08/24/18
Tam Jai Sam Gor MiXian 譚仔三哥米線 is a rice noodle chain restaurant in Hong Kong. It has been given a "Bib Gourmand Restaurant" by the Michelin Guide (2011-2013), and has expanded to over 50 restaurants across Hong Kong. There's even one at the HK airport!
Mixian 米線 is a rice noodle that originated from the Yunnan Province in China, and is typically served in a spicy soup broth throughout China. Its everyday food, served to be filling for a long day's work. At Tam Jai Sam Gor, this noodle is served with your choice of several soup bases (including Hunan style Hot and Sour soup, Chongqing style Hot and Sour soup, or even the numbing MaLa style soup). In addition, noodles toppings can be chosen from items like pork belly, beef, fish balls, tofu, leeks, bean sprouts, and for the more adventurous, pork liver and intestines. Lastly, the level of spiciness can be adjusted, ranging from no spicy to the tenth level of super spicy.
Today, I went with the Supreme bowl of noodles, which includes every topping the restaurant offers (Pork, Chicken, Fatty Beef, Pork Belly, Beef and Fish Balls, Fried Tofu Skin, Bean Curd Rolls, Bamboo Piths, Bean Sprouts, Leeks, Chives, Pork Liver...honestly too many toppings to count!). I went with the Chongqing style Hot and Sour soup base, at a medium spice level. At first bite, a overwhelming level of spice and flavor instantly hits your tongue. The soup, even at just medium level, was incredibly spicy, but perfectly balanced with a sour flavor. There are copious amount of chili oil, chili peppers, and whole peppercorns that make up the soup base. The noodles were a perfect al dente. Delicate, yet with a great bounce, allowing for the noodles to be chewed or slurped at your leisure. The spiciness of the soup is similar to the Sichuan Mala, and halfway through the bowl, I was already breaking out in a satisfying sweat.
This bowl of noodles comes in at at cheaply HK Dollar $50 (which comes out to be around $6.75 USD). The serving size of this bowl of noodles is very gracious, and I saw many other tables actually order the same bowl of noodles to be shared between 2-3 people.
Tam Jai Sam Gor also serves side dishes along at their restaurant, including their famous grilled lemon grass chicken wings, black fungus with vinegar, and thousand year old eggs. All noodle bowls also come with a complimentary side of pickled bamboo shoots and Chinese meat sauce.
I had this particular bowl at the restaurant located in the Tuen Mun Plaza in New Territories in Hong Kong, but as I mentioned before, there are many chains of this restaurant all over Hong Kong in the New Territories, Kowloon, and HK Island.
If you ever get a chance to visit Hong Kong, and want a sufficient and satisfying bowl of noodles, come check out Tam Jai Sam Gor!