Cheung Fun (Steamed Rice Noodle Rolls)
Photo: Andy Li · CC0

History

Cheung fun (long-strip noodle) was perfected in the dai pai dongs of post-war Hong Kong, where rice batter was steamed paper-thin on a tray then rolled. Hop Yik Tai's Sham Shui Po stall has made the same plain cheung fun with sesame sauce since 1957. Restaurant versions add prawn, char siu, or beef.

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Common allergens: Soy, Sesame, Gluten

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 45 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 150g rice flour
  • 30g tapioca starch
  • 30g wheat starch
  • 550ml cold water
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil, plus more for greasing
  • Pinch fine sea salt
  • For the sauces: 4 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 3 tbsp water (heat together to dissolve)
  • For the sesame sauce (Hop Yik Tai style): 3 tbsp Chinese sesame paste
  • 1 tbsp light soy
  • 1 tbsp warm water
  • 1 tsp sugar (whisk to a pourable cream)
  • Chilli oil, to finish
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

  1. Whisk rice flour, tapioca starch, wheat starch, water, oil, and salt into a smooth thin batter. Rest 15 minutes, then whisk again before each use.
  2. Set up a wok with a steaming rack and a small flat-bottomed rectangular tin (about 20cm x 15cm) that fits inside.
  3. Bring water in the wok to a vigorous boil. Brush the tin generously with oil.
  4. Ladle a thin layer of batter (3mm) into the heated tin and quickly tilt to coat the base.
  5. Steam over high heat for 3 minutes until the rice sheet is glossy, bubbled, and just set.
  6. Lift the tin out. While still hot, push the sheet from one end with an oiled spatula, rolling it into a 4cm log. Slide the log onto a warm plate.
  7. Repeat with the rest of the batter, brushing oil between batches. You should get 6 to 8 rolls.
  8. Cut each roll into 4cm pieces, pour the warm soy sauce mix and sesame sauce over the top. Drizzle chilli oil, scatter sesame seeds. Eat hot.

Tip from the editors. Wheat starch (cheng fun) is the same starch used in dim sum dumpling skins; without it the rice rolls tear when rolling. Buy at any Asian grocer.

Where to eat cheung fun (steamed rice noodle rolls)

Cheung Fun (Steamed Rice Noodle Rolls) in Hong Kong

Hop Yik Tai ★ 4.1

$ Street foodSham Shui Po

Hop Yik Tai on Kweilin Street in Sham Shui Po is the Michelin Street Food cheung fun specialist, steaming silky rice rolls with sweet soy, sesame and chilli.

TryCheung fun with triple sauce

TipGet the triple sauce; the canonical Sham Shui Po combination is sesame, sweet soy and hoisin together.

Directions

Tim Ho Wan ★ 4.5

$ Dim SumSham Shui Po

Tim Ho Wan in Sham Shui Po opened in 2010 and was once famed as the world's most affordable Michelin star room, now holding Bib Gourmand status.

OrderThree baked char siu buns with sweet polo crust.

TipOrder at the entrance via paper slip; the baked char siu buns sell out by mid afternoon.

Directions

Lin Heung Tea House ★ 4.3

$ Cantonese Dim SumSheung Wan

Lin Heung Tea House is Hong Kong's last classic dim sum cart room, reopened in April 2026 at the Tung Ning Building on Des Voeux Road in Sheung Wan.

OrderLotus seed paste bun and char siu bao straight off the cart.

TipArrive before 09:00 and grab a cart card; aunties roll past with bamboo steamers you stamp to order.

Directions

Sing Heung Yuen ★ 4.6

$$ CantoneseCentral

Sing Heung Yuen on Mee Lun Street is one of the last open air dai pai dong in Central, in a part of the city that has lost most of its post war street.

Why locals goOne of the last dai pai dong street kitchens in Central, tucked on Mee Lun Street with no signage you'd notice from the main road.

TipWalk in from Cochrane Street; the dai pai dong is two minutes uphill on a service alley.

Directions

Hop Yik Tai cheung fun stall ★ 4.3

$ Street foodSham Shui PoCash only

Hop Yik Tai on Kweilin Street in Sham Shui Po is the Michelin Street Food cheung fun specialist, with sweet soy, sesame and hoisin sauces ladled over silky.

OrderCheung fun with triple sauce (sweet soy, sesame, hoisin).

TipAsk for the triple sauce; the combination of sweet soy, sesame and hoisin is the local order.

Directions

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