How a Hong Kong maker of authentic shrimp roe noodles is leading a comeback

Ha zi mein, or dried shrimp roe noodles, are a Cantonese household staple. Traditionally made from broth-infused dough that is steamed and then immediately baked dry to eliminate moisture, the noodles release the broth when boiled, turning the hot water into a rich, nutritious soup. As mass-produced versions dominate supermarket shelves, the artisanal craft of making ha zi mein – which is listed as part of Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage – is becoming increasingly rare. But Wing Lok Noodle Factory, a humble operation in Hong Kong’s Kowloon Bay neighbourhood that celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026, has been leading a ha zi mein renaissance by producing noodles with fun new flavours such as black truffle, curry seafood, pepper pork and Sichuan spicy beef. The company’s second-generation owner, Angus Chan Hon-kit, says traditional ha zi mein making goes back a long time – “maybe 100 years” – but was nearly lost. “As technology advanced, manufacturers began prioritising convenience and lower costs,” the 38-year-old says. “However, my father always made ha zi mein the traditional way.” Wing Lok Noodle Factory produces completely dehydrated noodles that do not need chemical preservatives, which makes them healthier than mass-produced instant noodles. From humble beginnings to established noodle supplier Chan’s late father, Chan Keung, began learning the ha zi mein trade at 14 years old. In 1976, when he was in his early twenties, he opened a small stall in Hong Kong’s Wong Tai Sin district to supply dried noodles to street vendors who sold cart noodles or chow mein. By 1980, the success of his business enabled him to move Wing Lok Noodle Factory into a proper unit in Kowloon Bay. Angus Chan says his father’s noodles became very popular among local wholesalers in the following decades, but the noodle factory remained relatively unknown to the general public. “My dad would make separate batches [of ha zi mein] in the authentic, traditional way for customers who appreciated it and could afford it,” he says. “There will always be real gourmets with high standards for food and flavour.” Fast forward to 2015, and the ageing Chan senior faced the same problem as many small heritage businesses: he struggled to find someone to take over. His son was the natural first choice, but had been working for more than six years in aviation logistics, in a job that paid well and did not demand the same dedication as noodle making. “I didn’t want the burden of being tied down by a business,” Angus Chan says. “Then, one day, my dad said to me, ‘I’m exhausted. I want to retire. A friend of mine may buy the factory for HK$200,000.’ I thought, ‘What? HK$200,000 for 40 years of your life’s work?’ “It felt like such a waste. So I decided to come back and give it a shot. If I succeed, great. If not, I could always go back to working at the airport.” Upon taking over the factory, the younger Chan realised it was even more difficult than he anticipated. There was no formal structure; his father handled everything himself, from taking orders to accounting and issuing invoices. “I assumed the company was well-developed with proper systems in place, but I had to restructure the entire organisation, hire more staff and start building our own brand – for 40 years, we never had a brand of our own.” Turning a little-known legacy into a popular brand The turning point came when Angus Chan read an article in a local Chinese-language magazine that ranked the top five store-bought ha zi mein in Hong Kong. Four of the five were produced by Wing Lok for other companies to sell under their brand names. He found himself wondering why Wing Lok did not just build its own brand. “That way, we would be free from price pressures imposed by retailers asking us to compromise on ingredient quality. With our own brand, I can use premium ingredients so everyone gets to have better food.” He eventually shifted from mostly working in the office to learning how to make noodles himself, which enabled him to better understand how the business worked and earn the respect of the sifus, or veteran workers. In 2018, he suggested making speciality coriander-flavour noodles to appeal to younger consumers, which caused friction. “My dad really protested against it. We had a big argument,” he says. “He was like, ‘Are you mad? How on earth can you make coriander ha zi mein?’” “I said, ‘Why don’t we just try and test the market?’ It was a big hit and quickly sold out. People were queuing to snap them up. That’s when my dad realised the potential of innovation. He turned around and even started researching how to intensify the coriander flavour himself.” In the eight years since launching the coriander noodles, Angus Chan has developed more than 10 speciality flavours and recently released single-serving packs with topping kits. Each variation took between three and six months of research and development, but he says the hard work was worth it to ensure the components, texture and flavour profile were up to par. Most recently, he spent nine months developing a soon-to-be-released new cup noodle variety. Finding more fans in Hong Kong and abroad Angus Chan is thankful to the sifus who were willing to adapt to the new business model, and was happy when his father told him he was proud of the new Wing Lok brand before his untimely death in 2023. Now in his 11th year of running the company, Angus Chan has transformed his late father’s legacy into a well-known retail brand in its own right, with stockists in markets including Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia. The brand also continues to support much of Hong Kong’s noodle wholesale market. In the years to come, he hopes to encourage locals to turn away from cheaper mass-produced ha zi mein variations in favour of better-tasting traditional ones. “Authentic ha zi mein is really delicious with a rich broth,” he says. In the meantime, he hopes to take the Wing Lok brand further and find more fans around the world. “Over the past few years, we’ve attended various international trade shows. The Japanese were amazed that boiling water alone turns the dried noodles into a rich broth. And while some Westerners may find traditional ha zi mein too fishy, they found our flavoured variations fascinating. “And for the Hongkongers who have emigrated overseas, they often come back and buy them by the boxful [or place online orders] because they treat it as comfort food and a taste of home.”

How a Hong Kong maker of authentic shrimp roe noodles is leading a comeback

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Wing Lok Noodle Factory’s second-generation boss shares how the 50-year-old company is thriving by innovating a dying traditional craft

Wing Lok Noodle Factory’s second-generation boss shares how the 50-year-old company is thriving by innovating a dying traditional craft