HOKO Wonton Noodles

HOKO Wonton Noodles is the Covent Garden counter of HOKO, the contemporary Hong Kong cafe that built its following on Brick Lane. It occupies a permanent pitch inside Seven Dials Market on Earlham Street, and specialises in a single dish done properly: wonton noodle soup, made to order.

The group now runs three sites. The original cafe on Brick Lane in Shoreditch grew from a small operation into a full diner, a bakery followed on Bethnal Green Road, and the Seven Dials counter gave the wonton noodles a permanent home of their own. The market's food team have described HOKO as a long-standing favourite, which is how the pitch came about.

Hong Kong wonton noodles in Covent Garden

The bowl is built from springy egg noodles seasoned with dried flounder, a deep chicken and pork broth, and hand-wrapped wontons finished with yellow chives. Fillings run from prawn and pork to beef brisket and tendon, with a tofu and king oyster mushroom option for anyone avoiding meat. Because the kitchen wraps by hand, HOKO wonton noodles at Seven Dials trades until sold out rather than to a fixed closing time, so later evenings can be a gamble on a busy weekend.

What to expect on a visit

The counter opens from midday on Mondays and Tuesdays and from eleven in the morning from Wednesday to Sunday, closing when the day's noodles run out. Ordering is at the counter and seating is shared across the market's communal tables, so bowls are carried rather than brought to you. The full line-up is listed at Seven Dials Market, and there are more restaurants in Covent Garden within a short walk.