What is inside
What is inside Hakka Noodles?
Hakka Noodles is wok-tossed noodles with shredded vegetables, soy sauce and chilli. Here is what is inside it, layer by layer, and why each one is there.
From the Tapri Chai kitchen · November 2026 · 2 min read
Layers
5 in all
Key ingredient
Wheat noodles
Heat
Mild to medium
Served
Hot, from the wok
The 5 layers of Hakka Noodles
Hakka Noodles is built from 5 parts. They are listed in the order you meet them, and the numbers match the diagram.
The noodles
Thin wheat noodles boiled until just tender, rinsed and tossed in a little oil so they stay loose instead of clumping.
The aromatics
Garlic, and sometimes ginger, fried first in a very hot wok to perfume the oil.
The vegetables
Thinly sliced cabbage, carrot, capsicum and spring onion, stir-fried briefly so they stay crunchy.
The sauces
Soy sauce, vinegar and chilli sauce, added at the end so they coat the noodles without making them soggy.
The wok heat
The high heat itself: quick tossing on a flame gives a faint smokiness that is hard to copy at home.
01
What it is made of
Hakka noodles are only noodles, vegetables and three sauces, so the result depends on technique. The noodles must be dry, the wok very hot and the cooking fast.
- Wheat noodles
- Cabbage, carrot and capsicum
- Garlic and spring onion
- Soy sauce
- Vinegar
- Chilli sauce
- Oil
02
How the layers work together
Savoury and slightly smoky, with garlic up front, a tang from vinegar and a mild heat from chilli. The vegetables stay crisp against the springy noodles, which is why they are added late and cooked only briefly.
03
Where it comes from
Hakka noodles are an Indo-Chinese dish. The Hakka are a Chinese community whose cooking arrived in India, notably Kolkata, and the dish evolved there into the stir-fried noodles served at Indian Chinese restaurants and street carts.
04
Variations and other names
The same base takes many forms:
- Schezwan noodles: tossed with a fiery red chilli sauce.
- Chilli garlic noodles: heavier on garlic and dried chilli.
- Singapore-style noodles: finer rice noodles with a curry-powder seasoning.
- Hakka noodles with Manchurian: the classic combination served together.
05
How to eat it
Eat them hot, with a fork or chopsticks. Gravy dishes such as Veg Manchurian are traditionally spooned on or beside the noodles, so the sauce flavours them.
06
Hakka Noodles at Tapri Chai
Hakka Noodles is $14.99 CAD on our menu. We make it in a 100% vegetarian kitchen at 200 Kennevale Dr Unit 104, Barrhaven, Ottawa, open Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 11pm, closed Mondays.
Questions, answered.
What is Hakka Noodles made of?
Hakka Noodles is made of wheat noodles, cabbage, carrot and capsicum, garlic and spring onion, soy sauce, vinegar, chilli sauce and oil.
How many layers does Hakka Noodles have?
Traditionally 5: the noodles, the aromatics, the vegetables, the sauces and the wok heat.
Is Hakka Noodles vegetarian?
Yes. The traditional recipe is vegetarian, and every dish at Tapri Chai is vegetarian.
Is Hakka Noodles spicy?
It is mild to medium. Chilli sauce provides the heat, and it is easy to adjust at the wok.
Where can I try Hakka Noodles in Ottawa?
At Tapri Chai, 200 Kennevale Dr Unit 104, Barrhaven, Ottawa. Hakka Noodles is $14.99 CAD on our menu.
At Tapri Chai
Taste it for yourself.
Our kitchen in Barrhaven is 100% vegetarian. 200 Kennevale Dr Unit 104, Ottawa. Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 11pm. Closed Mondays.