms!
RTC – Noodle & Congee 2F, Grand Lisboa, 2-4 Avenida de Lisboa, Macau, +853 8803 7755, www.grandlisboahotels.com/rtc-noodle-congee
Noodles tossed with punchy scallion and soy sauce. Photo credit: Ksenia Kuzmina
Din Tai Fung
Not sure where to dine? Din Tai Fung can be your comfort blanket in the huge gastronomy world of Macau. Loved by foodies and food critics, this Taiwanese restaurant chain has two locations in the city. One is at Studio City Macau and the second one is at City of Dreams. Although Din Tai Fung is most famous for its excellent xiaolongbao, we find the noodles here equally notable too.
Try their Taiwan style noodles with spicy sesame and peanut sauce or beef noodles in a rich and spicy broth. If you crave something light on meat, choose noodles tossed with punchy scallion and soy sauce. Nutritious double-boiled chicken soup served with noodles is perfect for the colder season. Quite popular in Cantonese cuisine, the double boiling method achieves a high concentration of flavor, keeping the maximum of nutrients at the same time.
Din Tai Fung Shop 1075, Level 1, The Boulevard at Studio City Macau, Estrada do Istmo, Cotai, Macau, +853 8865 3305, www.studiocity-macau.com
Din Tai Fung Level 2, SOHO at City of Dreams, Estrada do Istmo, Cotai, City of Dreams Macau, +853 8868 2822, www.cityofdreamsmacau.co
Also read: Where to Get The Best Local-Style Noodles in Macau
