Noodles are a staple food in most Asian cultures, and they come with different textures, shapes, sizes and flavours. Despite that, it is rare to find a restaurant that offers the multinational selection of noodles that Hawaii Noodle offers on their menu.

Located on St 370 in Boeng Keng Kang 1, Hawaii Noodle serves cuisine from Malaysia and Hong Kong and true to their name the focus is on noodles.

It is the multiple choices of tasty noodle dishes, which are comfort food to foodies from Hong Kong and Malaysia.

This is one of the key attraction of the restaurant despite its humble location.

Hawaii noodle is a cosy little noodle “house” with dishes of very rich flavours that has a persuasive knack for transforming newcomers into regulars.

It all comes down to Doung Dany’s husband’s years of hands-on experience working in Hong Kong.

“The recipes we have mostly originate from Malaysia and Hong Kong because, basically, the recipes have been ‘enhanced‘ by my Malaysian husband who used to work in Hong Kong,” Dany, the owner, tells The Post.

It all started in 2013 when Dany was a homemaker who enjoyed cooking for her family and friends. They were always suggesting that she open a restaurant so that year, she finally did it.

The small food business has been such a success that they are now able to open a second branch in Aeon Mall. The original branch on St 370 is still going strong and is mostly packed at lunch time when customers flock in to fill their stomachs before going back to work.

“Though the Covid pandemic is ongoing, we are thankful that we are still doing quite well with 100 to 150 orders a day, mostly from deliveries,” she says.

Her kitchen employs a Malaysian chef to ensure the authentic flavour of Hawaii Noodle’s dishes.

“Most of the ingredients for those dishes are imported from Malaysia,” Dany says.

There are seven special dishes that is each available on a rotational daily basis. The idea is to ensure lunch patrons know when to pay Hawaii Noodle a visit to satisfy their palette.

If you’re planning to go but want to make sure it’s the right day for you, here is the schedule for the specials: Hokkien Prawn Mee on Monday; Dry Curry Chicken Noodle/Rice on Tuesday; Loh Mee on Wednesday; Prawn Lam Mee on Thursday; White Curry Mee on Friday; Char Koay Teow and Mee Goreng on Saturday and Fish Nasi Lemak and Chicken Nasi Lemak on Sunday.

Hokkien Prawn Mee ($3.80) is a soup that is made by leaving the prawns in the water first for an extended period to give the broth added flavour. It helps to add fragrance and sweetness to the dish.

Dry Curry Chicken Noodle/Rice ($4.50) is made from indigenous Malaysian curry ingredients which also make the dish smells great. It’s a little dry but it goes well with the springy Hong Kong noodles.

Fish Nasi Lemak and Chicken Nasi Lemak ($4.00) has rice prepared with coconut juice and lemon grass, and the chicken is deep fried.

The most popular among the seven specials is Hokkien Prawn Mee, but they’ve resisted calls from patrons to put it on the regular menu.

“So if customers want to have this dish (Hokkien Prawn Mee), they can come on Monday.

“And if they want the other six dishes, they can come for another day as it’s been scheduled,” Dany says.

Dany has both local and international patrons. Her food has given comfort to many Malaysian expatriates who are longing for a taste of home.

“Like when a Cambodian is in a foreign country, if they are able to find a place with Khmer Noodles or Samlar Kokor, they feel more at home, and it is nice to find those dishes overseas.

“It is the same way with these dishes served in Hawaii Noodle. Our patrons, especially Malaysians, are joyful to find that they can get the authentic taste without having to travel back to their home country,” Dany explains.

Currently, she has a lunch package with three choices for customers which include free soup. Deliveries are free as well for patrons who live near Boeng Keng Kang 1. Delivery runs from 11am to 1pm.

Dany said that even their Cambodian patrons who go there often rarely order the Khmer dishes they serve. They usually want one of the seven special dishes. They tell her they usually don’t enjoy foreign dishes because they are often too bland for them, but Hawaii Noodle proved otherwise. Dany said even the younger students around Beong Keng Kang 1 have become her regular customers.

She takes pride in the quality of the food they serve and she wants the restaurant to become a household name when it comes to noodles.

“The current location is kind of out of the way and hard to spot. It’s really a disadvantage for us. I hope I am able to make it more inviting. For now, the majority of our customers order for delivery.”

For delivery, call 088 788 8202 or place your order through a delivery app like Food Panda.

Hawaii Noodle is open from 8am to 5pm and is located at #228 St 370, Beong Keng Kang 1, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

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