Nong Tang Noodle House

When owner David Yang and his mother migrated to Melbourne from the legendary city of Shanghai, they brought with them both the ancient and much loved food traditions of their home, as well as the local street dining experience of sharing freshly made noodles and delicious dumplings with family and friends. That tradition is kept alive in the best of ways at Nong Tang Noodle House.

The kitchen runs like a well-oiled machine under the guidance of Head Chef Alex Ma. Ma's career (spanning 16 years) includes stints as the Executive Chef at 5 star hotels in Shanghai and Malaysia and guess what? Shanghai cuisine is his speciality. So, it goes without saying, the kitchen is in safe hands.

We loved tasting our way through some of their most popular menu items. Dumplings began our cullinary journey at Nong Tang. The park and prawn wontons were stunning. We loved the velvety wonton pastry which was beautiful in texture and the accompanying sea of sweet soy, peanut sauce and dried chilli was pleasantly appetising. Cooked with the perfect amount of heat, these wontons tantalised our taste buds. The Traditional Shanghai (Guo Tie) Dumpling (Pan-fried) were similarly delicious. Think chewy dumpling pastry with perfectly crisp bottoms encasing unctuous pork mince and soup.

A visit to Nong Tang would of course be incomplete without their handmade Yangchun noodles. Whether you get the dry version or the noodles in broth, you can't really go wrong. It's all good. Together with a variety of side dishes, this is one wholesome and flavour-laden experience.

The side dish of duck with soy sauce was beautiful - tender and simply falling off the bone. For tofu lovers, the Old Nong Tang Eight Treasures in Soy Sauce will delight. For something a little different which we thought really lifted the flavour of the noodles, try the Shanghai Traditional Shredded Pork with Pickled Cabbage and Peas - it's got that pickled veggie twang, it's a bit sweet and has a bunch of umami kicking around. Just yum! The Shanghai Braised Pork Meatballs in Soy Sauce are also certainly worth a mention - juicy and bursting with flavour.

Nong Tang Noodle House is the very definition of a hidden gem. Nestled between Chinatown Melbourne and Bourke St in the Mid City Arcade, the restaurant impresses with their 'Yang Chun' noodles, dumplings and sauces - all meticulously made in-house.

Location: Midcity Arcade, Shop 16/200 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Phone: (03) 9639 9258

Link: https://www.midcitycentre.com.au/store/nong-tang-noodle-house/