Wonton soup noodles are almost a
tradition in Southern
Chinese cuisine, especially in
Hong Kong,
Shenzhen and
Guangzhou. Typically served during
lunch, this delicious
dish can be served any time of the day, usually as a
standalone meal, but it can accompany other dishes as well.
The dish consists of the soup base, the noodles, and the wonton themselves. The soup base is made from a fish soup, typically freshwater. It is usually accompanied with a sprinkling of Chinese onions and nowadays, the everpresent dash of MSG, which makes it taste a lot better. When served, this dish uses a very large bowl, and the soup fills half of it. When the noodles and wonton are added, it pushes the soup up the the brim of the bowl.
The noodles are made from wheat, sometimes mixed with egg. They are much thinner than traditional Chinese noodles, being around 2mm in diameter, and has a dull yellow color from the way its made. They are also in a way crunchier than regular noodles, which contrasts very nicely with the "wet" and soft texture of the wonton. Add plenty of these into the bowl. The more the merrier. Be sure to soak it well in soup though, this is a soup noodle dish.
The wonton makes the whole dish. Wrapped in a thin covering of flour is a filling made of pork and shrimp. There are variations using only pork in the wonton, but that is not as good as the shrimp version. They are larger than typical Chinese dumplings, which is better as that means there is more filling used. The great thing about this dish is how the wrapping is very loose and soft, allowing plenty of soup to fill the gaps. When mixed with the noodles and the soup, the entire wonton is one of the most tasty morsels in the world, IMHO.
It is served piping hot, with a bit of red vinegar added into the soup to give it a tangy flavor. This dish is definitely a must-have for anyone visiting Southern China. Goes very well with red tea, it is a non-oily, healthy seafood lunch. You can also find this dish at most Chinatowns. Look in the Cantonese stalls.