For fast, effective relief, try Zhuang Yuan. No, they aren’t selling Chinese medicine. It’s hunger pangs the 3-story shophouse sitting in the shadow of BTS Sala Daeng relieves—quickly, tastily and affordably. After ordering your Hong Kong style fare from an extensive menu of congee, rice noodles and single dishes, the plates will almost instantly land on your table. The low prices hide small portions but flavors are full, despite a no-MSG claim on their menu. The fried rice noodles with XO chilli sauce come out so tasty we almost doubt them. Salty, mushy (the noodles) and crunchy (dried shrimps)—this dish is intensely satisfying. Another must-try rice noodle dish is the steamed rice roll with shrimp. The shrimps are of good proportions, not overly cooked, and the rice noodle wrapping is both soft and elastic. Another one of our favorites is the crispy pork, a plate of savory chunks of fat, meat and a thin layer of crispy crunch. Warning to dieters, you get a slither of meat and a huge chunk of fat. The roasted duck is a solid dish, but the skin could be crispier. For more exotic flavors, try their wonton shrimps with bamboo shoots and mushrooms. Supposedly, their broth is cooked for five hours, giving it a smoky, almost grill-like quality. The wonton is acceptable, but it could have been a little softer. As mentioned, service can be blindingly fast, but we’ve had other good surprises: an obsequious server on the 2/F who wished our family good health and one below who discouraged us from ordering a combo promotion, saying that ordering the items separately would get us more food and cost B9 less! (He was right.) A good place for a hasty and hearty meal that is neither pretty nor fancy—you won’t want to linger—but brings joy to the task of lunch hour sustenance.
