Dish in Focus: Flower crab dan dan noodles at Path

Path has emerged as an intimate eight-seater chef’s table in Tsim Sha Tsui, led by rising star chef de cuisine Tony Mok.

The green-accented space, built around a single counter repurposed from the previous tenant, underscores Path’s ethos of renewal and honesty, inviting direct interaction between guests and the kitchen for an experience that feels more like being hosted at a chef’s personal table than a conventional fine dining room.

The flower crab dan dan noodles are a signature on the menu – a cold, mul-naengmyeon-style twist on the classic that swaps rich peanut paste for a lighter cashew sauce. “We drew inspiration from classic dan dan noodles and Korean cold soy broth noodles kongguksu, blending cultures with a refreshing twist,” Mok explains.

It fits Path’s modern Chinese ethos by challenging expectations – noodles over bread – while delivering Hong Kong flair through typhoon shelter elements. Fresh flower crab, sourced daily live from local waters, is extracted whole for a roe-infused dashi that soaks toasted cashews over two to three days to create a velvety base. Mok then blends these with house-made chilli oil. Japanese somen noodles get an ice bath and are hand-twirled for perfect starch and texture, akin to sushi shaping, then the dish is topped with crispy garlic, breadcrumbs and chilli flakes.

Born from a pop-up with sommelier Wallace Lo a year ago, and refined through private tastings, the dish overcame several hurdles with sauce consistency before landing on the current iteration where the noodles are coated evenly. “We love the elegance of the cashew sauce paired with the delicate flower crabmeat … the typhoon shelter mix adds layers of texture and aroma that elevate the dish and bring Hong Kong flavours into the dish,” Mok shares.